Gust

NOVEMBER 8, 2012

As a native of Silicon Valley , I’ve witnessed the creative destruction of wave after wave of innovation as nearby corporate campuses repopulated themselves : From defense contractors to data centers , computer mainframe manufacturers to Internet search engines. Most of the technology industry is notoriously apolitical.

Silicon Valley 187

Silicon Valley San Francisco Intellectual Property Accredited Investor 187

Gust

DECEMBER 13, 2011

Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley. Here are the trends in venture capital financings from 2006 through 2010 – the number of seed stage deals funded and total investment by region in millions of dollars. . All Seed-VC. New England. Southern California*. Northwest. . $$$$. Deals. $$$$. Deals. $$$$. Deals. $$$$. Deals. $$$$.

Seed Stage 162

Seed Stage Southern California San Diego Silicon Valley 162

Gust

JULY 8, 2012

A while back I heard a talk by Dave McClure, a long-time angel investor, who also proclaims to be one of the “new breed” of venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, as CEO of 500Startups , which is either a micro-VC seed fund, or a startup incubator, or both. In any case, it’s time to look again at the options you really have.

Early Stage 177

Early Stage Finance Seed Stage Entrepreneur 177

Gust

OCTOBER 17, 2012

Valuable lessons learned from Andy’s personal experience venture investing in Silicon Valley. Fortunately there is now good data on angel returns in Silicon Valley and nationally, and while more research is certainly needed, the data suggest that angel investors can and often do make money.

Angel Investor 152

Angel Investor Venture Capital Seed Stage Silicon Valley 152

Gust

OCTOBER 5, 2011

At least one well-known Silicon Valley venture accelerator is using a document referred to as a “ convertible security ” rather than “convertible promissory note.” Our angel fares as follows: $100,000 + 8% interest = $108,000 that will convert to equity. In fact, there is a recent variation on this theme.

Finance 79

Finance Preferred Stock Term Sheet Early Stage 79

Gust

OCTOBER 26, 2011

I have to admit my West Coast bias here, having learned the ropes at a large Silicon Valley firm ; it makes little sense to me to have investor’s counsel drafting documents that are woven into the fabric of a company’s governance and capital structure, with which the company will likely be living for years after the investment is made.

Finance 79

Finance Term Sheet Covenant Accredited Investor 79