Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2015

I challenge any entrepreneur, for example, to define the difference between "seed-stage" and "early-stage" financing. Asking for early-stage money before you have customers and revenue will likely kill your credibility with real investors. Yet, knowing this distinction is important.

Seed Stage 120

Seed Stage Finance Early Stage Startup 120

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 17, 2020

Let’s take a few minutes to examine the kind of equity financing available to small or early stage businesses. In most cases, these applicants for equity funding must be rooted in technology to apply to this limited discussion. Some can supply more when syndicating with other such groups. Venture farms.

Equity 62

Equity Finance Liquidity Event Angel Groups 62

Agile VC

DECEMBER 19, 2013

In addition, investing in startup tech companies turns out to provide only a modest level of diversification… angel investments tend to form a high beta portfolio, with reasonably close correlations to public equity markets. totally passive strategy won’t teach you much).

Angel Investor 265

Angel Investor Early Stage Syndicate Syndication 265

OnlyOnce

FEBRUARY 9, 2022

In our prior lives, the Bolster founders worked together to scale up a business called Return Path and also. worked as advisors and mentors to numerous early stage founders and startups. The middle” consists of venture-backed companies that are neither early stage nor mature. What about the middle?

Silicon Valley 62

Silicon Valley Venture Capital Cap Table Early Stage 62

Haystack

AUGUST 18, 2019

When I put all of this together, what I see is: In the Bay Area, the seed stage is getting squeezed from all sides during this summer solstice of. 4/ Orthogonal Competition – I recently tweeted about a new breed of early-stage technology investor that has its roots in public equities (hedge funds, long/short, etc.)

Seed Stage 108

Seed Stage Cap Table Early Stage Malaysia 108

View from Seed

JANUARY 26, 2016

With that in mind, let’s look at an illustration of these trends below, which demonstrates what’s been happening to early-stage financing rounds over the last 15 years or so. Series A investors invested quite early, often before product/market fit. FWIW, that is not how we operate.).

Seed Stage 120

Seed Stage Early Stage Cofounder Finance 120

Genuine VC

NOVEMBER 12, 2012

When you compromise on terms in the early stages, you will have to pay the price in the later stages. As a seed stage investor here at NextView seeing our companies progress down fundraising paths, I think it’s extremely important to highlight that terms in early rounds do set precedent for terms going forward.

Finance 128

Finance Mezzanine Valuation Seed Stage 128

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. . In the private equity universe, most Partners have primary training as deal-makers, not as managers. (To see the video above, please click the image, and then click on the Play button.).

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Software Review Analytics Private Equity 78

Agile VC

FEBRUARY 28, 2012

Startups in NextView’s portfolio frequently receive inbound interest from other VC investors who are intrigued about what they’re doing, and I often talk with other early-stage entrepreneurs how to approach similar situations. after you close a round, decide up front whether you want to engage with them.

Early Stage 100

Early Stage Syndicate Syndication Silicon Valley 100

Austin Startup

MARCH 7, 2021

It seems like every day there is a new headline about an exceptional startup founder, investor, or corporate headquarters moving to Texas. Today, startup founders focus on the fundamental challenges of our time with energy, life sciences and industrial technologies dominating Houston’s tech scene. Joe Lonsdale. Drew Houston.

Texas 90

Texas San Antonio Houston Dallas 90

Austin Startup

FEBRUARY 28, 2019

Find out what the buzz is all about and make valuable connections with local investors who you can syndicate deals with. Capital Factory is the most active early stage investor in Texas since 2013. The tour starts in Dallas on June 4 and ends in Austin on June 6 with an epic 10 year birthday party for Capital Factory!

Texas 50

Texas San Antonio Houston Dallas 50

Agile VC

JULY 11, 2012

in equity & loans which was ultimately worth >170x ($355M) when DEC went public about a decade later. Should there be a notion of “founder equity” for those individuals who put in the hard work to start a firm and build the brand? But it’s not quite that simple.

Silicon Valley 240

Silicon Valley Carried Interest Cofounder Boston 240

Rob Go

JANUARY 7, 2013

As a founder, it feels like a long time, but it’s really a blip on the radar in the scheme of things. Actually, growth equity firms I find are best at this, because they have very specific financial criteria that they look for, such as ranges for revenue, ebitda, growth, etc. Founders: Repeat Founders: 8.

Portfolio 49

Portfolio Seed Stage Cofounder B2B 49

David Teten

FEBRUARY 3, 2014

It might appear that origination is becoming much easier because of new tools like AngelList and the SEC moving toward adoption of rules that will allow equity based crowdfunding. We published the full report in the Journal of Private Equity ; it’s now the #2-most viewed article in the Journal’s history.

Private Equity 114

Private Equity Venture Capital Technical Review Equity 114

Professor VC

JANUARY 17, 2008

One of my comments was that we would likely see more institutionalization of angel groups and syndication of deals among groups. There needs to be enough equity to go around for founders, early investors, later investors, and employees. My facebook can beat up your facebook. for a total of $10.5M

Pre-Money Valuation 28

Pre-Money Valuation Angel Investor Angel Groups Valuation 28

Gust

OCTOBER 20, 2011

Individual accredited investors in typical angel deals put personal capital at risk for an equity share of growth-oriented, start-up companies. For this round of investment, the angels collectively purchase 20-40% of the equity of the company and are seeking a return on investment of 20-30X in a period of five to eight years.

Valuation 146

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Intellectual Property Technical Review 146

Berkonomics

APRIL 3, 2014

There are three classes of equity investors for early stage businesses that we have not yet considered. And even though angel groups syndicate their best deals within their respective associated networks, it is always best to apply to the angel groups nearest your physical location.

Equity 92

Equity Finance Liquidity Event Angel Groups 92

Professor VC

JUNE 20, 2011

Since the iControl system chronicles all meetings, I was able to find the automatic picture snapped from my first meeting with the founders, Reza Raji and Chris Stevens on April 22, 2004. But of course, the model had us requiring only $10M equity to breakeven and to achieve $185M in revenues in 2008 (the magic Year 5 in all business plans).

San Jose 28

San Jose Angel Investor Term Sheet Venture Capital 28

www.paulgraham.com

APRIL 28, 2010

I think it would help founders to understand funding better—notjust the mechanics of it, but what investors are thinking. And if trouble withinvestors is one of the biggest threats to a startup, managing themis one of the most important skills founders need to learn. Some angel investors join together in syndicates.

Technical Review 76

Technical Review Startup Software Review Angel Investor 76

Feld Thoughts

JULY 14, 2015

Assuming equity is raised at or above that cap, the total dilution, before the new money, is 16.6% (equivalent to an equity financing of $1m at a $6m post money valuation. The new money comes in at a pre-money valuation of $100, but includes a complete refresh of founder equity to 40% of the company.

Recapitalization 70

Recapitalization Pre-Money Valuation Post-Money Valuation Angel Investor 70

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 16, 2015

It just seemed like a fitting title for a company built around narrative by a founder who used to write stories for a living. I'm joined by Lerer Hippeau Ventures, Red Sea Ventures, NucleasHG, the founders of Seamless, a host of extremely helpful angels, and a CircleUp syndicate led by my friend Tom Potter, co-founder of Brooklyn Brewery.

Venture Capital 60

Venture Capital Cofounder Syndicate Syndication 60

www.paulgraham.com

APRIL 28, 2010

Mechanics Angel investors often syndicate deals, which means they join togetherto invest on the same terms. In a syndicate there is usually a"lead" investor who negotiates the terms with the startup. Dont feel like you have to join a syndicate, though. Its not thathard to do it yourself. How much does an angel invest?

Angel Investor 63

Angel Investor Syndicate Syndication Dilution 63

This is going to be BIG.

FEBRUARY 25, 2019

The issue is that nomenclature creates a certain set of expectations that founders use to allocate the most precious of their resources—their time. They want to make sure that they can achieve fundraising goals as fast as possible and I am nothing if not a passionate defender of a founder’s time.

Syndicate 102

Syndicate Syndication Angel Investor Cap Table 102