Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 3, 2010

There is a telltale sign of an inexperienced startup entrepreneur. As a startup you shouldn’t focus on buying other companies until you’ve figured out your own business. As a startup you shouldn’t focus on buying other companies until you’ve figured out your own business. A merger is not the panacea.

Merger 276

Merger Technical Review Early Stage Dilution 276

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 17, 2015

Startups have bigger concerns than privacy, or so they think. Many startups have learned that being young and small does not keep them off the radar screens of privacy regulators, and they can be vulnerable to costly investigations. By Janis Kestenbaum , a partner in Perkins Coie. Do what you say.

Software Review 100

Software Review Technical Review Due Diligence Startup 100

YoungUpstarts

MARCH 24, 2014

If you were looking for a lawyer to represent your company for a multimillion-dollar merger, what kind of lawyer would you want? Most of us would want to hire the most experienced, cutthroat lawyer specializing in multimillion-dollar mergers. Professionalisms Adam Root Hiplogiq product development startup' A DUI lawyer?

Fractional CTO 228

Fractional CTO Product CTO Hire Merger 228

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2014

I always advise software startups to file patents to protect their “secret sauce” from competitors, and to increase their valuation. The good news is that a patent can scare off or at least delay competitors, and as a “rule of thumb” patents can add up to $1M to your startup valuation for investors or M&A exits (merger and acquisition).

Software Review 250

Software Review Software Technical Review Intellectual Property 250

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2023

Every startup has a core competency which should not be shared. Beyond that, there may be a large percentage of common technology where they both need to minimize cost to gain share from the big dinosaurs who already have this advantage. Let market response dictate a later split, merger, or acquisition.

Non-Compete 262

Non-Compete Intellectual Property Merger Acquisition 262

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 17, 2022

Venture capitalists (VCs) have long been seen as the top of the pyramid for startup funding sources, but in fact angel investors now fund over twice as many companies, according to a classic Crunchbase article. The cost of entry for tech startups continues to go down. Mobile and web software apps may cost even less.

Angel Investor 342

Angel Investor Venture Capital Silicon Valley Portfolio 342

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 19, 2020

Venture capitalists (VCs) have long been seen as the top of the pyramid for startup funding sources, but in fact angel investors now fund over twice as many companies, according the Crunchbase. The cost of entry for tech startups continues to go down. Mobile and web software apps may cost even less.

Angel Investor 314

Angel Investor Venture Capital Silicon Valley Startup 314

The Startup Magazine

FEBRUARY 11, 2022

With over three decades of experience in private equity investments, acquisitions and mergers, Mark Hauser has developed a keen ability to recognize trends and do his due diligence. The post Mark Hauser’s Hauser Private Equity Spearheads Major Deals in Industrial Sector appeared first on The Startup Magazine.

Private Equity 129

Private Equity Equity Technical Review Software Review 129

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2012

A strategic combination can win in a new segment of the market, which neither of you could do alone in the same timeframe or at the same cost. Cost sharing and economies of scale. Companies work together on segments of their business where they believe they can minimize costs but not jeopardize their unique attributes.

Non-Compete 241

Non-Compete Merger Technical Review Software Review 241

The Startup Magazine

JULY 27, 2019

While an organization like British Airways could easily survive such a fine, this could be a considerable blow for any startup trying to earn its place in today’s competitive market. The financial cost aside, having your business go through a data breach due to non-compliance could hurt its reputation among security-conscious clients.

Merger 90

Merger Reputation Security Employee 90

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 27, 2012

I believe entrepreneurs should, in David’s words, “build big businesses on the outskirts” but I don’t believe that Silicon Valley tech giants will outmaneuver startups. We once thought the merger of AOL/Time Warner needed to be investigated by the DOJ. It simply hasn’t played out in history. Laughable now.

Silicon Valley 299

Silicon Valley Technical Review Early Stage Cofounder 299

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2020

Every startup has a core competency which should not be shared. Beyond that, there may be a large percentage of common technology where they both need to minimize cost to gain share from the big dinosaurs who already have this advantage. Let market response dictate a later split, merger, or acquisition.

Non-Compete 317

Non-Compete Intellectual Property Merger Acquisition 317

The Startup Magazine

JUNE 18, 2018

It is defined as an online repository of information for storing and distributing shared documents, and can be used during business transactions such as mergers and acquisitions and private equity and venture capital funding. This is for security, cost and efficiency reason. Value and cost go hand in hand. Source: Pixabay.

Technical Review 81

Technical Review Due Diligence Merger Private Equity 81

Gust

OCTOBER 19, 2014

I always advise software startups to file patents to protect their “secret sauce” from competitors, and to increase their valuation. The good news is that a patent can scare off or at least delay competitors, and as a “rule of thumb” patents can add up to $1M to your startup valuation for investors or M&A exits (merger and acquisition).

Software Review 173

Software Review Software Technical Review Intellectual Property 173

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 15, 2021

Startup founders are known for their passion for their startup idea, and for their passion to kill every competitor. As small companies, neither startup could afford to extend their product alone, but through creative leadership, we were able to negotiate a win-win strategic partnership for a joint product.

Partner 434

Partner Non-disclosure Agreement Intellectual Property Non-Compete 434

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2011

A strategic combination can win in a new segment of the market, which neither of you could do alone in the same timeframe or at the same cost. Cost sharing and economies of scale. Companies work together on segments of their business where they believe they can minimize costs but not jeopardize their unique attributes.

Partner 225

Partner Non-Compete Merger Technical Review 225

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 25, 2018

Toronto’s Mark Attanasio has spent some 20 years advising businesses at various stages in their development on what it takes to position themselves for growth – whether it’s through traditional transactional activities like management buyouts and mergers and acquisitions or via a public listing on a Canadian stock exchange.

Partner 113

Partner Technical Review Management Due Diligence 113

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2021

Based on my own years of experience in startups and big business, and more recently as an angel investor, I often cringe when I see one of you entrepreneurs missing a cue that I have seen work for many before you. For example, if you have ever watched the Shark Tank show on TV, they always ask about the cost of customer acquisition.

Exit Strategy 406

Exit Strategy Merger Angel Investor IPO 406

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 21, 2013

Startups are usually so focused on selling more of their branded product or service to their own customer base (organic growth) that they don’t consider the more indirect methods (non-organic growth) of increasing revenue and market share. An example of a startup which used non-organic growth early and effectively was Microsoft.

Merger 243

Merger Acquisition Startup Bandwidth 243

The Startup Magazine

NOVEMBER 17, 2021

As a special purpose acquisition company, you can sidestep all the trappings that go with the usual initial public offering, but this shakeup introduces a totally new set of snags that can complicate your merger. But the initial uncertainty of your reverse merger isn’t your only difficulty.

Initial Public Offering 143

Initial Public Offering Merger IPO SEC 143

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2022

Even entrepreneurs who have built many startups, or sold their last one for millions of dollars, know they make occasional people leadership mistakes. These can trip up even the best, often at the cost of more than a good night’s sleep. These can trip up even the best, often at the cost of more than a good night’s sleep.

Management 297

Management Merger Leadership Affiliate 297

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 3, 2014

When someone asks me for the best way to fund a startup, I always say bootstrap it, meaning fund it yourself and grow organically. Bootstrapping avoids all the cost, pain, and distractions of finding angels or VCs, and allows you to keep control and all your hard-earned equity for yourself. Reinvest gross profit. Do it yourself.

Bootstrapping 278

Bootstrapping Startup Merger Salary 278

Up and Running

JULY 2, 2014

Picking the right attorney in your startup is as important as picking the right business partner. My business partner and I made many mistakes in our first tech startup, and so many of them were the result of choosing a lawyer who was a terrible fit. Let me paint the picture for you: We were about two months into our startup idea.

Technical Review 118

Technical Review Angel Investor Due Diligence Dilution 118

VC Cafe

JULY 21, 2022

The merger of Unity and Ironsource (a $4.4 Typically, a large percentage of the funding raised by gaming startups goes to marketing. The games, especially mobile free-to-play, are then required to recoup the acquisition costs, typically monetising with ads (which hurts user experience) or in-app-purchases.

Forecast 190

Forecast IP Mobile Acquisition 190

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 28, 2022

In addition, you need to focus on the unique value you bring, and maintaining the gap between what customers are willing to pay versus your best cost. In many cases, the return is not worth the cost. This may seem obvious, yet many companies ignore the keyword “exceptional” or they count on an existing market that is not “expanding.”

Intellectual Property 322

Intellectual Property Acquisition Non-Compete Merger 322

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 27, 2014

Venture capitalists (VCs) have long been seen as the top of the pyramid for startup funding sources, but in fact angel investors now fund over 60 times as many companies, according the Center for Venture Research. The cost of entry for tech startups continues to go down. Mobile and web software apps may cost even less.

Angel Investor 260

Angel Investor Silicon Valley Startup Portfolio 260

ReadWriteStart

JULY 17, 2023

India’s furniture rental startup, Furlenco, is all set to sell a 35% stake to Sheela Foam , the maker of the popular mattress brand Sleepwell. In the financial year ending in March this year, the startup generated a revenue of $18.5 The deal, proposed at $36.5 million, has valued Furlenco at about $104.3

India 104

India Acquisition Merger Curation 104

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 9, 2014

Even entrepreneurs who have built many startups, or sold their last one for millions of dollars, know they make occasional people leadership mistakes. These can trip up even the best, often at the cost of more than a good night’s sleep. These can trip up even the best, often at the cost of more than a good night’s sleep.

Leadership 265

Leadership Founder Startup Merger 265

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2015

With the uptick in the economy, as an active startup mentor, I’m seeing a new surge of entrepreneurs and startups, with the commensurate scramble for funding. Thus I’m getting more questions on new mechanisms, like crowd funding, or going public through the backdoor as a reverse merger. It takes real money to get into the game.

Merger 120

Merger OTC IPO Due Diligence 120

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2014

Startup founders are known for their passion for their startup idea, and for their passion to kill every competitor. As small companies, neither startup could afford to extend their product alone, but through creative leadership, we were able to negotiate a win-win strategic partnership for a joint product.

Non-disclosure Agreement 257

Non-disclosure Agreement Intellectual Property Startup Non-Compete 257

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2013

When someone asks me for the best way to fund a startup, I always say bootstrap it, meaning fund it yourself and grow organically. Bootstrapping avoids all the cost, pain, and distractions of finding angels or VCs, and allows you to keep control and all your hard-earned equity for yourself. Reinvest gross profit. Do it yourself.

Equity 241

Equity Bootstrapping Startup Merger 241

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2016

Every startup has a core competency which should not be shared. Beyond that, there may be a large percentage of common technology where they both need to minimize cost to gain share from the big dinosaurs who already have this advantage. Let market response dictate a later split, merger, or acquisition.

Partner 120

Partner Non-Compete Intellectual Property Merger 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 28, 2013

However, making no projections, or non-credible projections will get your startup marked as unfundable. Projecting the financials should be the last step of your business plan preparation, since it assumes you already know the opportunity size, customer buying habits, pricing, costs, and competition. Build a path to 10x return.

Liquidity Event 243

Liquidity Event Startup Equity Venture Capital 243

YoungUpstarts

MARCH 21, 2017

Here are three ways startups can generate good PR for their business at a low cost or even for free: Give Reporters Tips on What You Do That Is Newsworthy. The business section will cover news of any high profile partnerships, facility expansions and mergers. Volunteer for Good Coverage. What they may be able to spare is time.

PR 147

PR Public Relations Merger Startup 147

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 26, 2010

Startups are usually so focused on selling more of their branded product or service to their own customer base (organic growth) that they don’t consider the more indirect methods (non-organic growth) of increasing revenue and market share. An example of a startup which used non-organic growth early and effectively was Microsoft.

Acquisition 214

Acquisition Merger Startup Bandwidth 214

Gust

OCTOBER 26, 2014

When someone asks me for the best way to fund a startup, I always say bootstrap it, meaning fund it yourself and grow organically. Bootstrapping avoids all the cost, pain, and distractions of finding angels or VCs, and allows you to keep control and all your hard-earned equity for yourself. Reinvest gross profit. Do it yourself.

Bootstrapping 176

Bootstrapping Startup Merger Salary 176

VC Cafe

AUGUST 2, 2022

As an early stage investor in the world of gaming and metaverse technology at Remagine Ventures, I find these companies have the potential to set the agenda, become the potential platforms for developers building in this space and future acquirers/consolidators of startups building the next generation of the Internet. Here we go! Epic Games.

IP 206

IP Cofounder Valuation Acquisition 206