Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

There are a million ways to do quick, easy, low-cost rounds with prices. But founders these days seem strangely unfocused on finance and on terms that could hurt them even though we fought to the death about these same terms 10 years ago. These are all real conversations. Thanks for asking. Because they are existing investors.

Venture Capital 417

Venture Capital Liquidation Preference Valuation Term Sheet 417

Gust

SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

Given that convertible debt financing has become the de facto standard for small (<$1MM), early stage deals in recent years, I thought I would write a primer on the elements of a term sheet and definitive documents for entrepreneurs looking at the earliest stage financing rounds. Let’s take it from the top: Why convertible notes?

Finance 178

Finance Term Sheet Preferred Stock Bridge Financing 178

Gust

SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

There are a million ways to do quick, easy, low-cost rounds with prices. But founders these days seem strangely unfocused on finance and on terms that could hurt them even though we fought to the death about these same terms 10 years ago. These are all real conversations. What if when you have that conversation you don’t agree?

Liquidation Preference 153

Liquidation Preference Valuation Term Sheet Stock 153

K9 Ventures

MARCH 23, 2011

The convertible note was really intended as an instrument for a “bridge financing” – when an equity round was imminent, and likely to occur, but the company needed some money in between. In that case, it made good sense to have a debt instrument, where the note holder then converted into equity when the financing occurred.

Pre-Money Valuation 132

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation Equity Liquidation Preference 132

The Startup Lawyer

FEBRUARY 4, 2011

Thus your startup needs to determine the intangible value offered by the incubator (and yes, a $150,000 convertible note with no cap and no conversion discount qualifies as an intangible). 8) Determine the Opportunity Costs. If not, the incubator is just a bridge financing to potentially nowhere for your startup.

Incubator 105

Incubator Pre-Money Valuation Option Pool Advisory Board 105

venturehacks.com

OCTOBER 21, 2010

If you don’t keep your eyes on the option pool, your investors will slip it in the pre-money and cost you millions of dollars of effective valuation. Given that many companies are doing convertible note bridge financings as their seed round, this seems to come up relatively often. Don’t lose this game.

Option Pool 68

Option Pool Pre-Money Valuation Dilution Warrant 68