Berkonomics

JANUARY 27, 2022

While working toward good news events, some entrepreneurs plan to take in consulting work to pay some of the costs during the early stage of a company. Where to look if you just don’t have any good news?

Dilution 62

Dilution Strategic Investors Early Stage Hosting 62

Austin Startup

NOVEMBER 6, 2017

The main drivers, from our viewpoint, are: Many tech entrepreneurs no longer view venture capital as an inevitability in their growth path, and have grown skeptical of the traditional “growth at all costs” mindset found in many startup circles; and An increasing number of VCs are growing comfortable with LLCs.

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Delaware LLC Startup Silicon Valley 48

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 26, 2020

The real issue here is that if an entrepreneur comes in to a pitch and goes on and on about how they’re going to build a billion dollar company in just a few years, most investors eyes tend to glaze over. Like Jerry Yang who started Yahoo, as investors we are looking for entrepreneurs who are obsessed with a new technology.

Finance 168

Finance Silicon Valley Valuation Startup 168

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 14, 2009

And what I mostly want to do is make entrepreneurs aware that they have nearly as much power as a real board member so you may have more people making decisions at board meeting than you thought you would. This is the real board position that entrepreneurs should concern themselves with. What exactly is a board observer?

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Advisory Board Strategic Investors Venture Capital Later Stage 215

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2014

Competitors can become strategic investors or merger candidates. Good strategic partnerships often lead to strategic investments, or great acquisition relationships. competitors coopetition entrepreneur growth startup' Simple referral fees can bring real growth. Marty Zwilling.

Non-disclosure Agreement 257

Non-disclosure Agreement Intellectual Property Startup Non-Compete 257

The Next Web

SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

Venture Partners, and strategic investors salesforce.com and SAP. Although Box was launched from a dorm room by two 19 year olds, in 2010 the company hired Dan Levin, an experienced Silicon Valley entrepreneur to strengthen its foundations in order to expand. Strength in experience. Probably not.

Europe 114

Europe Entrepreneur United States San Francisco 114

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 16, 2012

Some “strategic investors” have rules that they can’t sit on board seats. The summary lesson for entrepreneurs is – know what you are signing up for in observers when you grant them legal rights to attend board meetings. Just know that two partners talking = 2x the board influence.

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Strategic Investors Early Stage Partner Naming 289

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2010

Evan and I met regularly over a three year period from the time he was running Flux, which he sold to Viacom ( who was his strategic investor ). He has many of the attributes I look for in an entrepreneur and importantly he has deep domain experience in ad management.

Mobile 282

Mobile Management Southern California Application Development 282

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 30, 2018

One of the hardest things about the fund-raising process for entrepreneurs is that you’re trying to raise money from people who have “asymmetric information.” As an entrepreneur it can feel as intimidating as going to buy a car where the dealer knows the price of every make & model of a car and you’re guessing at how much to pay.

Valuation 324

Valuation Post-Money Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Cofounder 324

Gust

DECEMBER 1, 2011

New Company Formation – According to the Kauffman Foundation, entrepreneurs start about 700,000 companies per year in the US. We have no measure of the changes in available capital resources from entrepreneurs and their friends and family, but we have no reason to believe they have changed radically over the past few years.

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SBIR Startup New York City Angel Investor 120

Rob Go

DECEMBER 14, 2016

What keeps this bad behavior in check is that VC investors know they are playing a multi-turn game. Any VC that is known to pull a term sheet will get blackballed by entrepreneurs, coinvestors, the media, etc. This tends to be true for the VC business too. It’s really really bad business.

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Term Sheet Technical Review Due Diligence Private Equity 28

The Next Web

APRIL 6, 2013

My daily work consists of connecting innovative A round startups with potential investors or strategic partners. The five suggestions below are designed to help facilitate the investment process which may lead to a more expeditious term sheet and teach entrepreneurs to think more like an investor. Entrepreneur Insider'

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Term Sheet Due Diligence Strategic Investors Differentiation 126

Seeing Both Sides

AUGUST 28, 2017

Early stage entrepreneurs will also still likely value experienced advice on company-building from seasoned venture capitalists. We typically advise our portfolio companies to avoid taking on strategic investors at an early stage for this very reason. Fuzzy Governance. Seeking Liquidity.

Early Stage 20

Early Stage Equity Venture Capital Government 20

Seeing Both Sides

AUGUST 28, 2017

Early stage entrepreneurs will also still likely value experienced advice on company-building from seasoned venture capitalists. We typically advise our portfolio companies to avoid taking on strategic investors at an early stage for this very reason. Fuzzy Governance. Seeking Liquidity.

Early Stage 20

Early Stage Equity Venture Capital Government 20

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2010

It was especially fun for me because we got the chance to talk about the VC industry and how entrepreneurs should think about the VC industry in addition to discussing deals. Segment Four, “VC Discussion – How Should Entrepreneurs Think about ‘Strategic’ Investors?”. Read more: TechCrunch.

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IPO .Net Venture Capital Strategic Investors 236

David Teten

SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

A corporate investor can provide diversity on the Board as someone who thinks differently from independent VCs. Corporate venture funds are often referred to as ‘strategic’ investors because of the unique benefits they bring to the table. Entrepreneurs today expect more than just capital from their investors.

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Venture Capital Balance Sheet Technical Review Portfolio 60

Hunter Walker

APRIL 4, 2014

strategic investors (including corporates). traditional institutional LPs such as fund of funds, endowments, foundations, sovereign wealth funds ( our investors ). It’s being a partner of conviction to an entrepreneur and working with them for several years. high net worth individuals. family offices.

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San Francisco Private Equity LP Syndicate 100

Berkonomics

JUNE 8, 2017

composed of these investors and management. However, most often, these funds are solicited by a well-meaning entrepreneur from investors who are not qualified as accredited investors under the law (currently requiring a proved income of $200,000 a year or $1 million in net worth for an individual investor).

Private Equity 106

Private Equity Valuation Cap Table Accredited Investor 106

Version One Ventures

MAY 24, 2016

Over the past month, I’ve spent a lot of time in NYC, Toronto, and Ottawa for board meetings, conferences, meetings with our founders, re-connecting with co-investors, and meeting new entrepreneurs. The Bay Area is home to smart and strategic investors that contribute far more than just dollars. Great value-add capital.

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Silicon Valley San Francisco Startup Seattle 113

The Next Web

NOVEMBER 20, 2013

Entrepreneurs with businesses in Asia know that fundraising here can be a daunting task. With this in mind, I would like to use my experience as an entrepreneur, having closed several sizable rounds of investment around Asia over the last six years, to help explain the landscape as it currently stands.

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Asia Silicon Valley India China 123

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 18, 2010

Are “strategic investors&# (e.g. industry investors rather than VCs) a good idea for entrepreneurs. His view: sometimes entrepreneurs expect too much value from the partner. An investment doesn’t guarantee your product will suddenly be on the investor’s price sheet.

Venture Capital 225

Venture Capital Non-Compete Vertical Europe 225

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 10, 2010

For entrepreneurs who want to learn about how to work with investment banks, how to position yourself to be acquired and what the IPO markets look like this is the episode to watch. They have relationships that are hard for entrepreneurs to build. A bank can help you balance fund raising with running your company.

IPO 242

IPO Venture Capital Private Placement Cofounder 242

Growthink Blog

OCTOBER 7, 2011

Rather, Harrison achieved enormous success as an entrepreneur. Founding and taking two companies public is a massive feat, which very few entrepreneurs have achieved. Most venture investors are looking at hundreds of opportunities, so you've got to clearly have an edge." Even if you're a great entrepreneur (e.g.,

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Business Plan Jordan Strategic Investors IPO 83

Austin Startup

SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

From September 22nd-26th, tech companies throughout Austin will welcome local and visiting entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts who are interested in learning more about the startup scene in Austin. The summit is a full day of programming to help inspire, engage and elevate female entrepreneurs and tech professionals.

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Austin Startup Texas Community 48

Hunter Walker

JUNE 7, 2016

This week I’ll be running a series of Five Question interviews with small businesses which were facilitated by BondStreet , a SMB lending platform (we’re investors). These people are true founders and entrepreneurs just like any venture backed company. Hunter Walk: Can you share the founding story of Chaia ? How did it all begin?

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Caching DC Social Media Finance 70

Growthink Blog

OCTOBER 15, 2010

Angel investors also have other needs like ego and interest in helping an entrepreneur. And strategic investors may invest out of fear that their competitor invests in your company before them. So, take the time to understand the needs of your prospective investors, and sell into them.

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Angel Investor Strategic Investors Matching Security 67

Hunter Walker

JUNE 7, 2016

This week I’ll be running a series of Five Question interviews with small businesses which were facilitated by BondStreet , a SMB lending platform (we’re investors). These people are true founders and entrepreneurs just like any venture backed company. Hunter Walk: Can you share the founding story of Chaia ? How did it all begin?

Caching 48

Caching DC Social Media Finance 48

VC Adventure

AUGUST 10, 2010

As a result, we are all emotionally involved in the investment (a phrase you’ll see in later posts about this topic) which I believe is both beneficial to the entrepreneur and extremely important to the VC firm. It’s a great example of how we like to work with entrepreneurs – especially those that we have a long history with.

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Syndicate Syndication Due Diligence SEM 74

Berkonomics

JANUARY 20, 2010

Money from these sources is relatively easy to come by, and most often comes with no strings as to oversight by a formal board composed of these investors and management. And even with the significant cost of credit card debt, many entrepreneurs aggressively use existing cards to finance a startup.

Private Equity 69

Private Equity Valuation Cap Table Accredited Investor 69

BeyondVC

OCTOBER 11, 2007

Put yourself in these entrepreneurs’ shoes – you launch a great product or service today, usage is growing, revenue is nil or minimal, and cocktail party chatter and buzz are at its highest. " Similarly, I have graphically represented the choices an entrepreneur has to make in the continuing saga of build or flip.

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Net Present Value Strategic Investors Early Stage Revenue 60

www.mattbartus.com

DECEMBER 9, 2012

They had a strategic investor in the wings that wanted to invest, but the company thought they could get a higher valuation from the strategic. So they sold all the shares at a $10 million pre-money, but gave the investors enough warrants to drive down their effective pre-money valuation (as closely as possible) to $7 million.

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Warrant Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Term Sheet 40

BeyondVC

OCTOBER 8, 2003

The term sheet that the company signed was led by a strategic investor and contingent on finding another VC as a co-lead. While he had some strong interest, no other VC or purely financially driven investor was willing to step up at that price. So what can other entrepreneurs learn from this?

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Sweat Equity Term Sheet Bankruptcy Salary 60

The Next Web

APRIL 22, 2013

It’s almost impossible not to be impressed with Javier Agüera , a 20-year-old technology entrepreneur and engineering student from Madrid. The company is currently raising funding from a number of strategic investors and is looking to secure 1 million euros or more to accelerate growth. And then some.

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Video Europe Mobile Strategic Investors 138

Feld Thoughts

DECEMBER 19, 2016

If you are looking for a last minute holiday gift for your favorite entrepreneur (or lawyer, VC, or angel investor), we’ve got you covered. A section on Corporate Venture Capital and Strategic Investors. Venture Deals v3 (the third edition) is now shipping in both hardcover and Kindle.

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Term Sheet Venture Capital Angel Investor Strategic Investors 70

Version One Ventures

JANUARY 28, 2013

I recently had lunch with an entrepreneur who asked what he should do. For example, look for strategic investors or another angel round. However, Series A fundings have remained fairly stable over this time. That means there are a lot more seeded startups out there: an excess demand for a limited supply of Series A financings.

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Burn Rate San Francisco Vesting Finance 140

VC Cafe

DECEMBER 13, 2011

Founded in 2006, Anobit’s management team include several of Israel’s top high-tech entrepreneurs: chairman and CEO Prof. Intel Capital Pitango Venture Capital , Battery Ventures Micron Technologies and other strategic investors have invested $76 million in the company to date.

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Flash SEC Acquisition 102

VC Cafe

NOVEMBER 28, 2010

Founded in 2006, Anobit has several of Israel’s top high-tech entrepreneurs are behind it: chairman and CEO Prof. In addition to Intel Capital, investors include Pitango Venture Capital , Battery Ventures , and strategic investors. Ehud Weinstein; president Ariel Maislos; and Ofir Shalvi.

Flash 94

Flash Venture Capital Acquisition 94