Skip to main content
610.971.4067
Home | Calendar | Why Keiretsu | Investor Capital Expo | Investors | Entrepreneurs | Sponsors | The Keiretsu Advantage | Contact Us  
Add Me To Your Mailing List
HomeSelection & Application Process
selection and application process

GROW YOUR BUSINESS WITH ANGEL FUNDING

THE SELECTION PROCESS AND APPLICATION

Before applying to present, we recommend that you 1) read the article on how to make a successful presentation from Ed Harley, chair emeritus of the Keiretsu Forum Software Committee, and 2) attend a Chapter Forum Meeting at a K4 Mid-Atlantic, South-East, or Texas Region to determine if our process is a fit for your Company.

The eight-step process of selecting companies that present to Keiretsu Forum includes the following:

  1. Application: Companies and entrepreneurs who are interested in securing angel funding through Keiretsu Forum fill out our online application [see below].
  2. Pre-Screening: Applications are pre-screened by the appropriate committees, who select 10-12 companies to present at the monthly Deal Screening meetings.
  3. Deal Screening: The Deal Screening presentations are twelve minutes long, followed by eight minutes of Q&A and feedback.  Presenters are allowed to stay and view all presenting companies, a learning experience in itself.  There are 3 possible outcomes from screening, YES, NO, or DELAY.  Companies that resonate well with our Screening Committee are offered the opportunity to present their investment opportunity at a future Forum Meeting (YES), some companies are informed that they are not a good fit for K4 members (NO), and a few companies are told that the Screening Committee felt that they need additional time and effort before they will be invited to Forums (DELAY).  We offer to work with the DELAY companies to help prepare them to return to the process.
    Screening for the Mid-Atlantic, South-East, & Texas Regions takes place on the first Wednesday of each month online with some meetings held live in Philadelphia.  In the case of live Screening Meetings, presenters located more than 4 hours travel time from Philadelphia may elect to do their Screening presentation remotely but we recommend that, if possible, you screen with us live and in-person.
  4. Presentations: At the monthly Keiretsu Forum meeting, each company makes a 10-12 minute core presentation and then engages attending Forum members with 8-10 minutes of questions and answers.  Presenters are invited to present to all the chapters in our Regions which allows them to gain maximum exposure to our members and accredited investor guests.
  5. Gold Sheet: After each entrepreneur presents, attendees complete our online Gold Sheet which indicates potential due diligence and investment interest as well as valuable feedback which is collated into a report and delivered to the presenters the week following the Forum Meeting.
  6. Discussion: After each presentation, entrepreneurs are excused and Forum members discuss the companies in our MindShare sessions.  This exchange of opinions is designed to open up investors’ eyes and minds to thoughts and ideas that had not occurred to them during the presentations.
  7. Due Diligence: Based on the Gold Sheets and member interest some of the presenting companies are invited into a comprehensive 6-8 week due diligence process with our team of angel investor members, interested partners and sponsors, and our Due Diligence Fellows.  It is common for one or two members to take the lead in due diligence.  We execute due diligence just like a venture capital fund so part of this process includes the negotiation of the term sheet which is executed early in the DD process.  Important note:  We will not execute a due diligence project without the inclusion of our term sheet.  We will provide you with an overview paper on the Term Sheet before you make a commitment to present to us so you are aware of the role our Term Sheet has in the DD process.  While the members collaborate in the due diligence process, each one makes individual investment decisions.
  8. Multi-Chapter-Region Investing: After a company sparks interest from investors in the Keiretsu Region closest geographically, it has the unique opportunity to present at other regions and chapters of its choosing - broadening exposure to both expert advice and equity capital from Forum members.  Once you have completed your Due Diligence our team will work to help Fast Track your company into the other most active regions - moving straight into their Forum Meetings.  Members throughout Keiretsu are encouraged to execute their own due diligence but rest assured, once you have a published K4 DD report and PPM you are 90%+ there.  We have also executed Due Diligence and Syndication Treaties with more than 40 outside angel groups and will introduce you to them as well.  At K4-MA-SE-TX our first goal is to get every deal with our due diligence funded.  

FEES FOR PRESENTING ENTREPRENEURS

There is never a fee to apply or participate in the Keiretsu Forum Screening Process.  If you are invited to participate in our Forum meetings, there is currently a $12,000 administrative fee to help cover the costs of running our meetings and our overhead in the Mid-Atlantic and South-East Regions.  Entrepreneurs must agree to present in both regions to maximize exposure to our members and accredited investor guests.   This is the only fee you’ll face from Keiretsu Forum* — we are not broker-dealers and do not solicit success fees upon funding.

Like almost all active angel investment groups we have transitioned to a 100% remote (ZOOM) meeting environment.  Instead of taking on a week+ road trip to visit all our chapters in K4-MA and K4-SE we execute 2 Forum Meetings remotely on the 3rd and 4th Wednesdays of the month and require that all presenting companies participate in both sessions. 

  • NOTE: If you are selected by our members for due diligence there are standard charges for background checks, DD Fellows stipends, and possible legal review fees.  Legal fees for term sheet reviews and IP overview, if appropriate, are contingent upon funding.  You can download the 2 page overview here: Guidelines for Entrepreneurs - Due Diligence Expenses.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Keiretsu Forum members do not typically sign non-disclosure agreements.  Therefore, executive summaries and other supporting documents submitted to Keiretsu Forum for consideration will not be treated as confidential — even if marked confidential.  Please only include information that you are comfortable sharing under these terms.

Terms and Conditions


To apply to present your business, click the appropriate button below.

 K4 MID-ATLANTIC & SOUTH-EAST APPLICATION