Hire the Best Fundraising Consultants in Texas

Former founder turned investor at one of the largest pre-seed venture firms. Here to help with anything related to: - Venture Capital -Fundraising strategy -Pitching -Go-to-market strategy -How to get into a startup accelerator -Executive Coaching -Sales & Marketing

For freelance consulting, most of my work is around early-stage Generative AI and Deep Tech startups and crowdfunding campaigns. Today, more than half of my clients are generative AI companies who seek to leverage my expertise and the generative AI infrastructure and platform I have built for accelerating early stage AI companies. I retain a profile here on upwork to discover young and inventive companies, and in my years on this platform I have found excellent clients and collaborators. Example of my public work forecasting and modeling LLMs is on LinkedIn, Forbes, and other online publications. Glad to provide upon request (external links are not permitted in Upwork profiles). I am excellent early in the process, helping my clients understand how they can develop minimum viable products, bootstrap, and bend their product toward early traction and crowdfunding. I can run projects end-to-end or focus on strategy formulation, marketing, PR, writing, and more to support the tactical requirements of the project. I don't have a formula - I do what is needed and focus on where I can add the most value. Crowdfunding Workshop: I believe no one can beat the value I deliver in the initial workshop, which is 2.5 hours usually broken into 2 to 3 sessions. I have a crowdfunding mini-course that we can review and a full set of planning tools you can use. In the workshop, we can steer toward strategy and planning issues (product, marketing, fundraising), or if you are ready, go straight to understanding the full spectrum of issues and options in crowdfunding and traction-winning marketing. The largest project I have entirely run was the Virtuix Omni ($1.4 Million Raised on Kickstarter), with dozens of smaller projects, including the Satisfye Grip for the Nintendo Switch, Satisfye RYZE Pads, the Laelaps Long-Range Dog Tracker, and many more. My Day Job: I mentor technology companies and serve as a fractional or consulting Chief Marketing Officer with solid insight into crowdfunding and early-stage companies, addressing challenges and opportunities in consumer products, AI, SaaS, VR, AR, and Computer Vision. My Strengths: My strength is in my ability to rapidly grasp an opportunity and develop a pragmatic, unwasteful action plan. I also help you to understand what it takes to pull off a project and a few models and platforms for running them. I work on all aspects of campaign development and advise on marketing strategies and approaches based on experience and radical originality and pragmatism. My technical and industry knowledge is broad and deep. I am effective at working in many different markets. Official Bio: Simon Solotko is an AR and VR Pioneer, CMO and Industry Analyst. He manages the MEDIA & XR Practice at Tirias Research. Previously VP of Marketing at NGCodec (acquired by Xilinx) and Chief Marketing Officer at IdeaPros, ResilientGrid, Seebright and Virtuix. Simon spent 10 years at Advanced Micro Devices and 5 years at Raytheon in various business development, product management, and brand management roles. He grew up in Kent, Ohio, and has fond high school memories of writing software and creating 3D visual interfaces when it wasn't cool. He holds a Master's Degree in Finance from the University of Texas, a BA from the University of Chicago. He has studied Mathematics and Computer Science at Harvard and Kent State University. Following his Masters, Simon spent a year in the Doctoral Seminars of Dr. Frank Bass studying marketing science, including advanced econometrics and adoption/diffusion theory.

Accomplished Finance Executive | Business Consultant | Corporate Governance Expert With 30+ years of experience in finance, investments, and corporate governance, I specialize in managing diverse investment portfolios and leveraging industry trends to drive strong returns. My career has been defined by exceptional leadership in high-pressure environments, excelling in strategic decision-making, team management, and fostering high-performance cultures. Since March 2021, I have been a hands-on business consultant, advising over 100+ startups and SMEs on strategic planning, financial management, and e-commerce growth. I have worked with renowned programs, including TRI-GIZ, TRI-Oxfam, EMDAAD, Scale Hub by Nawaya, Boost by Injaz, YLP Inc 2, and multiple Berytech initiatives—demonstrating my commitment to enhancing SME competitiveness and financial sustainability. My strategic insights and consultative approach empower startups and businesses to refine their models, secure funding, and scale effectively.

I bring over 25 years of investing experience across multiple asset classes - venture, private equity, credit and public equities. This career has made me an expert in financial forecasting / modeling, fund raising, business planning, strategy and valuation. My industry concentration has been primarily in technology, energy, industrial, business services, telecom and media. I have engaged the spectrum from Fortune 100 companies to emerging technologies from university labs. As a angel and early stage venture investor, I mentor and advise startups. I am also the founder of an innovative technology platform where I managed development teams, data scientists, business strategy, marketing, market research, partnerships and channel development, financial planning and fund raising. I also act as fractional CFO on a selective basis. An example of a recent fractional CFO engagement: • Seed, Series A, Series B raise • Multiple tranches of equipment financing • Venture debt • Value pricing strategy improved contribution margin 30% • Inventory cycle count added 5 points to gross margin • Move from cash to accrual accounting • Mapped out and managed Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) process • Stood up ESOP and managed 409a valuation • Launched integrated executive dashboards • Operations software integration • Acquired Australian software company • Fielded two acquisition offers • Board director and Corporate Secretary Proficient in excel, powerpoint, monte carlo simulation, Pitchbook, Intrinsic (Stockval), Bloomberg, Capital IQ.

Having founded four private equity funds and thirteen startups, I have been on both sides of the equation - asking for, and setting the terms of, an early stage investment. I founded, Chaired, and served as CEO for thirteen startups, (three are listed on NASDAQ). I also served on twenty-three private and public boards. As a fund managing partner, seventy-two companies received more than $350 million in first and second round funding returning more than seven times the original investment. I have the experience and knowledge to help you create a unique business plan, calculate your current and future valuation, optimize your strategic objectives, implement required Key Performance Indicators, install the appropriate level of governance, and/or perform a balanced score card assessment. Most importantly, I can maximize the impact your business proposal will have on any investor audience from a private investor to partnering institutional funds.

I’m a financial and venture capital professional with expertise in investor relations, developing investment strategies, and managing financial operations for high-growth companies and SMBs. Whether you’re looking to build financial models (cash flow forecasts, pro forma cap tables, waterfall analysis etc.) secure funding, optimize cash flow, implement a finance stack, or scale your operations, I can help. - Experienced in financial modeling, due diligence, and fundraising strategies -Skilled in managing investor relations and communications with VC firms and family offices - Strong focus on accurate financial reporting, cash flow management, and value-driven financial planning I handle projects from strategy to execution, ensuring every detail supports your goals. Regular communication is important to me, so let’s keep in touch!