topical huddles

Venture Debt for Startups under $2M ARR

These small group, intimate sessions are to ensure you are maximizing your learnings with the topical experts.

Skip the term sheets you can't qualify for yet. This huddle cuts through the venture debt noise to show you what's actually available when you're pre-$2M ARR. Our banking expert will walk you through the real requirements, hidden costs, and strategic timing that can make or break your debt raise.

Perfect for: Early-stage founders weighing debt vs. equity dilution, or those looking to demystify what a bank looks at when trying to qualify a company at the early stages.

** THIS SESSION IS FOR EARLY STASGE COMPANIES ($0-$2MM ARR).

*** We plan to schedule separate sessions on this subject for later stage companies.

Speaker

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Joaquin Gallardo

With nearly 15 years of experience in commercial banking, Joaquin brings a deep understanding of the financial needs of the technology sector. As a key contributor at Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in Seattle for the past five years, he has been instrumental in fostering the growth of the region's tech ecosystem. Joaquin achieves this by building strategic connections between local founders and investors, attracting external capital investment, and leveraging venture debt solutions to fuel innovation, particularly within the dynamic fields of AI, Space, Gaming, and other forward-thinking sectors. His background also includes six years in San Francisco, where he learned full-stack development via Berkeley and gained entrepreneurial experience through co-founding a startup.

Aug

Wed

in-person

WHERE
Zoom
WHEN
11:30 AM - 12:45 PM
SPEAKER
Joaquin Gallardo

You must be Pre-Qualified to Register

Get Started

Program

11:30 AM - 12:45 PM

Venture Debt for startups under $2M ARR with SVB, Senior VP, Joaquin Gallardo

What you'll walk away with:

The lenders who actually fund sub-$2M companies (and their real criteria)
Warrants, covenants, and fees decoded—what to negotiate vs. what to accept
Cash runway math: when debt extends your life vs. when it kills you faster
The founder's debt diligence checklist—10 questions that separate good deals from traps

Perfect for: Early-stage founders weighing debt vs. equity dilution, or those looking to demystify what a bank looks at when trying to qualify a company at the early stages.

all founders,
not just ceo

People inclined to be Founders are a rare breed, and are hard to spot in society. We welcome ALL Founders, regardless of role, and generate proprietary profiles for every member so you can easily find your next team member or co-Founder.

current founders

Regardless of where you are on your journey, Founders share a unique set of challenges. Hiring, leadership, managing investors, developing products, handling customer issues, external communications, etc. This community exists to amplify your success.

TRANSITIONING FOUNDERS

So you’ve founded at least one company, and now you’re looking to refine your next great idea or find the perfect co-founder. Share and learn from a wide array of talented Founders in your area.

CURIOUS FOUNDERS

Congratulations! You’ve found success as a Founder and are now getting curious about doing it again. Now you need to find the right idea and co-founder to excite you. Share your wisdom and passion while forming new bonds within the startup ecosystem in your area.

To Pre-Qualify for participation, please fill out an application