In these troubled, virus-ridden times a seasoned VC investor is creating a database to match up entrepreneurs with investors.

Laurent Grill has over a decade of experience in the Los Angeles venture finance industry. He is an investor at Luma Launch, the corporate venture arm of the film studio Luma Pictures. Realizing the current uncertainties startups are facing with their funding, Grill decided to put his not inconsiderable network to use. (TechCrunch)

Grill: Matchmaking “companies raising” with “investors investing”

In a simple but effective strategy, Grill created two lists – one for startups needing cash, the other of investors still having dry powder and looking to cut cheques.

Then he went to town on almost every social media platform and requested investors, venture capitalists, and PE players to sign up to the (private) list.

Investor Signup

Grill asked founders and entrepreneurs to input their details to the startups’ list.

Company Fundraising Check-In

Successful haul of investors

In a surprise of sorts, Grill drew responses from about 400 interested investors. Though he’s not volunteering too much information, he did let drop that the list includes top-flight investors at some of the largest funds.

Founders worried about how to keep the lights on would be heartened to learn that a lot of these investors have privately told Grill that they are very much open for business. Even in these trying times of Zoom diligence.

“I want to create an ecosystem where everyone can recognize that people are trying to be active,” Grill told TechCrunch. “That’s when I made the public post… I think someone needs to step up and open this up to the general community and the tech community as a whole to help decipher the noise.”

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