The Fundraising Playbook: How to Win Series A - C Investors
The Capital You Need. The Strategy You Deserve. The Community That Gets You There.
Raising capital in today’s climate is tough — especially for startups in the messy middle between early traction and scalable growth. If you’re a founder with product-market fit and real traction, but you’re hitting walls trying to secure Series A, B, or C funding, you’re not alone — and you’re not without options. That’s exactly why we created Innovation Maryland.
This isn’t just another startup event. It’s a tactical, tell-you-the-truth session built to demystify what it actually takes to raise capital at the growth stage. You’ll hear directly from active investors, a licensed broker, and other capital insiders who’ve sat on both sides of the table. We’ll cover the real-world strategies that get deals done — from getting in front of the right investors, to reading (and negotiating) a term sheet, to structuring your raise in a way that aligns with your long-term goals.
If you’re serious about raising capital, scaling smart, and building investor relationships that last — this event was designed for you.
Event Details
Location: bwtech North
5520 Research Park Drive, Baltimore
Date & Time: October 30, 2025, 6 PM
Includes expert panel, networking, and post-event session access.
What You’ll Learn
Whether you’re preparing your first pitch deck or navigating the complexities of a Series C raise, this event will give you practical, no-fluff guidance on:
- How to approach investors and secure meetings
- What goes into a winning pitch (and what turns VCs off)
- The anatomy of a term sheet — what’s negotiable and what’s not
- Red flags that kill deals and how to avoid them
- How to maximize your company’s valuation
- Real-life fundraising war stories from both sides of the table
- The role of licensed brokers and capital advisors in the raise process
Expert Speaker Lineup
Essi Sadeghi is a seasoned licensing broker and capital advisor with a proven track record in orchestrating successful fundraising outcomes for growth-stage startups. With deep insight into investor expectations and term sheet dynamics, she has assisted dozens of companies in navigating complex negotiations and closing the right deals—particularly in Series A, B, and C rounds. innovationmaryland.org
Drawing on practical experience from both sides of the table, Essi helps founders craft pitch strategies that attract the right investors and structure raises to support long-term scalability. Whether advising on term sheet language, valuation positioning, or investor alignment, her support centers on clarity, transparency, and strategic direction.
In addition to her advisory practice, Essi plays a thoughtful role in the capital ecosystem—sharing her expertise at events like Innovation Maryland's “Fundraising Playbook,” where she demystifies the fundraising process and empowers founders to negotiate from a position of strength.
Raghavendra (Raghu) Jana is a globally recognized M&A and corporate finance expert with more than 23 years of experience guiding companies through transformative growth and high-value capital events. He has led over 50 transactions worth $20 billion and more than 20 transformation programs with budgets exceeding $3 billion making him a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 leaders, private equity firms, and high-growth startups alike.
Raghu’s expertise extends across due diligence, mergers, separations, carve-outs, and cost transformation—capabilities that directly impact fundraising success. By helping companies strengthen their operational performance, sharpen their financial story, and identify the right investor partners, he ensures founders are positioned to raise capital at higher valuations and on favorable terms.
His global work spans industries such as telecom, automotive, FMCG, and technology, where he has repeatedly delivered measurable outcomes like €200 million in new recurring revenue for a German automaker and $70 million in annual savings for a major telecom operator.
For founders preparing to fundraise, Raghu provides more than financial guidance—he delivers a proven playbook for scaling businesses, negotiating with institutional investors, and achieving strategic exits that maximize shareholder value.
Throughout his career, Mr. Jana has guided clients across industries including FMCG, TMT, auto manufacturing, and transportation, delivering measurable impact in Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania. With over 20 major transformation projects worth $3B and 50 transactions valued at $20B, he has built a reputation for turning strategic vision into lasting business results, consistently driving revenue growth, shareholder value, and organizational resilience.
Brian Razzaque is an entrepreneur and technology leader with more than two decades of experience building ventures at the intersection of digital engagement, fundraising, and community impact. He is the Founder and CEO of SocialToaster, headquartered in Towson, Maryland, a social media advocacy and loyalty platform serving nonprofits, universities, consumer brands, and entertainment companies. Since its founding, SocialToaster has raised over $8.5 million in capital—about 50% of which came from Maryland investors—underscoring both his fundraising expertise and his deep ties to the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Brian began his career by founding Vision Multimedia Technologies, once one of the largest web development firms in the Mid-Atlantic, before launching SocialToaster in 2009. In 2018, he expanded his entrepreneurial portfolio by re-acquiring VMT and rebranding it as BrandTrellis, a Detroit-based digital marketing agency that partners with B2B and technology companies. Since relocating to Detroit in 2019, Brian has continued to grow both SocialToaster and BrandTrellis, while maintaining a strong presence in Maryland.
A graduate of Johns Hopkins University with degrees in computer science and biology, Brian has been recognized as Innovator of the Year by the Baltimore Daily Record and honored by SmartCEO and the Baltimore Business Journal. Beyond his ventures, he is passionate about helping organizations harness technology and storytelling to raise funds, scale impact, and strengthen community engagement. His dual perspective—rooted in Maryland’s innovation and fundraising environment, yet informed by his broader national entrepreneurial work—positions him as a valuable voice on strategies to support sustainable fundraising in the state.
Brian began his career by founding Vision Multimedia Technologies, once one of the largest web development firms in the Mid-Atlantic, before launching SocialToaster in 2009. In 2018, he expanded his entrepreneurial portfolio by re-acquiring VMT and rebranding it as BrandTrellis, a Detroit-based digital marketing agency that partners with B2B and technology companies. Since relocating to Detroit in 2019, Brian has continued to grow both SocialToaster and BrandTrellis, while maintaining a strong presence in Maryland.
A graduate of Johns Hopkins University with degrees in computer science and biology, Brian has been recognized as Innovator of the Year by the Baltimore Daily Record and honored by SmartCEO and the Baltimore Business Journal. Beyond his ventures, he is passionate about helping organizations harness technology and storytelling to raise funds, scale impact, and strengthen community engagement. His dual perspective—rooted in Maryland’s innovation and fundraising environment, yet informed by his broader national entrepreneurial work—positions him as a valuable voice on strategies to support sustainable fundraising in the state.
Mr. Reade has led many delegations to China in the past five years, and has been visiting its tech parks since 2000. He has been a featured speaker on outsourcing to China and has served as a panelist and moderator for many conferences held in China., and has published several articles on China's technology sector. In addition, Mr. Reade has hosted many delegations from China and other countries to the Washington, DC, area, introducing them to local and national clients.
Mr. Reade has been President of Global Tech Exchange, LLC, since its inception and has also been President of Zipzone, Ltd, where he helped US tech firms find global solutions. While President of Zipzone, he was also the Chair of the International Committee of the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), the largest tech council in the US.
As Chair of the International Committee, Mr. Reade expanded its membership to be hte largest committee within the NVTC and the most active.
Mr. Reade was invited by the Civil Defense Research Foundation for a program at the Moscow State University Science and Tech Park in Russia to help develop their tech sector, find investable companies and match them with potential investors. Additionally, Mr. Reade has worked with several other embassies and trade arms, including those of Finland, Greece, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary,The Philippines, and Japan, to help develop and promote technology exchanges.
Recently, Global Tech Exchange, LLC, was selected by the World Bank Group to develop an innovation platform for the countries of Vienam and India.
Mr. Reade worked with the American Bar Association's Section of International Law and Practice to develop dozens of seminars and panel discussions. He served as the first Chair of the Law Student Outreach Committee, and also helped plan and organize several Section meetings held in Washington, DC, Chicago, New York and San Fransisco. In addition, Mr. Reade was implemented a monthly newsletter for the Central and East European Law Initiative (CEELI) project that helped the former communist countries transition to a constitutional form of government based on the principles of rule of law, free markets and an independent judiciary.
Previously, Mr. Reade was an attorney with the US Department of Labor and received his law degree from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, and is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo. He currently serves as an attorney on several non profits, including The Washington Music Teachers' Association, The International Order of the Sword and the Pen, and the Third Millenium Ensemble.
Moderated by:
Matthew Cimino is a results-driven leader with a strong track record in economic development, business growth, and strategic partnerships. At the Maryland Department of Commerce, he works to attract investment, support innovation-driven industries, and help position Maryland as a national leader in life sciences, technology, and advanced manufacturing.
With expertise spanning business development, stakeholder engagement, and policy strategy, Matt specializes in creating ecosystems where businesses and communities thrive. His experience includes working with public and private sector partners to drive job creation, strengthen competitiveness, and accelerate growth in high-impact industries.
Matt is passionate about leveraging collaboration, innovation, and data-driven decision making to deliver results that make a measurable difference for organizations and the economy at large.
Interested in becoming a speaker at an upcoming event?
Your expertise can be very valuable, plus you’ll get to connect with high-level funding opportunities.
Why You Should Attend
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Get insider advice from real investors and capital advisors
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Understand how to negotiate from a position of strength
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Ask direct questions and get honest answers
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Meet other Maryland founders on the same path
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Build your personal investor readiness roadmap
Thank You to our Sponsors and Partners
