How can you maintain your startup's brand identity when negotiating with co-investors?

Your brand identity should be the center of any fundraise. Brand identity is not only fancy slogans and color palettes. Is the core of why are you doing what you are doing in your business, your vision of the future and why are you raising funds Any good fundraising story should embed the brand identity.

Before setting out with any business, it is imperative to craft a brand identity system that reflects the company’s core philosophies. These will be a guiding tenets that explain the goals of your startup and also inform the overall culture of the firm. With this in place, any Co-investor will see reasons and align with you

It is imperative that you make sure your vision and goals align with potential investors. Communicating what the foundation of your brand is and is not and also understanding what is negotiable and what isn't is also key.

Your brand is who you are and it is expressed, deliberately or otherwise, in every single interaction, big and small, that anyone (including potential investors) has with you and your firm. If you are paying attention, it will be clear how much alignment there is between your brand and an investor's brand...but only if you are paying attention.

The brand is what makes people get attached. It should represent quality and integrity and provide confidence in whatever it means. It is always one and consistent. By pitching to different investors/audiences, you can adjust the colors but never the brand identity.

In co-investor negotiations, safeguarding your startup's brand identity is key. Start with a clear understanding of your brand values and ensure these are non-negotiable in discussions. Communicate your vision clearly and choose partners who align with and respect your brand ethos. Stand firm on critical brand aspects but be open to strategic compromises that don’t undermine your core identity. The right partners should enhance, not dilute, your brand's essence. Remember, maintaining brand integrity is as crucial as securing investment.

If you don't explain what your expectations are, you should not expect any sympathy if your expectations are not met. This is a good place to start in any early conversations, to make sure that your goals and your needs are understood and compatible with those of your investors.

In my opinion, investors should be focused on the authentic brand identity of the founders and the startup that they are considering for investment. A big part of the investment, especially at the early stage (pre/seed) is on the founder!! Their personal brand identity is part of the underwriting that is done to consider whether that founder is able to attract resources, be magnetic for talent, capital, and customers. Founders should be as authentic as possible, but only so much can be stated within a pitch meeting. Brand identity should shine through in the work that is consistently done and demonstrated. Showcase your brand, impact, and voice online on social channels and within small group communities.

This is not really a good way to maintain your brand identity, but it can help identify if you are doing something that does not align with your stated brand identity.

Maintaining A Startups brand identity depends on what you want to showcase and what you showcase post investments. The key is to have a clear picture prior to signing the deal sheet. Such things are often looked over whilst fund raising because the promoter is under pressure to raise funds. What does the brand stand for ? What’s the long term strategy ? What value do you add to customers and stakeholders ? What diversification would be preferred ? Type of people / offices / geography / etc etc. As in finer things Usually we miss the above in deal sheets and term sheets and then we find ourselves at crossroads with co investors.