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. I’m supposed to believe that my best innovation can only come from scores of startup founders who just made millions and have now become CVOs at my company?

Liquidation Preference 357

Liquidation Preference Early Stage Retention Lock-up Period 357

VC Cafe

SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

This summer, I had the pleasure to be a mentor at the Entrepreneurship Summer School , an elective at London Business School (my alma mater) where students are tasked with testing whether their startup ideas can turn into a fundable business over the course of three months. 10 tips for raising money from business angels.

Startup 133

Startup Cofounder Warrant Stock Options 133

Scott Edward Walker

FEBRUARY 9, 2020

I’ve been doing M&A transactions for 25+ years (including nearly eight years at two major New York City law firms), and I wanted to briefly discuss an important issue for founders interested in selling their company: the distinction between strategic and financial buyers. Instead of investing in the stock market or in startups (e.g.,

Private Equity 59

Private Equity New York City Equity Deal Structure 59

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

It’s true that angel investors typically do not present entrepreneurs with overly complicated deal structures, especially when compared to venture capitalists. The first capital a young company receives usually takes the form of common stock, the same class of shares the founders hold. Outline multiple tranches. Marty Zwilling.

Term Sheet 227

Term Sheet Pre-Money Valuation Due Diligence Post-Money Valuation 227

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2012

It’s true that Angel investors typically do not present entrepreneurs with overly complicated deal structures, especially when compared to venture capitalists. The first capital a young company receives usually takes the form of common stock, the same class of shares the founders hold. Outline multiple tranches.

Term Sheet 223

Term Sheet Pre-Money Valuation Due Diligence Post-Money Valuation 223

David Teten

JANUARY 21, 2021

This essay is part of a series on alternative VC: I: Revenue-Based Investing: a new option for founders who care about control. III: Why are Revenue-Based VCs investing in so many women and underrepresented founders? VIII: The Leading Flexible VCs, With Structures Between Equity and Revenue-Based Investing.

Equity 78

Equity Revenue Cofounder Colorado 78

Scott Edward Walker

AUGUST 22, 2011

I’m using Twitter as a form of micro-blogging to share interesting blog posts, articles and podcasts relating to entrepreneurship and startups, M&A and legal issues. p2Pkk0 cc: @jack “One by one, all the things founders dislike about raising money are going to get eliminated.” ” -Paul Graham bit.ly/prAYlf

Redemption 45

Redemption Silicon Valley Deal Structure RSS 45

K9 Ventures

OCTOBER 10, 2017

I’ll start with all the questions I can think of, from many different perspectives: founders, LPs, the press, and even other VCs. Well, enter the Pre-Seed round, where the startup raises closer to $500K. This has the effect that founders who are reading TechCrunch see headlines of the form “Company X raises $2M in their Seed round?”

Seed Stage 82

Seed Stage Finance Later Stage Mezzanine 82

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

Gust

OCTOBER 5, 2011

Last week , we gave some attention to the “why” behind convertible note financing for early stage startups. In this installment, I’ll dig into the “how” by dissecting an example term sheet based on a real deal. These deal terms are simple but significant. This paragraph is the heart of the whole deal.

Finance 79

Finance Preferred Stock Term Sheet Early Stage 79

David Teten

OCTOBER 1, 2015

I’ve been looking for suggestions for an initial deal structure that is appropriate for the theoretical case of a trusted dev shop putting in $100k in market-value of services over a 6 month period in time. What are the terms of their relationship with the founder? That said, I’m not sure of the most appropriate structure.

Software Developers 60

Software Developers Software Development Software Review Technical Cofounder 60

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

JUNE 27, 2011

There are plenty of folks who wouldn’t sell their company for a billion dollars; Jason Fried and Joel Spolsky are public examples from the bootstrapped startup world. What if someone offered you a million dollars for your startup, right now, check in hand — would you take it? Most, but not all. So let’s haggle.

Sales 235

Sales Term Sheet Stock Deal Structure 235

Gust

OCTOBER 26, 2011

Common examples include papering founders’ stock issuances, catching up on Board minutes, and ensuring that all members of the team have entered into IP agreements with the company assigning rights in their work to the startup.

Finance 79

Finance Term Sheet Covenant Accredited Investor 79

grasshopperherder.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

« Thanks but No Thanks – Things to Avoid When Recruiting Co-founders Why is Cyber Squatter a Bad Word? Some have been as co-founder, most have been as a consultant with the possibility of becoming an paid employee, “as soon as we close our funding round.” Which corporate entity do the founders own stock in?

Sweat Equity 41

Sweat Equity Equity Cofounder Non-Compete 41