ReadWriteStart

JANUARY 27, 2011

For a more elaborate explanation of the deal, please read my blog post 1M/1M: Alternative Financing For Startups Using A Sales Channel Partner. I have discussed at length why revenue sharing channel deals may serve as perfectly fine alternatives to raising equity (or even complements) because of their non-dilutive nature.

Dilution 114

Dilution Revenue Finance Entrepreneur 114

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

I've talked about this topic before in How Investors Think About Valuation of Pre-Revenue Startups. The reality is that an early employee in a pre-funded startup that eventually raises a few rounds of capital will be diluted significantly, is down the line in preference, and will likely be locked up for a while to harvest it.

Early Stage 391

Early Stage Equity CTO Hire Sweat Equity 391

David Teten

JANUARY 19, 2021

More and more startups are pursuing Revenue-Based VCs , but “RBI” doesn’t fit everyone. Flexible VC 101: Equity Meets Revenue Share. By tying payments to actual revenues, founders and investors remain aligned around the company’s real-time performance, good or bad. Of the Inc. 5000 companies, only 6.5% raised from angels.

Cofounder 78

Cofounder Technical Review Equity Dividend 78

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

This financial leader could well have come through the finance org at another startup or at a larger company but they often also can come from strategy consulting (Bain, BCG or McKinsey) or through investment banking (Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, etc.).

Operations 286

Operations New York City Technical Review Startup 286

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 19, 2012

When not approached carefully, growth can destroy value as it outstrips a company’s managerial capacity, processes, quality, and financial controls, or substantially dilutes customer value propositions. Growth can dilute a business’s culture and customer value proposition and put the business in a different competitive space.

Dilution 187

Dilution Virginia Management Washington 187

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 16, 2010

As I’ve highlighted I believe we’re in a unique period similar to 2005-08 where the biggest tech firms of Silicon Valley (and some media companies) are scooping up small software companies as “talent acquisitions&# versus accretive revenue / profit generators. avoid being diluted). But it is. So know that going in.

Cap Table 283

Cap Table Angel Investor Liquidation Preference Deal Flow 283

David Teten

AUGUST 21, 2019

Or should they look to one of the new wave of Revenue-Based Investors? Revenue-Based Investing (“RBI”) is a new form of VC financing, distinct from the preferred equity structure most VCs use. For more background, see Revenue-Based Investing: A New Option for Founders who Care About Control. Less or no dilution.

Revenue 60

Revenue Liquidation Preference Equity Cofounder 60

The Startup Magazine

JULY 1, 2022

The three main components of a company are production or service, marketing and sales, and finance. Production or service is the business’s core activity, which generates revenue. Finance is how you manage your finances, including budgeting, accounting, and bookkeeping. Financing Your Startup.

Technology 137

Technology Venture Capital Finance Startup 137

ReadWriteStart

SEPTEMBER 10, 2010

They already have several customers including some telcos, and are at about $350,000 in revenues. I call it drip-financing. Most entrepreneurs have no choice but to avail of this sort of financing along with the mentoring and the contacts that could come with it (doesn't always come along, though). Kir Devries.

Cloud 115

Cloud Silicon Valley Incubator Finance 115

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. Plus, any other non-standard items here should be called out, too, like non-dilutive grants, as applicable. First, it’s helpful to enumerate the startup’s funding history to date.

Cap Table 211

Cap Table Seed Stage Valuation Dilution 211

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 1, 2020

The primary source of your funds should be your paying customers, i.e., your business should generate enough revenues and profits to fund the growth and expansion. These usually play a role in the very early stage of your business, primarily pre-revenue. Reasons for funding. ? Incubators and Accelerators. Government programs.

Startup 150

Startup Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Seed Stage 150

David Teten

JANUARY 21, 2021

This essay is part of a series on alternative VC: I: Revenue-Based Investing: a new option for founders who care about control. II: Who are the major Revenue-Based Investing VCs? III: Why are Revenue-Based VCs investing in so many women and underrepresented founders? IV: Should your new VC fund use Revenue-Based Investing?

Equity 78

Equity Revenue Cofounder Colorado 78

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

It’s like we need a finance 101 course for entrepreneurs. Revenue multiple? In finance they call it “terminal value” but the truth is the price is as arbitrary at your A round as it is at your seed round. Me: More dilution? There were no metrics. So a convertible note was easier. Your A round?

Venture Capital 417

Venture Capital Liquidation Preference Valuation Term Sheet 417

Austin Startup

FEBRUARY 4, 2019

A finalist in the Social and Culture category , which will pitch at 11 am Saturday, March 9, EnrichHER Funding , based in Atlanta, is fueling the growth of women-led businesses by enabling women founders to secure capital in an affordable and non-dilutive way. The second is a loan via our EnrichHER Funding crowd-funding platform.

Startup 50

Startup Cofounder Technical Review Equity 50

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2011

But the reality is that you’re faced with two problems: 1) the earlier the stage the riskier and thus more write-offs so you need to have enough ownership percentage in your winners to make up for the losers and 2) the earlier stage your check the more likely the company will need many more funding rounds behind you and thus you face dilution.

Pre-Money Valuation 336

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation Silicon Valley Stock 336

www.avc.com

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

This "best value" can be the valuation on the last round of financing. Whatever approach you use, it should be the value of your company that you would sell or finance your business at right now. The other important data point is the number of fully diluted shares. Or it can be a public market comp analysis.

Equity 64

Equity Employee CTO Hire Fractional CTO 64

Hunter Walker

JANUARY 2, 2017

This keeps them aligned with their investors since a $250m exit with modest venture financing raised can be wonderful for all parties, but the same transaction can look awful if your last round was $60m on $300m pre! Next Level: Buying Customers/Revenue/Distribution. See Mint and Periscope as examples.

Technical Review 115

Technical Review Cap Table Acquisition Startup 115

The Equity Kicker

MAY 14, 2012

Twice in the last week I found myself coaching founders on how to build a financing plan around value creation milestones so I thought I would share what I said here. achieving first revenues. breaking through revenue thresholds – e.g. run-rates of £1m, £5m, £20m and so on. achieving first revenues.

Finance 118

Finance Valuation Venture Capital Dilution 118

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 13, 2011

years, and had reached an average revenue level of $60 million with the range being from $5 million to $350 million. They end up trying to do too much for too many, which dilutes their focus and often the quality of their product or service. The problem is that too many entrepreneurs never learn to say ‘NO!’ Growth is messy.

Indianapolis 196

Indianapolis Minneapolis Kentucky Virginia 196

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 29, 2009

Huge downturns have a real impact on the revenue line of start-ups and therefore the pressure on valuations. As a personal story, I sat on the board of one company with a very unhealthy burn rate relative to revenue or expected growth. They also make M&A activity more difficult and with lower outcomes.

Burn Rate 263

Burn Rate Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Private Equity 263

Berkonomics

APRIL 26, 2018

If fixed expenses, especially payroll, are paid out before cash is received from services or shipments, the company is financing its growth with ever-increasing working capital needs. Many great businesses in their growth periods find themselves stretched for cash.

Dilution 90

Dilution Acquisition Early Stage Book Value 90

Austin Startup

FEBRUARY 13, 2019

Either way, if you know you’re going to fail, it’s much better to do so with your own money on the line than money that also costs you in dilution, perpetuity or more. Consider convertible debt Before diving into a seed round, you may want to consider convertible debt over equity financing. I speak from experience.

Strategic Investors 49

Strategic Investors Austin Angel Investor Bootstrapping 49

Gust

OCTOBER 12, 2011

Last week , we took the plunge and began dissecting an example term sheet for a convertible debt financing round piece by piece. In Part II, we looked at the mandatory conversion language that is at the heart of any convertible debt financing. Same, except at the option of the noteholders (per the term sheet example above).

Finance 107

Finance Term Sheet Pre-Money Valuation Early Stage 107

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 20, 2018

Why are you so strongly sold on royalty licensing as the most effective way to finance a tech-based early stage company? Arthur: The usual royalty revenue sharing funding agreement is for an agreed period – and commences on the generation of revenues by the royalty issuer (company licensing the IP.)

IP 54

IP Intellectual Property Investment Bankers Product 54

The Next Web

FEBRUARY 27, 2014

This is typically in conjunction with an upcoming financing or pending takeover offer. A competitive commodity business, or a “me too” story , will be less demanded, and hence, will require a lower valuation to close your financing. Freshman are a piece of paper to beta site (bootstrap financed—raise $50K to $500K).

Valuation 167

Valuation Forecast Seed Stage .Net 167

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 5, 2016

Don’t quit your day job until the revenue is flowing. Keep later critical financing needs viable. The most critical need for financing will come as you scale initial success, when you need money to cover new inventory, delayed receivables, and location expansion. Don’t let early funding increase risk and dilute your potential.

Bootstrapping 120

Bootstrapping Entrepreneur Startup Exit Strategy 120

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 5, 2018

Two essential lists: Startup costs normally include startup expenses and startup assets: Startup expenses: These are expenses that happen before you launch and start bringing in any revenue. If your cash balance drops below zero then you need to increase your financing or reduce expenses. The traditional method: Startup worksheet.

Cost 150

Cost Balance Sheet Startup Intellectual Property 150

K9 Ventures

JUNE 12, 2012

Founders typically get their equity in a company once — at the time of founding and then get diluted with each subsequent round of financing. If you really don’t want to raise another round, then prove that to me based on what really matters: Revenue. This situation is not always in the best interest of founders.

Venture Capital 117

Venture Capital Silicon Valley Founder Seed Stage 117

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 20, 2018

Why are you so strongly sold on royalty licensing as the most effective way to finance a tech-based early stage company? Arthur: The usual royalty revenue sharing funding agreement is for an agreed period – and commences on the generation of revenues by the royalty issuer (company licensing the IP.)

IP 48

IP Intellectual Property Investment Bankers Product 48

Tim Keane

JANUARY 12, 2010

For angel groups, the distinction between groups and VCs on this issue is dwindling, especially as angel groups do bigger rounds of financing.   Note that this applies only to earl stage Series A-type equity financings and assumes no cash dividends are paid to investors. . This is why a bottom up approach is more credible.

Term Sheet 68

Term Sheet Valuation Dividend Liquidation Preference 68

VC Cafe

FEBRUARY 27, 2024

especially if the startup already has a product and revenue? While the answers are somewhat semantic, the pre-seed funding round is making a comeback in 2024 startup financing. A founder asked me what makes a $2M round “pre-seed”? Pre-seed tends to be about developing an MVP and generating early traction.

Valuation 186

Valuation Software Review Generative AI Technical Review 186

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2011

It’s nearly impossible to get a services company financed by VCs. They have created two internal technology “products&# and wanted to figure out how they could turn their services business into a product business that could be financed. You’re a small fish. This team is talented. They wanted advice.

Silicon Valley 332

Silicon Valley IP Dividend Finance 332

Austin Startup

MARCH 23, 2017

Digital ink has been spilled across the interwebs these past two weeks on the issues with different types of venture financings. Priced equity financings make sense as they provide clarity around valuation and ownership dilution, while creating alignment between the investors and founders.

Dilution 54

Dilution Equity Warrant Distribution 54

K9 Ventures

JUNE 12, 2012

Founders typically get their equity in a company once — at the time of founding and then get diluted with each subsequent round of financing. If you really don’t want to raise another round, then prove that to me based on what really matters: Revenue. This situation is not always in the best interest of founders.

Venture Capital 105

Venture Capital Silicon Valley Founder Seed Stage 105

Hunter Walker

JANUARY 15, 2016

I wish I could claim I deftly foresaw this, but I was just seeking recurring revenue to to cover OneMatchFire’s office expenses. By the end of 2004 I had brought on two co-founders: John Vars – who is now the Chief Product Office at TaskRabbit, and Steven Reading took over Sales and Revenue. InVenture is in a really great place.

Technical Review 48

Technical Review Startup Cofounder SMS 48

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 14, 2012

What I want to talk about today is one of the insider baseball discussions of our industry this past week: The odd fact of the $500 million financing round completed just before the company sold for a B. You just said, “nobody would take 1-2% dilution.” I will weigh in with some thoughts soon. Was this a good thing?

Valuation 316

Valuation Balance Sheet Dilution Term Sheet 316

Up and Running

APRIL 18, 2013

Specialty finance structures have been around since the beginning of finance, but in the last several years, as bank lending remained frozen following the financial crisis, alternative financial product offerings have exploded. Equipment finance. Equipment finance is one of the most common forms of specialty finance.

Small Business 89

Small Business Finance Dilution Equity 89