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Seduction secrets: How to make sure investors fall in love with you

Agnitio Capital reveals all

Seduction secrets: How to make sure investors fall in love with you

If there's one thing Shum Singh, MD and founder at Agnitio Capital, knows, it's what investors want.

Singh has been helping developers realise their dreams for over 16 years, and at this summer's PG Connects conference in Helsinki he decided to share his wealth of knowledge with the rest of us.

“The single most important way to get an investor is to have a good team,” offered Singh.

“It's crucial you try to bring together a team who have experience and who know what they're doing, because you need people who can really scale an operation.

A single vision

On its own though, a great team still isn't enough. That team needs to function as a single entity, working towards a common goal, and, more importantly, it needs to have a frightening amount of passion.

“Its absolutely crucial to distinguish yourself from the other studios trying to raise money,” explained Singh, “you need a true strategy, a true vision.”

“Passion and enthusiasm are also invaluable, because those traits resonate a lot with investors.

“If you're talking at an early stage, it's a great sign if your founding team members have sunk some money into the company. That shows commitment and focus, and it proves you're insistent on creating something special.”

The numbers game

So, you've got the passion, you've got the talent, but unless you know your figures, you just might fall at the final hurdle.

“It's super critical to know your metrics. It would look poor if you showed up to an investor without knowing your figures. It shows a lack of organisation,” said Singh.

“Financials are more crucial than some might think, because a lot of investors don't understand gaming.

“I've been investing in games for years, and I still don't fully understand it. Investors must have something they can rely on, and that's where the financials come in.

“Finally, you need patience. Raising money is like dating, if you want to seduce an investor you're going to have to get to know them, so be as patient as you can.”


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What do you call someone who has an unhealthy obsession with video games and Sean Bean? That'd be a 'Chris Kerr'. Chris is one of those deluded souls who actually believes that one day Sean Bean will survive a movie. Poor guy.