Keiretsu members understand that searching for funding can be daunting process to even the most experienced entrepreneur. To get a better understanding of the process, we encourage companies interested in presenting to attend a meeting of the Forum at a local chapter prior to applying.
Companies that apply to Keiretsu Forum are typically looking for their A or B rounds, usually having already secured seed rounds of $250k to $1m from "founders, friends and family" investments .
Keiretsu Forum members invest in high-quality, diverse investment opportunities in health care/life sciences, internet related, software, telecommunications, consumer products, clean-green energy, automation & instrumentation, financing, food & beverage, real estate, services, social ventures, and other silos with high growth opportunity.
To apply to present to Keiretsu Forum, please fill out the Keiretsu Forum Application. We also recommend that you read the article from Ed Harley, Chair Emeritus of the Keiretsu Forum Software Committee, on how to make a successful presentation. This article can be found on the News & Articles page.
Keiretsu Forum Chapters do not sign Non-Disclosure Agreements. Any executive summaries and other supporting documents submitted to Keiretsu Forum for consideration will not be treated as confidential even if marked confidential. Please include only information that you are comfortable to share under these terms.
The process of selecting companies that present to Keiretsu Forum is:
1. Application
Interested companies complete the online Keiretsu Forum Application.
2. Committee Pre-screening
All applications are pre-screened by the appropriate committee, i.e. Software Committee, Health Care/Life Sciences, Real Estate, Telecommunications, Media/Entertainment, Automation & Instrumentation, Food & Beverage, Social Investing, Energy Committee, etc. Based on the pre-screening team's recommendation, 7-10 companies are selected to present at each month's Deal Screening session.
3. Deal Screening
Your presentation is limited to 10-12 minutes, utilizing a focused PowerPoint presentation. The presentation is followed by an 8-10 minute Q&A session. This is followed by an open discussion with recommendations and constructive suggestions for your presentation. Most chapters can accommodate a remote screening session, especially from those companies in foreign countries.
After all entrepreneurs present, the Screening Committee votes on which companies will present to the membership at that month's Forum Meeting, (usually 4-6 companies). In certain cases, the Screening Committee recommends that a company hits certain milestones or answers certain questions before it is invited to present to the full Membership Forum.
4. Keiretsu Forum Meeting
The selected companies present at the monthly chapter Forum Meeting. In some regions you may present at multiple chapter meetings. The presentation slots are 20 minutes long. In most cases your presentation will be videotaped and uploaded to our DealRoom site within a week of the Forum Meeting. We recommend a 10-12 minute core presentation followed by a 8-10-minute Question and Answer session. Immediately after the completion of the presentations entrepreneurs are excused and Forum members discuss your investment opportunity in what Keiretsu Forum terms "Mindshare". Every accredited investor in attendance then completes an assessment and interest form, (the Gold Sheet), which is compiled by the chapter for follow-up and possible due diligence.
5. Due Diligence
The Company then enters into a due diligence phase with the Keiretsu Forum members that signed the interest sheet. It is common for one or two members to take the lead in due diligence and negotiations with the company. Members collaborate in the due diligence, but make individual investment decisions.
6. Multi-Chapter Investing
Your opportunity is guaranteed maximum exposure throughout Keiretsu Forum's Chapters as your presentation video, along with all supporting materials, are posted to the Keiretsu Forum DealRoom (www.K4-DealRoom.com)our secure deal portal and announced to all K4 chapters and members. Members from other chapters are able to access and/or participate in the K4 due diligence process based on their interest. Your materials are available online thru the DealRoom site for 1 year from the date of your presentation. In addition to the online opportunity, you may be offered a unique opportunity to present to other chapters or regions who have reviewed your materials and have a group of interested members who would like to meet with you and your team in person. Members of each chapter conduct their own due diligence and make their own investment decisions; however they benefit greatly from shared due diligence.
By entering and utilizing this site entrepreneurs hereby agree to be bound by the Terms of Use Agreement of this Site as well as the Keiretsu Forum Presenters Terms and Conditions described herein.