Network Partner

Overview

Company: DealMaker Media

Interviewee: Jasmine Antonick, Startup Evangelist

Web site: www.dealmakermedia.com

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Q. Tell me a little about DealMaker Media.

“DealMaker is an online social network dedicated to the startup ecosystem that’s at the intersection of technology and business. There are startups all over doing amazing things, with fantastic teams. Because they are so busy building their business, they need help connecting to the right network of people at the right time. DealMaker Media brings our members the tools and relationships needed to grow their business – and provides them access to our membership base, our network of people, and the resulting opportunities.”

Q. What is DealMaker Media’s approach?

"DealMaker Media works with everyone in the startup ecosystem. We work with VCs and investors in the Silicon Valley and L.A. We work with startups from all over the world to find out who is doing innovative and amazing things; inject them into this ecosystem to facilitate the right types of partnerships and investment opportunities. In our early work with startups, we provide a host of educational and other resources they need to move forward. As they mature we provide them with introductions for opportunities and relationships to help develop deals and identify financing opportunities.”

Q. What are some unique differences about the DealMaker approach?

“We all have entrepreneurial spirit and are uniquely focused on the startup ecosystem. Another distinction of DealMaker Media is the quality of people in our network. We’ve been in the Silicon Valley for over 8 years developing a network of over 70,000 people in the startup ecosystem. Another differentiation is that we’re actually here to facilitate deals. That’s the whole point behind DealMaker Media – helping startups get ready to do a deal. Through DealMaker Media, you are working with people who are ready to work with you to get a deal done. We’ve raised $1.36 billion dollars for the startups that have come through our pipeline.”

Q. What are some of your most popular events?

“IWe offer a range of events and services to help startups at various stages of their development. Events like Startonomics, in partnership with Microsoft, are for entrepreneurs and are about what it takes to build a successful business. We also host a monthly strategy series where we bring together influential people within a certain sector for very tailored and targeted conversations. One of our most visible events is our Under the Radar series, where we identify the 32 best startups in a particular area and put them on stage and connect them with investors who can actually do deals with them.”

Q. What are some benefits DealMaker offers startups?

“If you’re an entrepreneur or a founder, we work with you to identify who you need to work with to grow your business. Who are the potential partners? If you’re looking for financing, what state are you at? We work with founders to polish their pitches that are specifically tailored toward what those VCs are looking for, to increase their chances of success. The value that we bring to startups is our relationship with the venture capitalists in the community. They trust our opinion and our referrals.“