The Investable Founder: Why Investors Back Founders - Not Just Ideas
Raising capital is often framed as a pitching problem. Get the deck right, nail the story, land the meeting. But spend an hour with experienced early-stage investors and a different picture emerges: by the time a founder is in the room, the evaluation has often already begun, and it's rarely just about the idea.
That was the central thread running through The Investable Founder, BVZ's latest BrampUP session held on May 12th at B-Hive. Founders at the pre-seed and seed stages gathered for a candid fireside chat followed by a hands-on workshop all designed around one question: what does investor readiness actually look like in practice?
The fundraising mindset: what investors are really evaluating
The morning opened with a fireside chat featuring Nick Kuryluk of Altitude Angels, moderated by Dr. Holly Gardner of SoCitty. Nick has worked with founders across a range of sectors and stages, and brought a refreshingly honest perspective to the room.
Investors aren't just betting on a market opportunity — they're betting on whether this founder has the clarity, credibility, and resilience to actually build something in it.
The conversation covered how investors evaluate founders long before a term sheet is on the table — including how a founder communicates, how they think about risk, and whether they've done the foundational work to demonstrate they understand their business deeply. Relationship-building, not just pitching, emerged as a recurring theme.
Fireside Chat featuring Nick Kuryluk & Dr. Holly Gardner as shown above.
Building an investable startup: beyond the pitch deck
Miryam Lazarte, Founder & CEO of Global Startups Accelerator and General Partner at GSA Ventures, led the second half of the morning with a practical workshop grounded in her experience supporting 300+ international startups expanding into North America.
Rather than pitching tactics, Miryam focused on the fundamentals investors expect founders to have in place before fundraising begins from a clear investment narrative to the signals that indicate a team is ready to scale.
About BrampUp Series
BrampUP is a vibrant community event series designed to spark entrepreneurial spirit and skill-building across Brampton. It is designed for startups, side-hustlers, corporate professionals, students, and anyone looking to "ramp up" their ideas, careers, or ventures. Organized by Brampton Venture Zone by TMU & Powered by the Brampton Innovation District.
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Practical workshop led by Miryam Lazarte as shown above.