View from Seed

JUNE 11, 2019

At this point, founders find themselves in a luxurious situation of being able to build the best possible syndicate. Here are a couple tips and suggestions on how to go about creating the most supportive investor base for a typical institutional seed round. Get early commits to start generating momentum. So too few is not great.

Syndicate 202

Syndicate Syndication Seed Stage Lead Investor 202

View from Seed

OCTOBER 21, 2014

Using NextView as an example, since we both seek to lead the seed round and only lead during this round, I’ve seen this trend manifest in one of two ways: In a priced round, the entrepreneur will often share their valuation ask (or a stated floor) for the pre-money valuation of their company much sooner in the process.

Valuation 336

Valuation Founder Seed Stage Angel Investor 336

David Teten

SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

Some corporate funds now lead rounds. Others follow independent financial lead investors and most require that independent investors be part of the syndicate. Teten: What makes for a good vs. bad corporate venture investor? Corporate VCs are at the table with all the other venture funds.

Venture Capital 60

Venture Capital Balance Sheet Technical Review Portfolio 60

View from Seed

MAY 29, 2019

Historically, seed rounds were syndicated among several different firms. Today, we are seeing less syndication of seed rounds and sharper elbows among many of the funds in the market. Instead of broadly syndicated rounds, we are seeing much more competition for fewer slots. Why Is Seed Investing Becoming More Sharp Elbowed?

Syndicate 267

Syndicate Syndication Cofounder Cap Table 267

View from Seed

OCTOBER 22, 2015

Work on securing a lead investor who can then help in forming a syndicate. Back-channel through mutual connections and talk to quality references in the firm’s network. The ultimate reference is through a portfolio founder.

Term Sheet 120

Term Sheet Due Diligence Seed Stage Seed Capital 120