Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 24, 2011

I just read the Q1 2011 report from CB Insights , which shows venture capital is back. billion to work across 738 financing deals with U.S. Back to VCs, Silicon Valley venture capital firms are still the most active. So what can you do to get to the head of the venture capital investment queue?

Venture Capital 233

Venture Capital Revenue Elevator Pitch Silicon Valley 233

Tim Keane

JANUARY 12, 2010

Term-sheets and Valuations: Thinking about Negotiations.   I’ve sat down with entrepreneurs and a copy of a term sheet guide I like [ “Term Sheets & Valuations - A Line by Line Look at the Intricacies of Venture Capital Term Sheets & Valuations ” by Alex Wilmerding, Aspatore Press.]

Term Sheet 68

Term Sheet Valuation Dividend Liquidation Preference 68

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 21, 2013

With a well architected product that has well-documented APIs and proper core product abstractions then all custom work should be build above the API stack. If you never read my post on Elephant, Deer & Rabbits – a guide to customer segmentation – it might be worth a read.

Software Review 321

Software Review Software IP Technical Review 321

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

That’s because obtaining a pre-money valuation for a concept level technology company in excess of $1 million is difficult, particularly for a startup founder without a proven track record. By contrast, obtaining a pre-money valuation of $5 million for a business with a new viable product and even very minimal sales is somewhat reasonable.

Private Equity 94

Private Equity Pre-Money Valuation Equity Startup 94

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2020

Angels are actually serious investors who invest their own money, versus venture capitalists who invest institutional money, or regular people who invest in crowdfunding. Document your plan and your financial projections. Set a realistic valuation for your startup to attract angels. Thus they don’t live or fly above the clouds.

Angel Investor 322

Angel Investor Valuation Syndicate Syndication 322

Gust

SEPTEMBER 27, 2014

To begin with, it is important to understand some basic facts about the world of entrepreneurial finance: There are many more entrepreneurs than there are investors, with the result that only one company out of every 400 that seeks venture funding actually receives it.

Angel Groups 159

Angel Groups Elevator Pitch Software Review Deal Flow 159

Pascal's View

JULY 9, 2017

This is a fundamental issue that does, indeed, boil down to understanding the post-money valuation of a company. At its core, this issue points to the lack of understanding about the importance of post-money valuation by both entrepreneurs and investors. But it is also a topic that many find esoteric and difficult to grasp.

Post-Money Valuation 49

Post-Money Valuation Valuation Cap Table Covenant 49

mashable.com

OCTOBER 16, 2010

The venture capital industry is facing real competition for the first time in decades. The venture capital industry is facing real competition for the first time in decades. The sudden rise of prominence of the super angels has shaken the very foundations of the venture capital industry, according to Graham.

Angel Investor 84

Angel Investor Venture Capital Social Media Technical Review 84

mashable.com

OCTOBER 16, 2010

The venture capital industry is facing real competition for the first time in decades. The venture capital industry is facing real competition for the first time in decades. The sudden rise of prominence of the super angels has shaken the very foundations of the venture capital industry, according to Graham.

Angel Investor 83

Angel Investor Venture Capital Social Media Technical Review 83

Scott Edward Walker

APRIL 9, 2012

Introduction We are in the golden age of seed financing. Venture capital funds, seed funds, super angels, angel groups, incubators, and “friends and family” are all playing the seed financing game and investing early in startups in an attempt to land the next Facebook. What is a Convertible Note?

Preferred Stock 87

Preferred Stock Finance Common Stock Liquidation Preference 87

Gust

OCTOBER 21, 2011

To account for scenarios in which the startup is acquired before it has a chance to complete a priced equity financing round, most term sheets and deal documents contain a “ change in control ” provision. Suppose the notes converted as if the acquisition were an eligible financing round.

Finance 79

Finance Pre-Money Valuation Term Sheet Liquidity Event 79

Gust

OCTOBER 12, 2011

Last week , we took the plunge and began dissecting an example term sheet for a convertible debt financing round piece by piece. In Part II, we looked at the mandatory conversion language that is at the heart of any convertible debt financing. First, a word about the maturity date.

Finance 107

Finance Term Sheet Pre-Money Valuation Early Stage 107

Gust

OCTOBER 5, 2011

Last week , we gave some attention to the “why” behind convertible note financing for early stage startups. As with so many subjects in law and finance, mastering the jargon is half the battle. This may seem like a no-brainer now that you understand the basic structure of a convertible debt financing.

Finance 79

Finance Preferred Stock Term Sheet Early Stage 79

www.quora.com

JANUARY 16, 2011

Find Questions, Topics and People Add Question Add Question Venture Capital Venture Capital Term Sheets Startups Term Sheets What are examples of good startup term sheets? Ted Wang (Fenwick & West) created the "Series Seed" set of documents [link] /files/. [I TechStars did one, too: [link].org/2009/02.

Term Sheet 41

Term Sheet Startup Angel Investor Wiki 41

Berkonomics

MARCH 28, 2019

Some businesses just can’t fit within the angel capital or friends and family model for raising funds. Sooner or later you may need to seek venture capital and accommodate the needs of the venture community in negotiating the terms of an investment. What VC’s can and cannot do. The enlightened professional investor.

Limited Liability Company 48

Limited Liability Company Post-Money Valuation Valuation Down Round 48

Professor VC

APRIL 7, 2011

This will also serve as a good pointer for all the entrepreneurs who ask why I am not interested in their company led convertible note financing round. In a convertible note structure, Im penalized for increasing your valuation. This can make it much more difficult to get any bank financing, new investment, and trade credit.

San Jose 36

San Jose Technical Review Angel Investor Valuation 36

Haystack

JULY 8, 2018

valuation, that’s sort of like a new IPO, but without the lockup period. I do feel, however, we are in a unique time as it relates to capital 1) in the market and 2) focused on technology — and this has created never-before-seen conditions, mega-financings from traditionally public or indirect investors.

Early Stage 95

Early Stage Dilution Private Equity Common Stock 95

abovethecrowd.com

JULY 10, 2014

On June 18, Aswath Damodaran , a finance professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business, published an article on FiveThirtyEight titled “ Uber Isn’t Worth $17 Billion. Financial models, especially valuation models, are interesting in that they can be particularly precise. This is well documented and understood.

San Francisco 111

San Francisco San Jose Marketing Technical Review 111

Scott Edward Walker

SEPTEMBER 1, 2019

For the bulk of my career, I have been representing startups and emerging-growth companies in seed financings, venture capital financings, mergers and acquisitions, and other transactions. Most founders get very excited when they receive a term sheet for a financing or an acquisition. They should: it is exciting.

Founder 45

Founder Private Equity New York City Term Sheet 45

David Teten

DECEMBER 3, 2019

Private equity and venture capital investors are copying our sisters in the hedge fund world: we’re trying to automate more of our job. . That Google document provides cut and pasteable text I can share with other investors, based on their stage, focus, and appetite. . If you have one, please contact me. 7) Negotiate .

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Software Review Analytics Private Equity 78

K9 Ventures

OCTOBER 10, 2017

You see, Dan knows more about venture than most people; and if Dan isn’t aware that “pre-seed is a thing,” then I haven’t done a good enough job of explaining to the world what I and K9 do! Q: What amount of financing is considered Pre-Seed? Typically, Pre-Seed rounds are less than $1M in aggregate capital raised.

Seed Stage 82

Seed Stage Finance Later Stage Equity 82

Berkonomics

APRIL 6, 2012

Some businesses just can’t fit within the angel capital or friends and family model for raising funds. Sooner or later these businesses will have to seek venture capital and accommodate the needs of the venture community in negotiating the terms of an investment. Email readers, continue here.]

Limited Liability Company 79

Limited Liability Company Post-Money Valuation Valuation Down Round 79

Startup Company Lawyer

MARCH 12, 2009

Any company that raises venture financing will need to be a C corp in order to issue preferred stock. If founders want the benefit of flow through tax treatment with respect to losses prior to an outside financing, an S corp election may make sense as long as there are no entity or non-U.S. citizen/resident stockholders.

LLC 61

LLC Stock Options Preferred Stock Stock 61

Rob Go

SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

When we started NextView, there were relatively few seed focused venture capital funds in the country, even fewer on the east coast, and almost none in the Boston area. With the advent of more open, standard financing documents, it’s also more possible for founders to just set terms themselves and have investors subscribe.

Cram Down 66

Cram Down Institutional Investors Dilution Seed Stage 66

Feld Thoughts

JUNE 2, 2015

We’ve been regularly running into another problem with doing a financing after companies have raised convertible notes. There are also some law firms whose standard documents are purposefully ambiguous to give the entrepreneur theoretical negotiating flexibility in the first priced round.

Liquidation Preference 70

Liquidation Preference Cap Table Angel Investor Post-Money Valuation 70

Bryce Dot VC

SEPTEMBER 28, 2015

These notions of an independent ethos don’t map that well to what we know about venture capital, which is a very staged and formulaic way of building a company. As a venture funded startup, you’re supposed to operate a certain way. Because venture does provide a lot of good things to a bunch of really great companies.

Venture Capital 40

Venture Capital Valuation Los Angeles Chicago 40

finance.fortune.cnn.com

AUGUST 21, 2012

We agreed to withhold the name of the fund-of-funds manager and to not post the source documents, as a condition of receiving the materials. Almost all of them would be characterized as venture capital, with a few exceptions for funds managed by The Blackstone Group ( BX ), Providence Equity Partners and Spectrum Equity Investors.

Naming 49

Naming Term Sheet Private Equity Equity 49

View from Seed

JANUARY 11, 2023

Think partners coming together to tap their own networks for your follow-on rounds of financing. Our wrap-up day will be hosted in San Francisco and will focus on exposing our geographically diverse teams to the epicenter of venture capital within Silicon Valley. The Clarity of the Terms : how will your company be financed?

Programming 156

Programming Sacramento San Francisco Founder 156

Feld Thoughts

FEBRUARY 28, 2023

Corporate law: In Germany, most companies in general and most VC-financed companies are structured in the legal form of a “Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung” (GmbH). Often, this integration results in VC-financed GmbH companies having little to do with the GmbH as envisaged by the law. German Startups Association).

Germany 165

Germany Liquidation Preference Option Pool Advisory Board 165

Professor VC

AUGUST 26, 2011

Everyone seems to know someone who has raised huge amounts of venture capital without ever putting together even back of the envelope projections. Thought it would be appropriate to share his questions and my answers below related to the topic at hand: The main questions have to do with presentation of documents to VCs.

Silicon Valley 35

Silicon Valley San Jose Hockey Stick Venture Capital 35

Growthink Blog

OCTOBER 5, 2016

To register for my paid ($499) webinar on 5 Steps to Maximize Your Valuation through Innovation, Click Here ] For most companies, the easiest-to-grab and “make happen” innovations lie in process improvements. On the refreshing of its brand. On the vigor of its culture. On the "customer effectiveness" of its products and services. [To

Silicon Valley 63

Silicon Valley Valuation Hosting Security 63

thestartuplawyer.com

FEBRUARY 24, 2010

After you have discussed everything that needs to be discussed, DOCUMENT-DOCUMENT-DOCUMENT. Make sure your startup company documents reflect all of your discussions. Establishing and documenting the co-founder relationship is one of the most important aspects of a having a successful startup company.

Cofounder 40

Cofounder Founder Preferred Stock Startup 40

abovethecrowd.com

APRIL 20, 2016

Why the Unicorn Financing Market Just Became Dangerous…For All Involved. In February of last year, Fortune magazine writers Erin Griffith and Dan Primack declared 2015 “ The Age of the Unicorns ” noting — “Fortune counts more than 80 startups that have been valued at $1 billion or more by venture capitalists.”

IPO 40

IPO Term Sheet Silicon Valley Valuation 40

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 14, 2010

billion to work across 731 financing deals with US startups, a 50% increase over Q1 2009. To me, this indicates that venture capitalists (VCs) are looking for business, but they are clearly moving away from early-stage (pre-revenue) deals. Back to VCs, Silicon Valley venture capital firms are still the most active.

Venture Capital 123

Venture Capital Elevator Pitch Silicon Valley Massachusetts 123

reidhoffman.org

NOVEMBER 12, 2013

Friendster’s valuation set the tone for the entire social networking space. You may happen to emphasize the right points that pique an investor’s interest, but you shouldn’t leave your financing up to chance. Second, understand the broader financing climate. Steer into your investors’ objections.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Revenue Viral Networking 111

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 From +/- $1.5m

Finance 70

Finance Venture Capital Intellectual Property Early Stage 70

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

Btw, the definition of each startup financing stage has changed in the last decade. At the end of this post, we’ll discuss the valuation at each step (how much the investors value your company and therefore how much of it you need to give up to get this money) and how much revenue you should generate at each step.). Valuations.

Cofounder 429

Cofounder Seed Stage Valuation Metrics 429