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The Changing Venture Landscape

Both Sides of the Table

In 2001 companies IPO’d very quickly if they were working, by 2011 IPOs had slowed down to the point that in 2013 Aileen Lee of Cowboy Ventures astutely called billion-dollar outcomes “unicorns.” These days $10 million is quaint for the best A-Rounds and many are raising $20 million at $60–80 million pre-money valuations (or greater).

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Want to Know How VC’s Calculate Valuation Differently from Founders?

Both Sides of the Table

Due to competitive markets we ended up with a pretty good term sheet until we needed to raise money in April 2001 and then we got completely screwed. It was accept the terms or go into bankruptcy so we took the money. Those were the dog days of entrepreneurship. I turned them down. They were nonplussed.

Valuation 405
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On Bubbles … And Why We’ll Be Just Fine

Both Sides of the Table

In addition to FOMO it is partly driven by massive increase in valuations for earlier-stage companies who raised money at bit seed prices but who still have product risk. million pre-money valuation is now raising $1 million at a $12 million valuation the next investor has nowhere to go but up (or sit out the investment).

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The Great VC Ice Age is Thawing (for now) – Part 1 of 3

Both Sides of the Table

Just ask anybody who was trying to close funding the fateful week of September 11, 2001 or even March 2000. The pricing problem – So an investor put $5 million at a $10 million pre-money valuation in a company with a great beta product but no real customers. It is no wonder why they had less time for new deals.

Burn Rate 263
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8 Questions to Help Decide if You Should be Raising Money Now

Both Sides of the Table

You’re offered a $9 million pre-money to raise $3 million (e.g. 5 million raised at a $9 million pre-money valuation or 35.7% dilution), I would personally probably avoid the extra money because as an entrepreneur the dilution would put me out of my confort zone. 25% dilution).

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Startup Fundraising Trends: Ask the VCs

Early Growth Financial Services

This was the largest quarterly investment total since 2001’s first half. The trend continued in 2014: with activity during the six months through June the strongest since the comparable period of 2001. Median pre-money valuations have increased by 43% so far in 2014 compared to 2013.

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What to Expect When You're Expecting Venture Capital Returns

This is going to be BIG.

One of the first things I did when I joined the venture asset class as a lowly institutional LP analyst in 2001 was to build the VC fund cashflow model. I assumed the following: Seeds are done as a $1mm round on a pre-money valuation of $5mm. Series A's are done as a $5mm round on a pre-money valuation of $15mm.