CCEI Traction Workshop: Raising Smart Money — Powered by Connecticut Innovations
About the Workshop
Although every high-tech startup requires capital to grow and succeed, the process of fundraising can look very different depending on the company's stage of development, industry, technology, and business model.
In this workshop, we will outline the typical growth trajectory of startups in different sectors (e.g. biotech, tech, SaaS, etc.), what kinds of investors/partners typically invest at each stage, and how founders can find capital providers who are best aligned with their company's needs.
Additionally, we will provide insights on the key factors that early-stage investors look for while conducting due diligence on a potential investment, and how founders can position themselves to stand out from the crowd.
Led by Douglas Roth & Renee Wasko
Douglas Roth, Managing Director of Investments, is responsible for sourcing new investment opportunities, conducting due diligence, serving on boards of directors, and supporting the growth and success of portfolio companies. Douglas has led Connecticut Innovations’ investments in eBrevia (acquired by Donnelley Financial Solutions), iDevices (acquired by Hubbell), Tru Optik Data Corp. (acquired by TransUnion) and Logicbroker (acquired by K1 Investment Management).
Before joining Connecticut Innovations, Douglas gained extensive experience with early-stage businesses as both an operator and adviser. He founded a company assisting early-stage companies identify and assess growth opportunities, generate sustainable revenue and manage intellectual property. As a senior consultant at a boutique management consulting firm, Douglas was a strategic adviser to companies in the software, telecommunications, information technology and medical device industries. He advised investors in early-stage businesses, representing more than $250 million in invested capital. Earlier in his career, Douglas spent more than a decade as an operator in the telecommunications industry, primarily focused on building international voice, data and IP networks.
Renee Wasko, Ph.D., is an Associate on the Bioscience Investment team at Connecticut Innovations (CI), where she is responsible for evaluating new investment opportunities, identifying potential new ventures, and supporting the growth and operations of CI’s portfolio companies.
Prior to joining CI, Renee completed her Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale, where she studied epithelial tissue regeneration and how skin-resident immune cells contribute to tissue repair after injury. While working on her research, Renee also pursued opportunities to learn about the business side of biotech. Renee was a Canaan-Yale Fellow and a Blavatnik Associate, where she learned about biotech venture capital and technology transfer, respectively. Renee holds a B.S. in Molecular and Cell Biology from UConn, and acquired her passion for startup biotech while doing research at a UConn-Technology Incubator Program (TIP) company based in Farmington, CT.