The Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) is the government agency responsible for enforcing trade and economic sanctions imposed by the US Government. Essentially, this government agency compiles OFAC’s List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (“SDN List”), which includes individuals and entities owned or controlled by, or acting on behalf of, sanctioned countries, as well as individuals such as terrorists. U.S. persons are not legally allowed to do business with entities or individuals on this list. 

When it comes to raising your firm’s visibility, nothing moves the needle like some good PR. If you’re an emerging manager and recently closed a fund, now is the time to get your story out. While publishing a press release may still be considered a formality, you can make quite a splash by offering a journalist the exclusive on your story before you release it and before the news comes out anywhere else. 

We’ve all heard those “back in the day” stories of fund managers (now legacy mega VCs) who invested in the ugly ducklings (now unicorns) when investors were super selective, and companies rarely got a second look. Well, those days are long gone. In the current venture capital climate, companies have more options, and investors must compete to see the best deals, win them, get bigger allocations than their peers, and achieve a return on investment. This competition has created a critical need for investors to differentiate themselves. Those early in their venture capital career trying to establish a track record, and emerging managers who’ve not yet reached legacy fund status, have to work even harder to rise above the rest, let alone to become a legacy fund themselves.

For today’s emerging manager, attracting the best founders and LPs to join on your quest is a critical piece of your fund journey. In order to do this successfully over the long-term, you must address the one thing so many others run from: Marketing. Yes, good old-fashioned getting the word out! While at the end of the day, word-of-mouth referrals will be the most valuable source of quality deal flow, there are some fundamental bases to be covered when it comes to raising your visibility in the venture capital ecosystem, whether through social media, creating blog content, or hosting events. Below is a quick crash course every emerging manager should take when thinking through their fund’s marketing strategy.

The venture capital landscape is more competitive than ever before, and knowing how to fundraise is—and always will be—a vital skill. Luckily, we've brought A-game knowledge to your table for our Fall 2022 VC Fund Operations Bootcamp: Rebecca Mitchem, Partner at Neotribe Ventures, and Tom Ferguson, Managing Partner at Burnt Island Ventures.