There is a growing gap between companies that get seed funding and those that are able to secure Series A funding. How do startups increase their chances of crossing this chasm? Here are top 5 learnings from our portfolio as shared at IBM StartupXchange in Singapore.

1. Top #5 Startup Hacks
A successful Series A starts at the Seed Stage
Amit Anand
Jungle Ventures
@amitvedand/ @jungleventures

2. About me
Founding Partner, Jungle Ventures
Previously Vice Chairman for BANSEA & Founder ettaminA Studios
Past life includes several regional leadership roles for large and mid sized
software companies
Kauffman Fellows, Nominated for Young Interactive Entrepreneur of the Year
by British Council of India

3. About Jungle Ventures
Invest & Help build regional and global category leaders from Asia
Over 30+ technology category leaders in Singapore, India, Australia,
Malaysia and other regional hotbeds of entrepreneurship
3 Exits in 3 Years, all to global majors- travelmob acquired by HomeAway,
Zipdial acquired by Twitter
and Voyagin acquired by Rakuten
Unique “Operations as a Service” VC model

4. Some of our B2B Investments
@amitvedand / @jungleventures

5. Some of our B2C Investments
@amitvedand / @jungleventures

6. @amitvedand / @jungleventures
Top #5 Startup Hacks
as learnt from our Founders

7. Top #5 Hacks for Series A
#1 Hire a network not an employee.
@amitvedand / @jungleventures

8. Notes: #1 Hire a network not an employee.
When choosing candidates look for people that have large (& complementing)
networks.
- This will increase your brands reach but more importantly it will significantly
improve your chances of hiring good quality and loyal talent.
- People like to work with people they know/admire/can learn from.
Hire team members that can independently manage and drive improvement in
their respective divisions.
- To grow 20% MoM you need to delegate parts of your business that you
have started building
@amitvedand / @jungleventures

9. Top #5 Hacks for Series A
#2 Build Customer Care & Support
as a Profit Centre.
@amitvedand / @jungleventures

10. Notes: #2 Build Customer Care & Support as a Profit Centre
To demonstrate stickiness and product market fit you need to be able to
significantly increase revenue per existing customer.
As technology and capital become more commoditised, quality of service and
other parameters become key differentiators.
- Incentivise Customer Care & Support reps to go beyond their “duty” of
providing support to provide customer delight and sell additional offerings.
- It should be no surprise that a happy (or angry) customer first reaches out to
them!
@amitvedand / @jungleventures

11. Top #5 Hacks for Series A
#3 Never Innovate alone.
@amitvedand / @jungleventures

12. Notes: #3 Never Innovate Alone.
Investors like to back category leaders.
As an early stage venture one of the best ways to demonstrate thought
leadership is by being able to strike partnerships with other companies in
your space.
The downside of collaborating with large corporates is a potential acquisition
which all investors like!
Twitters acquisition of Zipdial and HomeAway’s acquisition of travelmob
started off as business partnerships first!
@amitvedand / @jungleventures

13. Top #5 Hacks for Series A
#4 Key Metrics required follow
the Moore’s law.
.
@amitvedand / @jungleventures

14. Notes: #4 Key Metrics require Moore’s Law.
Is 20% MoM or $1m+ of revenue run rate good enough for my business for
raising Series A?
Like Moore’s law the norm about traction changes every two years.
What was good for last year is possibly not good enough.
Always plan to achieve 50% more than any targets suggested!
@amitvedand / @jungleventures

15. Top #5 Hacks for Series A
#5 Data indicates that larger seed rounds
substantially increase the odds of
raising a Series A.
. @amitvedand / @jungleventures

16. Notes: #4 that larger seed rounds substantially increase the
odds of raising a Series A.
More time to establish product market fit.
More money to be more aggressive ramping the
business.
Larger seed rounds likely have 1 or 2 institutional
investors willing and able to lead the Series A.
@amitvedand / @jungleventures
Follow-on rate by seed investment sizes
Source: Tomasz Tunguz - Crunchbase data from 2005 to 2012
% of Startups that raised Series A
Seedroundsize

17. Thank You
A successful Series A starts at the Seed Stage
Amit Anand
Jungle Ventures
@amitvedand/ @jungleventures