Board Effect

MAY 10, 2019

Capitalization tables—”cap tables” for those who don’t have time for extra syllables—map the balance of power in a company. If org charts are about people power , cap tables are about money power. In reality, however, cap tables are often far more complex. Let’s dive deeper into understanding cap tables; what they are, why (and to whom) they matter, and how they’re used. What is a cap table? Why do cap tables matter?

Cap Table 40

Cap Table Dilution Liquidation Preference Equity 40

Gust

JUNE 1, 2022

If you have raised capital from investors before, you probably noticed that one of the first requests from potential investors is for you to send them your current cap table. Why would an investor be so interested in seeing your cap table?

Cap Table 91

Cap Table Startup 91

Board Effect

MAY 13, 2019

Let’s not waste time listing everything startups could be doing to more effectively manage their cap tables. When it comes to cap table management in startup companies, it’s unrealistic to expect perfection. What does your cap table need to address at each stage of growth? The realistic demands of cap table management will increase as your business grows and matures—that much is a no-brainer. Defining Cap Tables.

Cap Table 40

Cap Table Dilution Liquidity Event Equity 40

ithacaVC

APRIL 25, 2014

I thought it might be useful to post up a model cap table ( Cap Table Model with Waterfall ). This cap table can be used by a pre-funded startup and then a financing can be layered in. They are simple, but critical to understanding how the cap table works and how valuable the cap table can be to your understanding of your stock holdings.

Cap Table 79

Cap Table Preferred Stock Pre-Money Valuation Liquidation Preference 79

Feld Thoughts

FEBRUARY 9, 2016

“If you need to clean up your own cap table first – while very hard to do – it will make outside funding easier” Again, go read the post now – I’ll wait. Often, there will be asymmetry between them with your new liquidation preferences having a multiple on them where they participate for a while up to a cap. Deal with reality as a founder as well as an investor group and avoid this complexity – just clean up your cap table instead.

Cap Table 110

Cap Table Down Round Liquidation Preference Founder 110

Gust

JUNE 22, 2016

The post Gust Launches Comprehensive Equity Management Platform for Cap Table Management and 409A Valuations appeared first on The Gust Blog. Gust News Starting Your Company 409A valuations cap table management equity managementGust announces acquisitions of Sharewave and Preferred Return; creates the most robust and affordable equity management solution for early-stage startups.

Cap Table 93

Cap Table Valuation Equity Management 93

Feld Thoughts

SEPTEMBER 2, 2011

As Finance Fridays continues, we are introducing the concept of the Cap Table. This week they set out to create their cap table and hire a CTO. Rather, it gets recorded in a document called the Capitalization Table (or “Cap Table”), which shows the ownership stake each person or entity has in the business. Time to update the cap table. When you read the cap table, think of it as a series of events that add new columns to the right.

Cap Table 133

Cap Table CTO Option Pool Hiring 133

ithacaVC

DECEMBER 13, 2013

When raising money from investors (angels or VC), it is critical to have a presentable and clean cap table. On a fully diluted pre-money basis, that would mean the option pool represents 14.5% (356,758/2,456,758) of the cap table. QUESTION #1: This leads to our cap table clean up question #1, namely is that the right allocation? Too much convertible debt on your cap table is a pain in the butt to deal with as it will drive down your valuation.

Cap Table 67

Cap Table Pre-Money Valuation Option Pool Liquidation Preference 67

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 27, 2020

How it happens. When you seek professional investors, whether organized angels or venture capitalists, one of the early questions you are asked is “How have you financed the business so far?” Investors love to see entrepreneurs who have used their own money to ignite their businesses.

Cap Table 62

Cap Table SEC Private Placement Accredited Investor 62

Berkonomics

MARCH 7, 2019

The risk of the “dirty cap table”. Oh, I know. When you started the business, you took investments from friends and family in small amounts just to get you started. Of course, that worked at the time. Enter the need for larger investments. When you seek professional investors, whether organized angels or venture capitalists, one of the early questions you are asked is “How have you financed the business so far?”

Cap Table 61

Cap Table SEC Private Placement Accredited Investor 61

Berkonomics

MARCH 8, 2012

When you seek professional investors, whether organized angels or venture capitalists, one of the early questions you are asked is “How have you financed the business so far?” Investors love to see entrepreneurs who have used their own money to ignite their businesses. But often, entrepreneurs turn to others for initial capital. Describing that capital using the phrase “friends, family and fools,” or “FFF,” has become as common as to be trite.

Cap Table 74

Cap Table SEC Private Placement Accredited Investor 74

Version One Ventures

MAY 22, 2018

How do you decide who you should have in your cap table? The post The “reverse” pitch: Who should you have on your cap table? When we think about pitches, most of the focus is on entrepreneurs pitching investors for capital. But VC can be competitive, particularly for interesting deals, and in many cases, the pitch meeting is a two-way street. Some of the best later-stage investors walk founders through an institutionalized “reverse” pitch.

Cap Table 60

Cap Table Syndicate Syndication Later Stage 60

VC Adventure

OCTOBER 8, 2012

This is typically reflected on cap tables in a completely separate tab to the spreadsheet that shows the debt total by investor and then some kind of interest calculation. Of course many entrepreneurs naturally focus on the main tab of their cap table spreadsheet that shows ownership by founder, investor, etc and for them this is the starting point of negotiating a round. This is especially true when the round price is significantly higher than the convert cap.

Cap Table 93

Cap Table Dilution Equity Deal Structure 93

ithacaVC

SEPTEMBER 4, 2011

Here is the latest edition of Finance Fridays from Brad Feld called “Introducing the Cap Table and CTO” Every startup needs someone to be in charge of the Cap Table. When I was General Counsel at a tech company during the 1999 bubble times, I kept the company’s Cap Table. And now as a VC, I keep the Cap Table for a few of the company’s for which I am a board member. should have its own tab on the Cap Table.

Cap Table 49

Cap Table CTO Finance Option Pool 49

VC Adventure

OCTOBER 8, 2012

This is typically reflected on cap tables in a completely separate tab to the spreadsheet that shows the debt total by investor and then some kind of interest calculation. Of course many entrepreneurs naturally focus on the main tab of their cap table spreadsheet that shows ownership by founder, investor, etc and for them this is the starting point of negotiating a round. This is especially true when the round price is significantly higher than the convert cap.

Cap Table 48

Cap Table Dilution Equity Deal Structure 48

VC Cafe

JUNE 26, 2013

101 funding Soomla Yaniv Nizan cap table Eyeview VC Funding is never easy. Even when you hear stories about entrepreneurs who walk out of a VC with a personal check from the managing director, it is usually after 6 months of pitching and hearing ''no''. This is the story by Yaniv Nizan from Soomla, who raised a round from 7 investors and lived to tell the tale. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]].

Cap Table 130

Cap Table Management Entrepreneur 130

Gust

OCTOBER 8, 2014

It is less about actual money and more about structure of your Cap Table. Invested Interests cap table venture capital Marc Andreessen kicked off another great debate on Twitter last night, one that I’ve been talking about incessantly in private circles for the past 2-3 years – what actually IS the definition of a seed vs. A-round. Cautionary note: No competent VC is actually fooled when you show up after raising $6M in seed financing and say you’re now raising an A!

Cap Table 136

Cap Table Silicon Valley Dilution Term Sheet 136

Scalable Startup

JANUARY 28, 2013

One of the top 3 to 5 worries when launching a startup is is “Who gets how much stock upon start or joining? Founders, Co-Founders, next employees, Investors, Etc. The founders of SmartAsset went through this process and decided to open it up to the world. These guys put together something very cool and it follows the “Give before you get” rule. They call it STARTUP ECONOMICS. Here it is… https://www.smartasset.com/infographic/startup.

Cap Table 22

Cap Table Stock Employee Early Stage 22

Hunter Walker

AUGUST 11, 2022

Why Bringing These Two Skillsets Onto Your Cap Table Early Is Worth It. Who else is already committed to the round and what do they bring to the table? So get them on your cap table instead of your org chart, versus just lacking access to this DNA until post-Series A.

Seed Stage 110

Seed Stage Cap Table Founder Marketing 110

Hunter Walker

OCTOBER 31, 2021

Be more helpful than the folks on cap tables today who overpromise and underdeliver — every cap table I’m on has some percentage of allocation that provided zero value after the investment. No Need To “Grab a Coffee and Pick My Brain” Because Here’s What I’d Say….

Cap Table 134

Cap Table Early Stage Reputation Portfolio 134

Hunter Walker

SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

Y ou’ve got to know when to hold ‘em Know when to fold ‘em Know when to walk away And know when to run You never count your money When you’re sittin’ at the table There’ll be time enough for countin’ When the dealin’s done. Primary Thoughts About Secondary Transactions.

Venture Capital 136

Venture Capital Cap Table LP Equity 136

Hunter Walker

DECEMBER 24, 2018

I strongly believe the detailed story of the company’s success is the founders’ one to tell if they choose to do so, but at the risk of excessive inside baseball, I’ll share my perspectives from the cap table. Aligned Cap Tables Are a Godsend: Especially when the founders are considering an early acquisition, aligned cap tables are a godsend.

Cap Table 101

Cap Table Acquisition Seed Stage Vertical 101

Hunter Walker

SEPTEMBER 5, 2021

Startup CEOs Should Test Strength of Cap Table Every ~6 Months To Know Where They Stand. Lastly, Jason has a single very practical suggestion on what to do if your cap table is tapped out.

Cap Table 108

Cap Table Syndicate Syndication Dilution 108

VC Cafe

JANUARY 30, 2023

“Organization is the foundation of success.” ” – Andrew Carnegie As a founder, one of the key tasks in raising capital is to effectively communicate the value of your company to investors.

Due Diligence 96

Due Diligence Cap Table SEC Architecture 96

Hunter Walker

FEBRUARY 15, 2023

While at the company — and especially once she departed — Claire became one of the people I always hoped to add to a cap table or startup board. Claire Hughes Johnson Joined Stripe in 2014 After a Decade at Google. Her Management Tips Are Legendary. Now They’re Published.

Cap Table 85

Cap Table Hiring Viral Framework 85

View from Seed

OCTOBER 11, 2022

I became a venture capitalist, specifically a seed investor, to provide early support to the dreamers and builders working to positively change how we live, work, learn, play, and care for our planet and each other.

North America 156

North America San Francisco Cap Table LP 156

OnlyOnce

NOVEMBER 2, 2017

I redacted our cap table and pictures of our VCs, but otherwise, feel free to use it with your own management team, or even your whole company. A couple of months ago, I was doing an internal lunch & learn for senior managers, and the topic came up as to “how do our VC firms work?”

Venture Capital 116

Venture Capital Cap Table Entrepreneur Startup 116

OnlyOnce

JULY 14, 2022

I wrote a little bit about the experience of being a multi-time founder in this post where I talked about the value of things like a hand-picked team, hand-picked cap table, experience that drives efficient execution, and starting with a clean slate.

Cap Table 62

Cap Table Founder Portfolio Finance 62

Version One Ventures

DECEMBER 3, 2019

Carta went on to become the standard for cap table management and is a unicorn many times over. . Bessemer started the idea of the “anti-portfolio” – the companies that you passed on, but ended up doing very, very well. .

Portfolio 202

Portfolio Cap Table Valuation Early Stage 202

Gust

JANUARY 30, 2014

Viable business structure and cap table. Large and growing market. Real domain expertise. Provable product need. Scalable business model. Competitive advantage. Platform/partnership/bizd ev/API strategy. External validation (ideally traction and/or passionate customers). Reasonable valuation. Proven team (tech/product/design/mark eting/sales/domain/etc.). But most important of all , it must have an entrepreneur on whom I’m willing to bet.

Cap Table 119

Cap Table API Valuation Leadership 119

Version One Ventures

SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

One of the most important decisions for a founder of an early stage company is deciding who should be on the cap table. Other A funds look to invest in seed rounds as a way to get a seat at the table, in order to have more options for a later round. in order to have a seat at the table for the next round. That’s why it’s critical to understand a the fund’s underlying philosophy on seed: is it true ownership or just a seat at the table? .

Cap Table 351

Cap Table Due Diligence Early Stage Metrics 351

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 4, 2022

Morality aside, I’d say given the inherent riskiness of startups, I’m not sure this would be a great addition to your cap table. I will die on the hill that life is too short to have misogynistic asshats on your cap table—even if it takes you longer to fundraise

Cap Table 162

Cap Table Private Equity IPO Viral 162

Hunter Walker

JUNE 25, 2022

Whether I’m on an org chart or cap table, I’ve historically found that culture is the most difficult part of a company to refactor once matured. What Makes A Culture “Bad” Isn’t Just That You Don’t Like It. I won’t invest in a startup that doesn’t care about its culture.

Cap Table 108

Cap Table Matching Hiring Employee 108

Hunter Walker

FEBRUARY 2, 2023

Or ask your cap table who is the best “XYZ” that they know and give them some skin in the game. Why Pairing Junior Executives With External Mentors Can Accelerate Your Hiring and Their Professional Development Often at a startup it’s better to hire for talent, ambition, and commitment, than years in role or ‘did they have the job already somewhere else.’

Equity 70

Equity Cap Table Dividend Hiring 70

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 20, 2019

On the other hand, some people try and pad the cap table with a bunch of big names or industry vets, even if their check size is small, just to build the network. Maybe it’s an e-mail or maybe it’s just a quarterly phone call that everyone on the cap table can dial-in to. Small investors are people, too—and there’s no upside to having a bunch of your cap table feel negatively in any way about the company.

Cap Table 108

Cap Table Later Stage Hiring Founder 108

Hunter Walker

AUGUST 1, 2021

Those of us who’ve had access to the right hiring manager, or cap table, or referral network have already put ourselves in a position to capitalize, but the pie can be expanded. Things to Remember As You and Your Friends Get Wealthy. Giraffe money.”

Silicon Valley 127

Silicon Valley Cap Table IPO .Net 127

View from Seed

AUGUST 6, 2015

This is not an argument for circulating the entire cap table or compensation calendar. When someone goes to work for a larger corporation or public company, the compensation package generally includes an annual salary, a performance bonus or commission plan, 401(k), and health insurance.

Equity 295

Equity Employee Cap Table Salary 295

OnlyOnce

OCTOBER 28, 2021

And for the most part, the same is true about our cap table. No institutional debt like a messy cap table, legacy people issues, leases for offices we don’t want or need any more.

Cap Table 62

Cap Table Early Stage Email Product 62

Hunter Walker

MARCH 14, 2019

All the disruption can be pretty jarring to an entrepreneur, especially in situations where the exiting partner represents the top line on your cap table. After that, there’s often enough people around the table to manage the loss/transition of a GP/Board Member (even if it sucks). You’ll often need the support – both structurally and symbolically – of some other investors on the cap table to make the case for some of the ideas below to work.

Cap Table 99

Cap Table Dilution Silicon Valley Portfolio 99

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2018

Your historical trading information including financials and a “customer file” which shows the history of your transactions so that investors can run “cohort” analyses Customer reference, personal references, key team members, compensation, cap table, stock option plan, etc. Can you please send us your certificate of incorporation, your Cap Table, your 3-year P&L and last year’s historical trading information? Why you should never have a data room?—?the

Cap Table 335

Cap Table Due Diligence IRR Forecast 335

View from Seed

SEPTEMBER 23, 2019

To provide relevant perspective, listing past convertible note(s) and/or equity financing(s) including total round size and valuation (caps) is helpful. Previous venture firms’ specific involvement on the cap table should be noted here, though. *This post is part of our “pitch deck” series where we dissect the seed stage pitch deck and discuss the ideal flow for a pitch. You can read the rest of the posts in the series by clicking here *.

Cap Table 211

Cap Table Valuation Dilution Seed Stage 211

NZ Entrepreneur

JUNE 21, 2022

From how to develop your idea, to customer validation, investment, communication & marketing, governance, cap tables, due diligence, sales, are just some of the areas that as a founder you will need to navigate.

Founder 105

Founder Entrepreneur Cap Table New Zealand 105

Hunter Walker

SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

This was a man who, despite agreeing to take the meeting, established within the first few minutes of their conversation that he wasn’t someone who was likely to end up on her cap table and even more importantly, probably someone she didn’t want there. It’s in a founder’s natural disposition to want to convince people of their point of view.

Founder 133

Founder Cap Table Conversion Operations 133