Sanctions can kill a deal fast. Not in a dramatic way. More like a quiet “we can’t proceed” from a bank, a law firm, a payment provider, or an investor’s compliance team. And when that happens, it does not matter how strong your tech is, how fast you are growing, or how excited the other […]
Sanctions and Restricted Countries: Deal Killers to Avoid Read More »
Picture this: you finally get that “yes” from an investor. You shake hands. You feel the momentum. And then… the investor’s lawyer or fund admin sends a quiet email that says something like: “Please complete KYC/AML.” This part can feel strange the first time. It can also feel personal. “Why do they need my passport?
Investor KYC and AML: What You’ll Be Asked For Read More »
When you raise money from investors in other countries, the deal is not only about your pitch, your numbers, or your term sheet. It is also about something far less exciting, but just as important: how the money actually moves. This is where many founders get surprised. A cross-border round can fail, or drag on
Banking Setup for Cross-Border Rounds Read More »
When you start a company, you usually worry about product, hiring, and runway. Currency risk feels like a “later” problem. But if you sell in one currency and pay bills in another, or if you raise money in USD and spend in INR or EUR, currency moves can quietly cut your runway without warning. That
FX Risk for Startups: What to Plan For Read More »
Repatriation sounds like a big finance word, but the idea is simple: it’s how money moves back into a country, or out of a country, in a legal and well-documented way. If you run a startup that touches more than one country—maybe you have a U.S. parent company with an India team, or you sell
Repatriation Basics: Getting Money In and Out Legally Read More »
Foreign money can help you move fast. It can also quietly break your company if you don’t set it up right. That sounds harsh, but it’s true. Most founders don’t mess up FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) compliance on purpose. They mess it up because they don’t even know it exists until a bank, a lawyer,
FDI Compliance: What Founders Must Check Early Read More »
Foreign ownership rules can feel like a “paper detail” you’ll handle later. Until they don’t just slow your deal down—they stop it. If you are building in AI, robotics, chips, defense-adjacent tech, telecom, energy, maps, drones, or anything that touches sensitive data, the buyer or investor will ask one question very early: “Can we legally
How Foreign Ownership Rules Can Block a Deal Read More »
Convertible notes feel simple when everyone is in the same country. You agree on a cap, a discount, an interest rate, and a date. Money comes in. You keep building. Later, the note turns into shares. But the moment the founder is in one country, the company is in another, and the investor is somewhere
Convertible Notes Across Borders: Hidden Friction Read More »
A priced round sounds simple: you and an investor agree on a company value, you sell a set percent of shares, and you move on to building. In real life, it is rarely that clean—especially if you are building from outside the biggest startup hubs, raising across borders, or running a company with deep tech
Priced Rounds for Global Startups: The Common Pitfalls Read More »
A SAFE is one of the fastest ways to raise early money in the US. It is short, it feels “standard,” and many founders have seen it close quickly. But the moment you step outside the US, the SAFE stops being “plug and play.” If you are building from India, Europe, the UK, the UAE,
Can You Raise on a SAFE Outside the US? Read More »
Tran.vc invests $50,000 at the pre-seed stage to empower AI, software, and robotics startups. We help technical founders build strong IP moats, raise seed funding, and grow without relying on endless capital. Focused on speed, innovation, and ownership, we back the builders shaping the future with AI.
