KFMWNE serves as a host to a diverse investor community, facilitating highly curated deal flow from across the world. After progressing through its application and rigorous screening process, companies are invited to participate in a 5-day roadshow to meet investors in Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Chicago, Westchester NY and Boston. With investors spread out across over 30 cities in the United States and abroad, members can attend Forums both in-person as well as virtually. Selected companies pay an administrative fee to participate in Keiretsu Forum Roadshows. This is not a pay to play model, but rather a facilitation free for company participation in a highly curated roadshow. Keiretsu Forum does not take equity or a success fee. No other fees are rendered other than the administrative fee to participate in the roadshow. Keiretsu Forum measures its success in terms of its ability to assist companies in going through due diligence with its members and ultimately raising capital. Over the course of the last few years, the organization has seen a strong uplift in company success, with over 75 percent of presenting companies able to raise capital. This level of success is unprecedented in the venture space.
Online Application
To apply to present at Keiretsu Forum Midwest + Northeast Gateway, please fill out the online application. Keiretsu Forum does 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 only include information that you are comfortable sharing under these terms.
Investment Criteria with Application Criteria
Companies applying to Keiretsu Forum understand that searching for funding can be daunting process to even the most experienced entrepreneur. Companies that apply to Keiretsu Forum are typically in their Seed, A or B rounds, usually having already raised $500K to $1m from the founders, friends, and family. Keiretsu Forum does not encourage Pre-Seed companies to apply unless there are extenuating circumstances for the company’s application to be considered. Applying companies are typically seeking $1m to $10m in capital.
Keiretsu Forum considers applications from across the globe and across multiple industries, including (but not limited to); advance manufacturing, consumer products, alternative energy and clean-tech, fintech, health care/life sciences, smart cities and smart transportation, social ventures, information technology, media and entertainment, fashion-tech, and any other market segment representing a high growth opportunity.
The criteria listed below are frequently asked questions by the Keiretsu Forum Screening Committee:
Management
Specific experience
Overall experience
Complete team
Technology
Level of technology risk
Time to prototypes
Time to first ship
Market opportunity
Market definition
Market size
Market growth rate
Significant competitors
Domestic or international
Capital structure
Amount and type of investment
Has the management invested
Date and price of last round
Are previous investors coming in this round
Loans outstanding
Company strategy
Does the company address a significant problem?
Competitive advantages (price, patent, lead time, skilled team, etc.)
Marketing
Does the company effectively communicate its message?
Can the company distinguish itself from the competition?
Intellectual property
Number of patents granted
Number of patents applied for
Scope and strength of patents
Licenses owned
Proposed deal
Amount requested
Pre-investment valuation
Post-investment valuation
Terms
What the company needs
Resources beyond capital
Introduction to customers
Distribution partners
Key team members
How else can we help you
Company financial status
Current burn rate
How much in the bank
Cash horizon
Quarters to break even
Liquidity event
When and how
Application Process
The process of selecting companies that present to Keiretsu Forum is:
1. Application
Interested companies are required to complete an online application. Your application will be received by Keiretsu Forum Midwest + Northeast Gateway. Upon review, you will be provided a participation agreement that outlines our process in greater detail, as well as the associated fees related to your participation in this process. Upon receipt of your signed participation agreement, the Keiretsu Forum Midwest + Northeast Gateway will contact you for an interview.
2. Screening Process
Once a signed agreement is obtained from the applying company, applicants undergo background checks and the application is carefully reviewed by members with relevant industry experience in the start-up’s business area. Based on the recommendations of our subject matter experts, entrepreneurs will subsequently be invited to present at our monthly deal screening committee meeting. The presentation is approximately 10 -12 minutes followed by Q&A. After each presentation the committee members in attendance discuss the positive aspects of the presenting company and then vote to approve or reject the application. 4 to 5 companies are invited to present at the Keiretsu Forum monthly meeting. In certain cases, the Screening Committee may recommend that a company achieve certain milestones or address certain questions before it may go on to present to the Forum. Screening Committee decisions are made the same day.
3. The Forum
The companies that qualify after the monthly Deal Screening will have the opportunity to present in front of the full Forum. Keiretsu Forum recommends a 10-minute core presentation followed by a 10-minute Q&A session. After each entrepreneur presentation, interested investors identify their willingness to invest, participate in due diligence and provide resource advice using our online deal flow platform. KFMWNE conducts a monthly roadshow across its territory (typically 5 days), that allows entrepreneurs to meet as many investors as possible. Most Forums are conducted in-person and are followed by a cocktail reception to allow entrepreneurs and members to network.
4. Due Diligence
The Company shall enter into a due diligence process with the Keiretsu Forum members who indicated interest. KFMWNE has developed a unique due diligence template that is provided to the selected companies immediately after being selected to participate in the roadshow. Companies are encouraged to complete this template prior to participating in the roadshow so that due diligence can commence as quickly as possible after the Forum(s) are completed. Keiretsu Forum members collaborate in the due diligence, but make individual investment decisions. The process is overseen by a by a KFMWNE full-time due diligence director. The outcome is a tremendously impactful report that is invaluable entrepreneurs in promoting their company to investors.
5. Investing Across the Keiretsu Forum
After a company has presented to the Keiretsu Forum Midwest + Northeast Gateway, it has the unique opportunity to present to other Keiretsu organizations of its choice, anywhere around the globe; typically on the same due diligence document and terms sheet.
Contact Us
phone: +1 (513) 384-9850
email: info@kfmwne.com