YoungUpstarts

JUNE 26, 2020

by Rizwan Virk, author of “ Startup Myths and Models: What You Won’t Learn in Business School “. If you are building a startup, you’ll find no shortage of people who are willing to give you advice, particularly when it comes to raising financing. I used to think a valuation was kind of like a stock price of a public company.

Finance 205

Finance Silicon Valley Valuation Startup 205

Startup Lessons Learned

AUGUST 26, 2009

Lessons Learned by Eric Ries Wednesday, August 26, 2009 Building a new startup hub Last week, I had a unique opportunity to spend some time in Boulder at the behest of TechStars. It was a great experience to see a relatively new startup hub in action - and thriving. Their model looks like a key ingredient in the startup brew there.

San Francisco 113

San Francisco Silicon Valley Startup Lean 113

Startup Company Lawyer

AUGUST 31, 2012

Over the past few years, convertible debt has emerged as a quick and inexpensive method for startup companies to raise money from angel investors and early stage venture funds. ” As a result, Ted introduced the Series Seed preferred stock documents as an alternative to convertible debt for early stage investments.

Convertible Security 73

Convertible Security Equity Security Preferred Stock 73

Gust

JUNE 7, 2014

In many, if not most, seed and early stage funding scenarios, the investments are structured in LIFO order: Last In, First Out. 5) Senior Preferred Stock and warrants. 7) Junior Preferred Stock and warrants. Invested Interests company early stage funding investors startup starup'

Warrant 157

Warrant Preferred Stock Early Stage Common Stock 157

keen.io

FEBRUARY 5, 2013

How I negotiated my startup compensation. When I started thinking about joining Keen, I quickly realized there is a lot I don’t know about startups. For example: Don’t accept equity compensation (stock shares) without knowing the percentage of the company you’ll own. I knew enough to know I wanted to join a startup.

Salary 50

Salary Equity Startup San Francisco 50

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2013

For the past 5 years or so Google, Facebook and a handful of tech industry giants have been quietly buying scores of early-stage startups for their talent. A couple of tech giants throw millions around in either cash (for which they have hoards) or part with some publicly traded stock. has now employed the same strategy.

Liquidation Preference 357

Liquidation Preference Early Stage Retention Lock-up Period 357

Up and Running

AUGUST 17, 2015

As I read stories of college dropouts who had successfully sold tech companies, or entrepreneurs with innovative ideas who made it big on Shark Tank, it became clear that there was no set path to startup success. C Corp versus LLC, non-competes, liquidation preferences, preferred versus common stock, and so on).

Entrepreneur 60

Entrepreneur Cofounder Angel Investor eCommerce 60

Gust

DECEMBER 18, 2013

Assuming the company is able to make effective use of the seed money to greatly increase the value of the enterprise, all of that value therefore accrues to the founder, rather than the investor.

Valuation 150

Valuation Founder Seed Money Common Stock 150

Haystack

JULY 8, 2018

And with this, every year, a new cohort enters into the “tech startup” world, and there’s no official canon to read, no “one-stop shopping” site or user manual to get briefed on the things you absolutely need to know. You can read more about the types of stock granted in startups here.

Early Stage 95

Early Stage Dilution Private Equity Common Stock 95

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

I know how to structure around that to protect the founders from getting screwed on a multiple liquidation preference. But most VCs don’t bother so many convertible note founders get screwed and never know it until they sell their companies. Startup Lessons' I see that all the time. My colleague: Whoa. ” Simple.

Venture Capital 417

Venture Capital Liquidation Preference Valuation Term Sheet 417

Startup Company Lawyer

MARCH 14, 2010

Founders Institute Plain Preferred Term Sheet (by WSGR – disclaimer, I represent the Founders Institute and was involved in drafting this document). I suspect that this seems reasonable if there is basically no due diligence due to the early stage of the companies. (By Legal fees. Dividend preference.

Finance 70

Finance Software Review Term Sheet Liquidation Preference 70

Gust

JULY 23, 2012

However, for investors and founders, it may be helpful to think outside the box when it comes to giving. Q: Wouldn’t a contribution of early-stage company stock have a very small impact? In fact, the contribution of early-stage company stock can have tremendous impact.

Stock 114

Stock Capital Gains Warrant Stock Options 114

Up and Running

DECEMBER 1, 2015

Typically, employers that offer employees equity compensation will do so in the form of common stock, preferred stock, or stock options. It’s called restricted stock because it often comes with restrictions, such as vesting. See Also: 10 Tips for Dealing With Startup Stock Options.

Equity 60

Equity Employee Stock Options Vesting 60

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

When convertible debt first started being introduced as a “faster, cheaper way to get startups funded” they didn’t have pricing built into them. In fact, most early investor work hard to help their startups get to the next level so it makes no sense for the angel investor and founders to be at odds.

Ratchet 354

Ratchet Liquidation Preference Equity Stock 354

Gust

OCTOBER 12, 2011

In my experience, a term of 12 to 24 months is common, with 12 months being on the short end. Particularly when there are multiple closings taking place over a period of months, the fuse burns awfully quickly on a 12-month note given the many competing priorities of early stage entrepreneurs.

Finance 107

Finance Term Sheet Pre-Money Valuation Early Stage 107

www.inc.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

Advisor. ); STARTUP. Last spring, Dave Graham , founder of software consulting firm Arizona Bay, learned that a major client, Jumpstart Automotive Media, had been acquired for more than $80 million. Its too early to say how well the strategy has worked; none of Grahams investments has gone bust, but he hasnt cashed out yet, either.

Arizona 40

Arizona Equity Iowa Venture Capital 40

Tim Keane

JANUARY 12, 2010

Startups and angels: Along the way to success.   A cumulative dividend can get to be very expensive and is not often a feature in early stage terms. These include: ·       Vesting of Founder Stock.   Posted at 04:19 PM in Funding startups | Permalink.

Term Sheet 68

Term Sheet Valuation Dividend Liquidation Preference 68

www.payne.org

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

Startup Equity For Employees. 2 Stock Classes: Common and Preferred. 5 Stock vs Options. 6 Founders / Restricted Stock. Important disclaimer: Ive got experience negotiating stock compensation packages from both sides of the table. Stock Classes: Common and Preferred. From Payne.org Wiki.

Equity 56

Equity Employee Vesting Preferred Stock 56

The Startup Lawyer

FEBRUARY 4, 2011

Great news — your startup just got accepted to an incubator! But before your startup signs up and cashes that $[XX,000] check, your startup’s co-founders should sit down and evaluate the incubator’s offer. Pre-money valuations startups receive from incubators are typically low…really low.

Incubator 105

Incubator Pre-Money Valuation Option Pool Advisory Board 105

Growthink Blog

APRIL 7, 2010

million from three individual angel investors and one early-stage venture capital fund. The name "Series A" refers to the class of preferred stock that you sell to investors in return for their cash. It's just two successful entrepreneurs trying to improve on products in an established industry.

Angel Investor 54

Angel Investor Preferred Stock Venture Capital Common Stock 54

Austin Startup

OCTOBER 18, 2017

Background Reading: Should Non-SV Founders use SAFEs in Seed Rounds? Because by an order of magnitude Silicon Valley has the most startups, VCs, large exits, etc., the majority of the content available online for founders to educate themselves comes from Silicon Valley. The problem with chasing whales. Context matters.

Silicon Valley 48

Silicon Valley Los Angeles Angel Investor Common Stock 48

Gust

OCTOBER 21, 2011

For convertible notes, the only liquidity event we need be concerned with is an acquisition of the startup in the near future, before the maturity date; otherwise, the notes will convert to equity of one kind or another, and the eventual sale of that equity (in a public offering, acquisition, or private sale) is a different subject for another day.

Finance 79

Finance Pre-Money Valuation Term Sheet Liquidity Event 79

K9 Ventures

MAY 14, 2011

In my view the terminology being used for early stage investors by the press and the media is not as clear as it should be. I’ve talked about this on several occasions when I’ve been at conference and on panels, but I figured it would make sense to do a post explaining my taxonomy of the early-stage investing world.

Preferred Stock 125

Preferred Stock Seed Stage Incubator Early Stage 125

Growthink Blog

MAY 10, 2012

When seeking equity investments, the source of capital is, for the most part, tied to the stage of capital being raised. You see, equity capital is raised in stages or rounds. The five main stages include the following: 1. Early Stage Investment (Series A & B) 4. Pre-Seed Funding 2. Seed Funding 3.

Equity 88

Equity Mezzanine Later Stage Venture Capital 88

ReadWriteStart

JANUARY 28, 2022

With the rise of startups and growing businesses , it has become more critical for investors to have a thorough understanding of equity to be aware of all of the advantages they are receiving from the companies they have invested in. Common stock. The holding of common stock in a company indicates ownership in the corporation.

Valuation 108

Valuation Equity Warrant Common Stock 108

www.paulgraham.com

APRIL 28, 2010

Want to start a startup? A typical startup goes throughseveral rounds of funding, and at each round you want to take justenough money to reach the speed where you can shift into the nextgear. Few startups get it quite right. 1 ] A startups life will be more complicated, legally, if any of theinvestors arent accredited.

Technical Review 76

Technical Review Startup Software Review Angel Investor 76

Scott Edward Walker

SEPTEMBER 21, 2011

A sophisticated angel investor understands how the startup game is played and the role that he plays. Finally, unless the startup is raising at least approximately $750,000, it generally is not in the company’s interest to issue shares of preferred stock. What about issuing shares of common stock?

Preferred Stock 45

Preferred Stock Angel Investor Entrepreneur Common Stock 45

Gust

MAY 24, 2012

Some commentators have suggested this is the wave of the future, signifying a shift in the balance of power from investors to founders of the relatively small, elite group of growth companies that make it to public markets. Options and warrants, when issued, are also typically exercisable for shares of Common Stock.

IPO 159

IPO Equity Common Stock Stock 159

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021

Since almost all startups do not possess traditional debt lenders, the list usually consists of data of the shareholders and the percentage they own. Furthermore, there are various forms of equity, such as preferred stock, common stock, and convertible notes, which influence the present and potential future investors.

Cap Table 112

Cap Table Pre-Money Valuation Stock Options Option Pool 112

Austin Startup

AUGUST 1, 2017

This is most clearly highlighted in the “unicorn” boom we all saw over the past few years, where founders raised very large rounds, with terms very onerous to the underlying common stock, hoping they could eventually justify billion dollar valuations to skeptical acquirers or public market investors.

Liquidation Preference 48

Liquidation Preference Common Stock Valuation Silicon Valley 48

Gust

OCTOBER 3, 2011

For a first time entrepreneur trying to figure out the arcane world of startup financing, it can be very confusing to understand the roles that different types of investors play in funding promising companies, as well as the point in a company’s life at which they enter the stage. From +/- $1.5m

Finance 70

Finance Venture Capital Intellectual Property Early Stage 70

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2011

Startups ask me “How much money should I ask for?” If your company is early stage and has a valuation under $1M, don’t ask for a $5M investment. Angels might be interested during “early stage” if you have a prototype, but VCs won’t bite until you have a product, customers, and revenue. Single or staged delivery.

Entrepreneur 234

Entrepreneur Valuation Early Stage Warrant 234

K9 Ventures

OCTOBER 19, 2015

Note: If you’re a founder, stop reading this post now. ” Seeing something others don’t see is critical to early stage investing. That’s the conviction that it takes to be able to believe a founder (or two) who walk in and claim that they’re going to change the world. Do they ever!

Venture Capital 48

Venture Capital Liquidation Preference Valuation Portfolio 48