ReadWriteStart

OCTOBER 7, 2010

So at any point, if you are trying to raise money, and you are hearing from investors that you are too early and have too little validation, it may be a good thing. As a thumb rule, try to get enough validation so that you can get to at least a $2 million pre-money valuation before raising equity capital.

Valuation 119

Valuation Silicon Valley Pre-Money Valuation Bootstrapping 119

David Cohen

AUGUST 1, 2018

We’re living at a time when valuations are very high, as Fred Wilson and Ari Newman have both recently pointed out. When valuations rise, so do the caps on notes, which are upper limits on valuation at conversion. For example, a company may be raising $1M in notes at $15M pre-money valuation cap with a 20% discount.

Pre-Money Valuation 83

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation Equity Finance 83

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 17, 2011

This conversation seems to come up very frequently these days both with portfolio companies and with entrepreneurs just looking for mentorship. For many businesses you should keep your costs low & your capital raises low until you discover whether you are really on to a big idea where there is market demand. 25% dilution).

Pre-Money Valuation 303

Pre-Money Valuation Dilution Valuation PR 303

View from Seed

SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

This post is inspired by some of the earliest conversations I have had with the team here at NextView and since the beginning of my VC journey. Q: What is going to happen to the cost of capital? Q: What is the opportunity cost of not being in tech? Both early- and late-stage startup valuations are currently elevated.

Valuation 156

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Distribution Early Stage 156

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2015

I am reminded of this problem every time my firm does a financing where a note went before us but more specifically I was reminded by this great post by Brad Feld to talk about the pre-money vs. post-money conversion issue. In the old days VCs funded off of a “pre-money” valuation.

Pre-Money Valuation 150

Pre-Money Valuation Option Pool Post-Money Valuation Dilution 150

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

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 4, 2016

note: to follow realtime conversations & engage with me on Facebook you can follow me here: https://www.facebook.com/msuster ]. Limited Partners (LPs) who invest in VC funds have continued to pour money into venture – with the market returning to pre-recession levels. The result of all of this new money?

LP 150

LP Valuation Burn Rate Pre-Money Valuation 150

The Startup Lawyer

FEBRUARY 4, 2011

The following are some issues to consider and actions to take before accepting an incubator’s offer: (1) Calculate Valuation and Determine Value. Pre-money valuations startups receive from incubators are typically low…really low. 8) Determine the Opportunity Costs.

Incubator 105

Incubator Pre-Money Valuation Option Pool Advisory Board 105

Tim Keane

JANUARY 12, 2010

An average of these ranges results in a pre-money valuation of about $4MM.   If similarly situated companies are seeing $3.5MM pre-money valuations, this might become the target valuation. An average of these ranges results in a pre-money valuation of about $4MM.

Term Sheet 68

Term Sheet Valuation Dividend Liquidation Preference 68

Genuine VC

JULY 30, 2012

By communicating pricing expectations with potential lead investors, I mean sharing either an “ask” or even stated floor for the pre-money valuation of the company (with a priced preferred round) or explicitly stating a valuation cap (for convertible note round).

Valuation 136

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Angel Investor Syndicate 136

K9 Ventures

MARCH 23, 2011

Obviously, both the founders and the note holders have the common objective of getting the company funded; but assuming the company is fundable, there is a basic misalignment of incentives when it comes to valuation. The typical fix for this problem is to put in a cap in the note for the pre-money price for conversion.

Pre-Money Valuation 132

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation Equity Liquidation Preference 132

Feld Thoughts

JULY 29, 2011

Through a series of conversations, Jane and Dick have come up with the idea to develop a social network tailored to the medical community. That narrowed the possibilities down to an equity transaction, which would in turn require a conversation about valuation. It helps control transaction costs in terms of both time and money.

Equity 137

Equity Finance Pre-Money Valuation Denver 137

Scott Edward Walker

APRIL 9, 2012

Part 2 will discuss the two most significant issues for founders in connection with the issuance of convertible notes: (i) the valuation cap and (ii) the discount (and how they interrelate). Part 3 will cover certain special issues, such as (i) what happens if the startup is acquired prior to the note’s conversion to equity? (ii)

Preferred Stock 87

Preferred Stock Finance Common Stock Liquidation Preference 87

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).” I recommend that startups agree the “conversion price” at maturity. What happens at maturity?

Ratchet 354

Ratchet Liquidation Preference Equity Stock 354

venturehacks.com

OCTOBER 21, 2010

If you don’t keep your eyes on the option pool while you’re negotiating valuation, your investors will have you playing (and losing) a game that we like to call: Option Pool Shuffle You have successfully negotiated a $2M investment on a $8M pre-money valuation by pitting the famous Blue Shirt Capital against Herd Mentality Management.

Option Pool 68

Option Pool Pre-Money Valuation Dilution Warrant 68