YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 28, 2015

This article highlights their advice on issues ranging from financing to patent trolls: While startups may believe lawyers are too costly, working with one early on avoids potentially serious problems later. “And if you have a valuation cap; a higher cap is always better than a lower cap.” Convertible Securities.

Convertible Security 100

Convertible Security IP Technical Review Software Review 100

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

David Teten

JANUARY 19, 2021

Yes, via conversion rights at a valuation cap. Yes, via conversion rights at a valuation cap. Seed-stage compatible: Like traditional equity VC investors, Flexible VCs accomodate early-stage investment risk within their portfolios better than a traditional RBI funder. Flexible VC: Compensation-based.

Cofounder 78

Cofounder Technical Review Equity Dividend 78

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 6, 2010

Once you have a potential investor excited about your team, your product, and your company, the investor will inevitably ask “What is your company’s valuation?” How much is NewCo worth to investors at this point (pre-money valuation)? This is the most concrete valuation element, usually called the asset approach.

Valuation 234

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation NPV Startup 234

Startup Company Lawyer

MARCH 14, 2010

After the recent announcement of the Series Seed Financing documents by Marc Andreesen, Brad Feld points out that there are now four sets of “open source&# equity seed financing documents: TechStars Model Seed Funding Documents (by Cooley). Y Combinator Series AA Equity Financing Documents (by WSGR). under $500K).

Finance 70

Finance Software Review Term Sheet Liquidation Preference 70

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

As an early-stage VC I love this phase. This financial leader could well have come through the finance org at another startup or at a larger company but they often also can come from strategy consulting (Bain, BCG or McKinsey) or through investment banking (Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, etc.).

Operations 286

Operations New York City Technical Review Startup 286

Gust

NOVEMBER 18, 2012

Once you have a potential investor excited about your team, your product, and your company, the investor will inevitably ask “What is your company’s valuation?” How much is NewCo worth to investors at this point (pre-money valuation)? This is the most concrete valuation element, usually called the asset approach.

Valuation 187

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation NPV Intellectual Property 187

Mucker Lab

MAY 28, 2020

These lost startups land higher valuations, have larger teams, outsource more product development and spend more money on customer acquisition than their peers. Before you indulge in marketing, sales and blinged-out offices, find product-market fit. Test your sales and marketing a few feet from the ground, first – not from an airplane.

Startup 78

Startup Cofounder Burn Rate Technical Review 78

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2009

I recently wrote a post on angel financing covering the topic of convertible notes but I realized I was thinking about the issue more from investor perspective and a very narrow topic of how to price the round. So if you’re casually reading and don’t really care about angel financing – abort now! It creeps people out.

Silicon Valley 291

Silicon Valley Ireland Technical Review Valuation 291

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.] The Valuation Question.

Term Sheet 68

Term Sheet Valuation Dividend Liquidation Preference 68

Berkonomics

AUGUST 3, 2023

Some businesses require very little capital and the founder can self-finance the enterprise and retain 100% of its ownership and control from ignition through liquidity event (startup through sale). And even with the significant cost of credit card debt, many entrepreneurs aggressively use existing cards to finance a startup.

Private Equity 118

Private Equity Valuation Cap Table Accredited Investor 118

OnlyOnce

JULY 30, 2020

Or maybe when you look two years out you realize that your company is at its highwater mark in valuation, so it becomes a timing issue. Institutional investors can require liquidity too, and while it’s possible to buy out shareholders or create a debt / equity financing, you might think about selling the company instead.

Cap Table 48

Cap Table Institutional Investors Startup Early Stage 48

Feld Thoughts

NOVEMBER 18, 2013

Following is his advice to early stage entrepreneurs for creating structure in their company. Here’s the punchline: if you run your company as if you have closed a VC equity financing round even though you actually closed a convertible debt round, you’ll be in much better shape when it comes time to raise your Series A financing.

Burn Rate 152

Burn Rate Equity Software Review Early Stage 152

www.entrepreneur.com

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

Entrepreneur Homepage Startups Starting a Business Home How-To Guides Startup Basics Business Ideas Business Planning Startup Financing Success Stories Home-Based Business Starting a Business Play Video How to Take a New Product from Just an Idea to a Business (Video). Financing Some Jobs Act Proposals Make Headway.

Sweat Equity 55

Sweat Equity Equity Fractional CTO CTO 55

Gust

SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

It should therefore come as no surprise that an asymmetry of information exists, mostly gleaned from experience, between founders and investors in a venture financing deal. A term sheet for a convertible note deal may run two or three pages, versus 8-10 pages for a typical Series A Preferred Stock financing.

Finance 178

Finance Term Sheet Preferred Stock Bridge Financing 178

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2011

Once you have a potential investor excited about your team, your product, and your company, the investor will inevitably ask “What is your company’s valuation?” How much is NewCo worth to investors at this point (pre-money valuation)? This is the most concrete valuation element, usually called the asset approach.

Pre-Money Valuation 246

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation NPV Intellectual Property 246

ReadWriteStart

SEPTEMBER 10, 2010

I call it drip-financing. Most entrepreneurs have no choice but to avail of this sort of financing along with the mentoring and the contacts that could come with it (doesn't always come along, though). In 1M/1M, our preferred financing strategy is customers. Because customer financing equals revenue, not equity.

Cloud 115

Cloud Silicon Valley Incubator Finance 115

Women Entrepreneurs Can

NOVEMBER 19, 2022

A Venture Capital Firm is a firm that invests in startups and early-stage companies. Early-Stage Investments vs. Mid-Stage Investments. Investing in a startup company carries a high degree of risk, particularly at the early stage. They can also help you develop your product and sales channels.

Venture Capital 52

Venture Capital Early Stage Liquidity Event SEC 52

Haystack

JULY 8, 2018

So, that’s why I’m writing this short post specifically for 1) employees of early-stage startups and 2) the earliest investors in these startups, who are often themselves new to the entire sector. valuation, that’s sort of like a new IPO, but without the lockup period. All of this activity is at-will.

Early Stage 95

Early Stage Dilution Private Equity Common Stock 95

The Equity Kicker

MAY 14, 2012

Twice in the last week I found myself coaching founders on how to build a financing plan around value creation milestones so I thought I would share what I said here. demonstrating a repeatable sales model (typically telephone sales, direct sales, or channel sales). achieving first international sales.

Finance 118

Finance Valuation Venture Capital Dilution 118

Gust

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

How to finance a new seed-stage startup? ” Ressi in particular seems to be passionate about removing the “debt” component from convertible debt seed financing transactions. .” I won’t rehash all of the customary convertible note financing deal terms and points of negotiation here. (For

Finance 134

Finance Convertible Security Equity Seed Stage 134

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

Austin Startup

AUGUST 20, 2017

Early stage startups have to survive one day at a time and are often presented with limited choices of the moment that enable them to continue. At early stages you probably don’t have an assembly line and can’t clearly define any particular job. Keep the valuations consistent with company progress.

Technical Review 48

Technical Review Software Review Cap Table Securities and Exchange Commission 48

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 19, 2017

That is, how much should your company be willing to lose in cash every month as you make investments in staff and equipment that funds technology, sales, marketing and management. How Much Capital You Have Raised / Your Runway In general I recommend that in early-stage startups you try to raise at least 15-18 months of runway.

Burn Rate 212

Burn Rate Startup .Net Venture Capital 212

Feld Thoughts

SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

In this case, the convertible debt document doesn’t allow the debt to convert into anything, but at the same time mandates that upon a sale the debt must be paid off. With later stage companies, the investors usually structure the convertible notes to have the most flexibility. Typical language follows.

Conversion 96

Conversion Sales Later Stage Preferred Stock 96

www.inc.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

Finance | Tuesdays. Sales & Marketing | Wednesdays. Financing a Small Business. Financing A Small Business. Personal Finance. SALES & MARKETING. In the past few years, hundreds of small companies have been snatched up by private equity firms willing to agree to ever-rising valuations. Franchises.

Arizona 40

Arizona Equity Iowa Venture Capital 40

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 17, 2020

Let’s take a few minutes to examine the kind of equity financing available to small or early stage businesses. There are other classes of equity investors for small or early stage businesses that we have not yet considered. The post When should you go for equity financing? Friends and family investors.

Equity 62

Equity Finance Liquidity Event Angel Groups 62

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 14, 2012

What I want to talk about today is one of the insider baseball discussions of our industry this past week: The odd fact of the $500 million financing round completed just before the company sold for a B. Did raising money at a $500 million valuation help secure the $1 billion deal? “Impending” valuation.

Valuation 316

Valuation Balance Sheet Dilution Term Sheet 316

Berkonomics

JUNE 8, 2017

Some businesses require very little capital and the founder can self-finance the enterprise and retain 100% of its ownership and control from ignition through liquidity event (startup through sale). And even with the significant cost of credit card debt, many entrepreneurs aggressively use existing cards to finance a startup.

Private Equity 106

Private Equity Valuation Cap Table Accredited Investor 106

mashable.com

OCTOBER 16, 2010

All of this is according to Paul Graham, co-founder of the early-stage investment fund Ycombinator. The competition for funding startups is increasing the valuations of startups, giving entrepreneurs and founders better investment terms. How iPad Magazine Sales Stack Up [REP. Angel rounds also tend to close quicker.

Angel Investor 83

Angel Investor Venture Capital Social Media Technical Review 83

Up and Running

JUNE 14, 2017

Early stage idea validation can be accomplished without building an application. Although Recycler Spotter was perceived as a great model for increasing awareness and sales, most partners decided to wait for the product launch. Recycler Spotter’s perceived value to partners wasn’t significant enough to justify early commitment.

Technical Review 96

Technical Review Distribution Redemption Demand 96

Hunter Walker

DECEMBER 16, 2019

They’d offer services like recruiting, sales and BD help, and marketing to their startups, building out an agency-like model and employing well over 100 team members. First Round went deep on “platform” far ahead of anyone else in this stage. Marc Andreessen & Ben Horowitz. Talk about unintended consequences.

Silicon Valley 70

Silicon Valley Early Stage Valuation Cofounder 70

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

Was Paul Graham right in his “high resolution” financing post? What the entrepreneurs were really saying is, “I don’t want to take a lower valuation now, while I don’t have customers or a full team. You rarely find full ratchets in early-stage deals any more. That’s not possible.

Ratchet 354

Ratchet Liquidation Preference Equity Stock 354

mashable.com

OCTOBER 16, 2010

All of this is according to Paul Graham, co-founder of the early-stage investment fund Ycombinator. The competition for funding startups is increasing the valuations of startups, giving entrepreneurs and founders better investment terms. How iPad Magazine Sales Stack Up [REP. Angel rounds also tend to close quicker.

Angel Investor 84

Angel Investor Venture Capital Social Media Technical Review 84

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 4, 2017

For startup founders and CEO’s it’s also just as common to see them place too much focus on the amount of money raised, and the pre-money valuation, rather than the value that each investor can bring to the table. Perhaps you know a Marketer, a Developer or Sales Manager that could fill a gap in one of the startups you back.

Pre-Money Valuation 187

Pre-Money Valuation Seed Stage IP Deal Flow 187

Hunter Walker

JUNE 22, 2014

I was excited to recently see YC President Sam Altman evangelize for adding an investor or outside Director to a seed stage startup. But I don’t think this strategy will work for long—if that’s the sales pitch, then founders will take the cheapest capital, and the crowd will probably pay more than VCs.

Seed Stage 93

Seed Stage Early Stage Metrics Startup 93

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 20, 2018

Why are you so strongly sold on royalty licensing as the most effective way to finance a tech-based early stage company? These are your candidates, because they are companies already absorbing much or all the marketing expense necessary to make sales of your invention. So, there you have it.

IP 54

IP Intellectual Property Investment Bankers Product 54