SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 2, 2011

A lot of my time is spent helping early-stage companies get to proof points so that they can raise capital. They might have some seed money and are thinking or raising a Series A based on success of an early release (MVP). Bill Payne is an expert on how early-stage investors should look at valuation.

Valuation 198

Valuation Revenue Pre-Money Valuation Early Stage 198

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2011

How much is NewCo worth to investors at this point (pre-money valuation)? What percentage of NewCo does the investor own after the $1M infusion (post-money ownership percentage)? On the other hand, if the pre-money valuation is $4M, the founders ownership remains at a healthy 80% level.

Pre-Money Valuation 246

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation NPV Intellectual Property 246

Berkonomics

JANUARY 7, 2021

Think of startups and early stage businesses whose entrepreneurs you know. Second rounds, if needed, often drive the founder(s) into a minority position, unless the company has grown significantly by that time and can command a higher pre-money valuation, giving less stock for the same amount of investment.

Liquidity Event 96

Liquidity Event Pre-Money Valuation Cofounder Initial Public Offering 96

Gust

NOVEMBER 18, 2012

How much is NewCo worth to investors at this point (pre-money valuation)? What percentage of NewCo does the investor own after the $1M infusion (post-money ownership percentage)? On the other hand, if the pre-money valuation is $4M, the founders ownership remains at a healthy 80% level.

Valuation 187

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation NPV Intellectual Property 187

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 6, 2010

How much is NewCo worth to investors at this point (pre-money valuation)? What percentage of NewCo does the investor own after the $1M infusion (post-money ownership percentage)? On the other hand, if the pre-money valuation is $4M, the founders ownership remains at a healthy 80% level.

Valuation 234

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation NPV Startup 234

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2016

As an entrepreneur looking for professional investors, one of the quickest ways to lose credibility and get rejected is to start with a ridiculously high pre-money valuation. As you can see, the valuation of an early-stage startup is not rocket science.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Startup 120

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. Do you have relationships with other investors at the next stage of the investment lifecycle?

Pre-Money Valuation 167

Pre-Money Valuation Seed Stage IP Deal Flow 167

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 17, 2011

A year ago I blogged about one of my most common mantras that applies to sales, biz dev & fund raising alike: “ Time is the Enemy of all Deals.&#. When times are really good for fund raising many teams delay to maximize their valuation. million and you’re an early stage business this is probably a fair deal.

Pre-Money Valuation 303

Pre-Money Valuation Dilution Valuation PR 303

Tim Keane

JANUARY 12, 2010

.   Note that this applies only to earl stage Series A-type equity financings and assumes no cash dividends are paid to investors. It also assumes the entire value of the investment is captured for investors at a sale of the company in the time specified in the term-sheet. Let’s start at the end. stake in the company.

Term Sheet 68

Term Sheet Valuation Dividend Liquidation Preference 68

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 20, 2011

This method compares the target company to typical angel-funded startup ventures and adjusts the average valuation of recently funded companies in the region to establish a pre-money valuation of the target. In most regions, the pre-money valuation does not vary significantly from one business sector to another.

Valuation 146

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Intellectual Property Technical Review 146

K9 Ventures

MARCH 23, 2011

If they don’t learn to do this, then when they raise money from institutional investors and have a formal Board of Directors put in place, they are ill-equipped to know what it means to have a board meeting, to prepare a board information packet, and most of all to manage the board (and yes, every board needs to be managed).

Pre-Money Valuation 132

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation Equity Liquidation Preference 132

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

As in, “your money into my company will convert at a 15-20% discount to the next round of capital I raise with a maximum price of $8 million pre-money valuation (or whatever the cap was).” You rarely find full ratchets in early-stage deals any more. What happens in a sale or acqui-hire?

Ratchet 354

Ratchet Liquidation Preference Equity Stock 354

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 23, 2015

They''re at a similar stage to my investments now out of Brooklyn Bridge backing Tinybop pre-launch, Canary before their Indiegogo pre-sale, and VIXXENN with just an alpha site and a few stylists. I don''t think early stage investors are taking enough risk. I think we are.

Post-Money Valuation 60

Post-Money Valuation Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Seed Money 60

VC Cafe

SEPTEMBER 26, 2022

Sustainable growth: Prioritise sales efficiency over growth at all costs. Startups must grow to be successful, but the recent months have shown that simply throwing money at growth is not the solution. ValuatIon should be a function of value, not ego. In times of uncertainty, be like Scrooge McDuck! Our goals, their goals.

Founder 187

Founder Startup Valuation Pre-Money Valuation 187

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 25, 2010

million at a $15 million pre-money valuation. We had people hearing through the grapevine that we were about to raise money and new investors started calling us to get in on the deal. VC, sales, biz dev, M&A or otherwise. million at a $15 million pre-money valuation. Yes, this was stupid.

Technical Review 301

Technical Review Term Sheet Due Diligence Venture Capital 301

Hippoland

AUGUST 31, 2018

So, I thought it might make sense to take a step back and talk about all the stages of early stage fundraising here in the Silicon Valley. In early stage investing, at least in Silicon Valley, there are basically 4 stages: pre-seed, seed, post-seed (or pre-A), and series A.

Pre-Money Valuation 90

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation Silicon Valley Early Stage 90

www.paulgraham.com

APRIL 28, 2010

4 ] Seed Funding Firms Seed firms are like angels in that they invest relatively smallamounts at early stages, but like VCs in that theyre companiesthat do it as a business, rather than individuals making occasionalinvestments on the side. Angels and even VC firms occasionally do this, but they alsoinvest at later stages.

Technical Review 76

Technical Review Startup Software Review Angel Investor 76

Hippoland

AUGUST 31, 2018

So, I thought it might make sense to take a step back and talk about all the stages of early stage fundraising here in the Silicon Valley. In early stage investing, at least in Silicon Valley, there are basically 4 stages: pre-seed, seed, post-seed (or pre-A), and series A.

Pre-Money Valuation 48

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation Silicon Valley Early Stage 48

www.paulgraham.com

OCTOBER 23, 2010

The woman in charge of sales was so tenacious that I used to feelsorry for potential customers on the phone with her. Stephen Hawkings editor told him that every equationhe included in his book would cut sales in half. A 10% improvement in ease of use doesnt just increase your sales 10%. Its more likely to double your sales.

Startup 105

Startup Cofounder Software Stock 105

www.paulgraham.com

APRIL 28, 2010

You give a startup money and they give you stock. Youllprobably get either preferred stock, which means stock with extrarights like getting your money back first in a sale, or convertibledebt, which means (on paper) youre lending the company money, andthe debt converts to stock at the next sufficiently big fundinground. [

Angel Investor 63

Angel Investor Syndicate Syndication Dilution 63