Episode 35: "108,000 Startups and Counting" | Dealum CEO Seren Rumjancevs on Angel Group Efficiency, AI-Powered Portfolio Tracking, and Bridging Global Angel Networks

The Diligent Observer Podcast

Insights from a global ecosystem builder who's processed data on 108,000 startups while helping 240 investor communities across six continents manage their deal flow.

GET FREE SOCKS: Seren will send the first 100 listeners that sign up for the AI Portfolio Monitoring waitlist a pair of Dealum’s signature red socks. What better way to impress your fellow angels at the next pitch event?!

Today's episode explores three ideas that caught my attention:

1. A 30% spike in angel fundraising activity in Q4 2024 - Seren shared data showing a remarkable uptick in companies submitting fundraising applications, which could have a wide range of implications.
2. 2,000 new companies per month - That's 108,000 startups total with structured data! Such a value-add for the ecosystem.
3. The "pitch deck black hole" - Seren's firsthand experience as a failed founder gives her empathy for entrepreneurs who send applications “into the void.” This perspective is so important for investors to consider as we design and implement our processes.

I explore these ideas and more with Seren Rumjancevs, CEO of Dealum.

Seren brings a rare 360-degree perspective to early-stage investing as Dealum's CEO, having previously served as a founder, accelerator manager, and innovation consultant across Estonia and the UK. Since 2019, she's led the platform that now manages deal flow for over 240 investor communities worldwide with data on more than 108,000 startups. Her firsthand experience with the "pitch deck black hole" as a former founder drives her mission to create greater transparency and efficiency across the early-stage fundraising ecosystem.

During our conversation, Seren shares:

• How a perfect storm of platform failures created both opportunity and skepticism - revealing the challenges European startups face when trying to win trust from US angel communities during a crisis.
• Insights from tracking 108,000 startups globally, including recent data showing a 30% spike in fundraising activity starting in Q4 2023.
• Why portfolio tracking remains a major operational challenge for angel groups, detailing how Dealum’s newest AI solution will transform unstructured email updates into structured data visualizations.

Connect with Seren

LinkedIn | LinkedIn | X

Know someone who would enjoy this episode? Share it with them!

P.S. Your feedback is important to me. Also, it tells the algorithms to pay more attention, which helps me out a lot. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the "like" button or leave a comment with your thoughts.

Want more?

• Get essential angel intel straight to your inbox every week with The Diligent Observer Newsletter.
• Check out the entire show library and follow via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Connect with Andrew

LinkedIn | X | Angel Ops E-Book

All opinions are personal and may not reflect the views of The Diligent Observer. Not investment advice.

Chapters

1. Introduction (00:00:00)

2. Dealum's AI Feature Rollout (00:03:11)

3. Dealum Platform Overview (00:03:54)

4. Company and Investor Statistics (00:05:20)

5. AI Integration in Dealum (00:08:26)

6. Seren's Entrepreneurial Journey (00:13:24)

7. Dealum's Expansion to the US Market (00:18:27)

8. Future Plans and Market Trends (00:23:23)

9. Key Lessons for New Angels (00:25:07)