Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2022

Thus I’m getting more questions on new mechanisms, like crowd funding, or going public through the side door as a reverse merger. It sounds like a great way to raise money, but here are some of the challenges you need to consider before trying it: Make sure the shell you choose is squeaky clean.

Merger 261

Merger OTC IPO Due Diligence 261

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 26, 2020

So unless your business is well established, and ready to sell or go public (Initial Public Offering - IPO), you should steer clear of investment banks.

Silicon Valley 362

Silicon Valley Private Equity Initial Public Offering Term Sheet 362

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 6, 2014

With the recent apparent successes of several startups in taking their company public (initial public offering) and raising billions of dollars, I’m hearing a groundswell of enthusiasm from new entrepreneurs to follow in their footsteps to fund their companies and become billionaires overnight.

IPO 236

IPO Initial Public Offering Startup Small Business Administration 236

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2020

The new investors you need at this stage are investment bankers, private equity, or competitors, to buy you out via merger or acquisition (M&A), or to go public with an Initial Public Offering (IPO). Obviously, maturity and growth are a continuum, so the rules are never absolute.

Angel Investor 370

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Investment Bankers Private Equity 370

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2022

In the old days, every entrepreneur planned on taking their startup public, and making it big. Today the rate of startups going public (IPO – Initial Public Offering) is finally up from the dead zone of the last two decades, and is now double the rate back in 1999.

IPO 245

IPO SEC Prospectus Startup 245

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2019

Thus I’m getting more questions on new mechanisms, like crowd funding, or going public through the side door as a reverse merger. It sounds like a great way to raise money, but here are some of the challenges you need to consider before trying it: Make sure the shell you choose is squeaky clean.

Merger 303

Merger OTC IPO Due Diligence 303

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2015

In the old days, every entrepreneur dreamed of easily taking their startup public, and making it big. Today the rate of startups going public (IPO – Initial Public Offering) is up from the dead zone, but is still less than half the rate of 15 years ago.

IPO 120

IPO SEC Prospectus Startup 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2019

had its initial public offering, raising $33.8 Even then, it struggled through the 80’s and 90’s, until the advent of the iMac and consumer products. This company was founded by Jerry Yang and David Filo in January 1994. In April, 1996, Yahoo! million, by selling 2.6 million shares at $13 each. Amazon.com and Yahoo!

Initial Public Offering 277

Initial Public Offering Startup California .Net 277

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2015

The visibility of Google, Facebook and a few others continues to propagate the myth that the ultimate objective of every entrepreneur should be to take their startups public via an initial public offering at the earliest opportunity. Everyone thinks this is the route to become the next billionaire like Mark Zuckerberg.

IPO 120

IPO Initial Public Offering Entrepreneur Private Equity 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2018

Thus I’m getting more questions on new mechanisms, like crowd funding, or going public through the side door as a reverse merger. It sounds like a great way to raise money, but here are some of the challenges you need to consider before trying it: Make sure the shell you choose is squeaky clean.

Merger 198

Merger OTC IPO Due Diligence 198

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2018

The new investors you need at this stage are investment bankers, private equity, or competitors, to buy you out via merger or acquisition (M&A), or to go public with an Initial Public Offering (IPO). Obviously, maturity and growth are a continuum, so the rules are never absolute.

Angel Investor 184

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Investment Bankers Private Equity 184

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 6, 2013

had its initial public offering, raising $33.8 Even then, it struggled through the 80’s and 90’s, until the advent of the iMac and consumer products. This company was founded by Jerry Yang and David Filo in January 1994. In April, 1996, Yahoo! million, by selling 2.6 million shares at $13 each. Amazon.com and Yahoo!

Initial Public Offering 297

Initial Public Offering Startup California .Net 297

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2018

Despite the fact that the number of IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) for startups have continued to stay low, I still hear it touted often as the preferred exit strategy. Everyone dreams of becoming a billionaire overnight.

Exit Strategy 128

Exit Strategy IPO Initial Public Offering SEC 128

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 31, 2016

had its initial public offering, raising $33.8 Even then, it struggled through the 80’s and 90’s, until the advent of the iMac and consumer products. This company was founded by Jerry Yang and David Filo in January 1994. In April, 1996, Yahoo! million, by selling 2.6 million shares at $13 each. Amazon.com and Yahoo!

Initial Public Offering 148

Initial Public Offering California .Net Business Plan 148

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 3, 2014

A reverse merger is the acquisition of an already public company (usually a dormant shell) to avoid the Initial Public Offering (IPO) process and cost, to quickly get your startup on a public exchange for fund raising through visibility and selling stock.

Merger 246

Merger OTC IPO Stock 246

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2013

Even though the Initial Public Offering (IPO) alternative for a successful startup seems to be coming back, it is relatively rare. Consider the recent example of Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg. After a record low of 39 U.S. IPOs in 2008, the market was up to a still trivial 128 in 2012 (compared to 675 in 1996).

IPO 224

IPO Founder Exit Strategy Investment Bankers 224

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2012

had its initial public offering, raising $33.8 Even then, it struggled through the 80’s and 90’s, until the advent of the iMac and consumer products. This company was founded by Jerry Yang and David Filo in January 1994. In April, 1996, Yahoo! million, by selling 2.6 million shares at $13 each. Amazon.com and Yahoo!

Entrepreneur 263

Entrepreneur Initial Public Offering California .Net 263

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2013

So unless your business is well established, and ready to sell or go public (Initial Public Offering - IPO), you should steer clear of investment banks.

IPO 205

IPO Silicon Valley Private Equity Initial Public Offering 205

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2012

Even though the Initial Public Offering (IPO) alternative for a successful startup seems to be coming back into vogue, it is relatively rare. Consider the recent example of Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg. After a record low of 39 U.S. IPOs in 2008, the market was up to a still trivial 159 in 2011.

Exit Strategy 239

Exit Strategy IPO Investment Bankers Entrepreneur 239

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 4, 2014

The new investors you need at this stage are investment bankers, private equity, or competitors, to buy you out via merger or acquisition (M&A), or to go public with an Initial Public Offering (IPO). Obviously, maturity and growth are a continuum, so the rules are never absolute.

Angel Investor 232

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Investment Bankers Private Equity 232

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 26, 2011

had its initial public offering, raising $33.8 Even then, it struggled through the 80’s and 90’s, until the advent of the iMac and consumer products. This company was founded by Jerry Yang and David Filo in January 1994. In April, 1996, Yahoo! million, by selling 2.6 million shares at $13 each. Amazon.com and Yahoo!

Initial Public Offering 295

Initial Public Offering California .Net Business Plan 295

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2012

Initial Public Offering (IPO). This is a win-win situation when bordering companies have complementary skills, and can save resources by combining. For bigger companies, it’s a more efficient and quicker way to grow their revenue than creating new products organically.

Exit Strategy 241

Exit Strategy Initial Public Offering IPO Startup 241

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2016

Despite the fact that the number of IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) for startups have continued to decrease, I still hear it touted often as the preferred exit strategy. Everyone dreams of becoming a billionaire overnight.

IPO 120

IPO Initial Public Offering SEC Stock Options 120

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2012

At this stage, you need investment bankers to negotiate a merger or acquisition (M&A), go private, or help you go public with an Initial Public Offering (IPO).

Investment Bankers 241

Investment Bankers Venture Capital Startup Initial Public Offering 241

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2011

Even though the Initial Public Offering (IPO) alternative for a successful startup seems to be coming back into vogue, it is still extremely rare. Only about a dozen U.S. companies made the IPO transition in 2009, out of thousands of startups.

Exit Strategy 235

Exit Strategy IPO Investment Bankers Entrepreneur 235

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2015

This means an acquisition or initial public offering that will generate at least five times your fifth-year revenues, at a commensurate equity ownership. If you are expecting outside-investor interest, you need to show a financial path to a satisfying return, in the range of 10 times their investment.

Liquidity Event 120

Liquidity Event Startup Initial Public Offering Equity 120

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2013

In the old days, every entrepreneur dreamed of someday taking their startup public, and making it a multi-national powerhouse.

IPO 242

IPO SEC Prospectus Startup 242

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2015

Thus I’m getting more questions on new mechanisms, like crowd funding, or going public through the backdoor as a reverse merger. It sounds like a great way to raise money, but here are some of the challenges you need to consider before trying it: Make sure the shell you choose is squeaky clean.

Merger 120

Merger OTC IPO Due Diligence 120

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2016

The new investors you need at this stage are investment bankers, private equity, or competitors, to buy you out via merger or acquisition (M&A), or to go public with an Initial Public Offering (IPO). Obviously, maturity and growth are a continuum, so the rules are never absolute.

Matching 120

Matching Angel Investor Intellectual Property Investment Bankers 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 5, 2011

Initial Public Offering (IPO). This is a win-win situation when bordering companies have complementary skills, and can save resources by combining. For bigger companies, it’s a more efficient and quicker way to grow their revenue than creating new products organically.

Exit Strategy 231

Exit Strategy Initial Public Offering Startup IPO 231

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 20, 2019

Initial Public Offerings (IPO) are back as an exit strategy. Statistica reports that almost 20 percent more companies went public in 2018 versus 2017. An unprecedented number of startups, 427 at last count, are now valued above $1 billion, according to CB Insights. The median deal size is back over $100 million.

North America 320

North America Incubator Initial Public Offering Exit Strategy 320

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2011

So unless your business is well established, and ready to sell or go public (Initial Public Offering - IPO), you should steer clear of investment banks.

Silicon Valley 211

Silicon Valley Private Equity Initial Public Offering Startup 211

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 16, 2011

It has been at least a decade since going public via an Initial Public Offering (IPO) has been considered a credible exit strategy for startups.

IPO 223

IPO Social Media Media Exit Strategy 223

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2010

At this stage, you need investment bankers to negotiate a merger or acquisition (M&A), go private, or help you go public with an Initial Public Offering (IPO).

Investment Bankers 231

Investment Bankers Venture Capital Startup Initial Public Offering 231

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 29, 2010

had its initial public offering, raising $33.8 Even then, it struggled through the 80’s and 90’s, until the advent of the iMac and consumer products. This company was founded by Jerry Yang and David Filo in January 1994. In April, 1996, Yahoo! million, by selling 2.6 million shares at $13 each. Amazon.com and Yahoo!

Initial Public Offering 221

Initial Public Offering Startup California .Net 221

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2010

So unless your business is well established, and ready to sell or go public (Initial Public Offering - IPO), you should steer clear of investment banks.

Silicon Valley 120

Silicon Valley Private Equity Startup Initial Public Offering 120

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2018

Constituents look for a long-term strategy of continuing return, normally including an initial public offering (IPO) or merger/acquisition, to on-going value or option to cash out. You need some innovative new approaches, including digital marketing, as well as metrics to measure effectiveness.

Intellectual Property 48

Intellectual Property Initial Public Offering Merger Acquisition 48