Greg Raiten

💡 Not tested this myself yet, but one for founders (and fellow investors) to check out! Spotted in the always-sharp PreSeed Now newsletter by Martin SFP Bryant. Ada Ventures has launched a new tool called Deck Genius. It’s a free AI-powered platform that gives slide-by-slide feedback on your pitch deck within minutes. Think: • Narrative strength • Venture fundamentals • Design quality Not just a lead-gen funnel for Ada; it’s positioned as a genuine resource for the ecosystem. Upload a deck and get detailed, structured analysis. Ideal if you’re polishing a deck ahead of a raise or just want to see how VCs might assess it. An insight that caught my eye: Too many founders bury the team slide at the end, that’s a mistake at pre-seed where the bet is all about the team. Props to Michael Tefula at Ada Ventures for building this. Not many pre-seed firms have a Head of Product role, let alone launch tools like this. ⚡ Worth a look if you’re raising soon or advising someone who is. — The Cap Lawyer #pitchdeck #founders #preseed #vc #startupfundraising #deckgenius #PreSeedNow #AdaVentures #AI #startuptools

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There is a lot of movement in the HealthTech sector driven by AI. Just last week, we had three HealthTech startups onboarded at Skala. And regulations for such projects are of paramount importance. A patchwork of AI laws in different states (both in the U.S. internally, but also globally) won't work and will only enrich the lawyers. But unfortunately there does not seem to be any political will to work towards a more unified framework.

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📢 Attention Venture Capital Fund Managers: New California Transparency & Reporting Law You Must Know - Deadlines Looming! 📊 California has ushered in a first-of-its-kind transparency regime that will meaningfully impact VC firms with a nexus to the state — no matter where you’re headquartered. Under the Fair Investment Practices by Venture Capital Companies Act, covered entities must register and report demographic data on the founding teams of companies in which they invested during 2025 - beginning this year. 🔎 Here’s what VC firms need to know (high-level): ✅ Who is covered? Any "venture capital company" that 1) primarily invests in or finances early-stage or growth companies and 2) has a CA nexus — including: • Headquarters or significant presence in CA. • Investments in CA-based companies or companies with significant operations in CA. • Solicits or accepts investment from CA residents/account holders. 📅 Key deadlines: • March 1, 2026: Register with the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) as a covered entity. • April 1, 2026: First annual demographic report due, covering 2025 investments. 📊 What must be reported? • Aggregated, anonymized demographic data voluntarily provided by founders (gender identity, race/ethnicity, disability status, veteran/LGBTQ+ status, CA residency). • Numbers and dollar amounts of investments in companies primarily founded by diverse teams. • Principal place of business for companies. 📋 Covered entities must distribute the standardized DFPI survey to founding teams to collect this information and incorporate it into their annual report. ⚠️ Why this matters: This requirement extends beyond traditional Silicon Valley firms. Even funds without a physical CA office may be caught if they have a CA investor or portfolio company. Non-compliance could expose firms to enforcement actions and penalties. ⚠️ What DFPI Still Needs to Clarify or Finalize Despite the statutory framework, material implementation details are still evolving, including: • Final reporting format and submission mechanics • How DFPI will interpret “CA nexus” in edge cases • Treatment of complex fund structures, SPVs, and parallel vehicles • Data validation, audit expectations, and record-retention standards • Enforcement posture and penalty framework for non-compliance • How updates or corrections to prior-year reports will be handled In short: the obligations are real, but the operational playbook is still being built, but funds that wait until guidance is finalized may find themselves compressed on timing. 🔗 Learn more and access official DFPI resources: 👉 DFPI VCC Reporting Program: https://lnkd.in/gHRxvwHP 👉 DFPI Survey: https://lnkd.in/gV_Bh2vM 💬 Be sure to discuss how this impacts your firm’s compliance and reporting strategy with your friendly neighborhood fund counsel.

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Founders need to get their board composition and compensation right. Here are a few things to think about when selecting board members and figuring out how to pay them: https://lnkd.in/gWe7HAXx #startups #boards #entrepreneurship #entrepreneurialstrategy #founders

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