Ask Me Anything: Kobi Wu of Visuwall

What was your first pitch competition?

My first public pitch competition was at Black Women Talk Tech and I won the pitch.  The panel of judges consisted of Candice Matthews Brackeen of Hillman Accelerator/ Lightship Capital, Chuck Pettid of Republic and Alicia Syrett.

How did participating in XRC Labs and the Hillman Accelerator simultaneously influence your business plans and network?

For my pre--seed XRC Labs and Hillman Accelerator not only helped me hone my presentation materials and talking points but they also put me in from of network that ultimately became part of my sales pipeline and investment capital. Hillman was instrumental in introducing me to consumer products and retail brands while XRC Labs did the same specifically for Retail and Real Estate both perfect for VisuWall's growth. I would not recommend it if you are a founder running a business generating early-stage revenue, but participating in two programs simultaneously was great rigor for me as a founder and amazing for the company for strategic growth.

How was your experience raising through Republic?

Republic was the cherry on top of my pre-seed round. I had closed funds for the pre-seed and wanted to invite more people to the table that would not normally be able to participate in tech investing.  Republic was not brand new, but relatively early so the education process was real for all of us including me and my investors. But what was really great about running a campaign on Republic is it inherently requires you to market the company, yourself as a founder and your successes. 

The Republic team supported the campaign and gave me as a founder opportunity to get in front of potential investors and amplification. In short order all of the exposure, attracts more investment and potential clients.  Not only that but the community that invests on the platform are now evangelists for the VisuWall. Everytime the company wins I can see them on social media posting, cheering and sharing the success - because it's their success too.

What’s your advice for founders looking to raise through VCs?

If you're going to take VC money, get investors who spend time getting to know you and your business.  The path can get overwhelming otherwise and you'll need people who care about you and the business that are pushing you for success.

Learn more about Kobi Wu and Visuwall here