Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2023

Taking on equity investors to fund your company is much like getting married – it is a long-term relationship that has to work at all levels. Investor agreements should always be reviewed by an attorney who is familiar with startup equity investment deals. To get the terms you want, it’s better to start with your own term sheet.

Technical Review 345

Technical Review Due Diligence Term Sheet Offshore 345

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2019

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than early projections and product development. Nevertheless, it’s an option that doesn’t cost you equity. Only one-third make it past their tenth anniversary. Join a startup incubator.

Finance 320

Finance Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 320

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2022

The most effective new way of funding startups is to use online sites, like Kickstarter , to request donations, pre-order, get a reward, or even give equity. This source is a major focus these days, due to government initiatives to incent research and development on alternative energy and other technologies. Join a startup incubator.

Intellectual Property 261

Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator Bootstrapping 261

David Teten

NOVEMBER 23, 2020

Blue Future Partners, a venture capital fund of funds, recently interviewed me on ESG in venture capital. For example, I’m an investor via ff Venture Capital in: – Plated.com is a meal kit company, delivering you the recipe and fresh ingredients to make a gourmet meal in your own kitchen.

Venture Capital 60

Venture Capital Partner Technical Review Cofounder 60

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 25, 2020

With the advent and growth of crowdfunding over the past few years, many entrepreneurs have predicted the demise of those demanding angel investment groups and venture capital organizations. Investors cannot verify accountability or governance. In equity crowdfunding, no investor is representing their own interest.

Equity 411

Equity Angel Groups Accredited Investor Due Diligence 411

VC Cafe

APRIL 23, 2016

Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) has shared a circular (a regulatory document, in Vietnam speak) for improving the legal environment for venture capital investing in the Socialist state. The VCs operating in Vietnam since the early 2000s are: Mekong Capital , IDG Ventures Vietnam, Dragon Capital and DFJ Vina Capital.

Vietnam 60

Vietnam Venture Capital Silicon Valley Early Stage 60

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2013

What options do they have available to them, since they can’t sell a share of the company (no equity investment)? There is no discussion of equity, or return on investment. Government grants. equity funding investor non-profit philanthropist' Individual and institutional donations. That’s a higher calling.

Equity 207

Equity Angel Investor Technical Review Exit Strategy 207

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2020

Taking on equity investors to fund your company is much like getting married – it is a long-term relationship that has to work at all levels. Investor agreements should always be reviewed by an attorney who is familiar with startup equity investment deals. To get the terms you want, it’s better to start with your own term sheet.

Technical Review 310

Technical Review Due Diligence Term Sheet Offshore 310

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2019

The hottest new way of funding startups is to use online sites, like Kickstarter , to request donations, pre-order, get a reward, or even give equity. This source is a major focus these days, due to government initiatives to incent research and development on alternative energy and other technologies. Get a loan or line-of-credit.

Intellectual Property 219

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 219

Steve Blank

APRIL 11, 2013

This post is about the how the Chinese government engineered technology clusters. Of all the Chinese government programs, the Torch Program is the one program that kick-started Chinese high-tech innovation and startups. government’s SBIR and STTR programs. Venture Guiding Fund. – The Torch Program. Lessons Learned.

Programming 278

Programming Technical Review SBIR China 278

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2017

One of the most common complaints I hear from new business owners and startups is about the pain and difficulty raising capital. The “venture capital” model is the only option they know, where they feel they get no mercy, giving up equity and control. Document the investment types you are willing to consider.

Technical Review 220

Technical Review Accredited Investor Due Diligence Equity 220

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

According to a Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with 90% of new ventures that don't attract investors failing within the first three years. The hottest new way of funding startups is to use online sites, like Kickstarter , to request donations, pre-order, get a reward, or even give equity (coming soon).

Intellectual Property 309

Intellectual Property Technical Review Venture Capital Startup 309

VC Cafe

JANUARY 22, 2021

The Alexa Fund also provides up to $200 million in venture capital funding to fuel voice technology innovation. The accelerator provides equity-free financial support through AWS Promotional Credit, technical training and support, access to a global community of EdTech experts, and more. Physical space.

Technical Review 174

Technical Review Startup Venture Capital Incubator 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2014

According to a Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with a majority of new ventures that don''t attract investors failing within the first three years. The hottest new way of funding startups is to use online sites, like Kickstarter , to request donations, pre-order, get a reward, or even give equity (coming soon).

Entrepreneur 283

Entrepreneur Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 283

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 7, 2011

I presented to 1,000’s of entrepreneurs, talked to 17 startups, gave 12 lectures, had 9 interviews, chatted with 8 VC’s, sat on 4 panels, talked policy with 2 government ministers, 2 members of parliament, 1 head of a public pension fund and was in 1 TV-documentary. a government that’s trying to help, but gets in the way.

Finland 324

Finland Venture Capital Government Russia 324

David Teten

FEBRUARY 2, 2012

I’ve recently met with several universities, nonprofits, and government employees who’ve all asked the same question: how can we promote entrepreneurship? By contrast, as a venture capitalist, I can report that almost all of our portfolio companies are desperate to hire talented software engineers, and eager to hire in a range of other roles.

Government 146

Government Technical Review New York Offshore 146

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2018

Acquiring seed-stage funding is admittedly tough, but a source that I find often overlooked is government grant funding, accessible in the U.S. through Grants.gov , an online directory of more than 1,000 federal grant programs that don’t look for equity or payback. The approval process is long and bureaucratic.

Early Stage 225

Early Stage SBIR Technical Review Seed Stage 225

David Teten

JANUARY 19, 2021

From traditional equity VC, Flexible VC borrows the option to pursue and reap the rewards of an outsized exit. Every Flexible VC structure allows founders to access immediate risk capital while preserving exit, growth trajectory, and ownership optionality. . Flexible VC 101: Equity Meets Revenue Share. Equity Ownership.

Cofounder 78

Cofounder Technical Review Equity Dividend 78

Steve Blank

DECEMBER 11, 2023

Parker became President, and got 50% of the company’s equity for a $20,000 investment (equal to $315K today) and guaranteed a $200,000 line of credit (equal to $3M today). Applicants were told that ERA was doing electronics work for government and industry. Parker agreed to invest. The professional staff owned the other 50%.

Minnesota 281

Minnesota Engineer Minneapolis Silicon Valley 281

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2018

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than early projections and product development. Nevertheless, it’s an option that doesn’t cost you equity. Only one-third make it past their tenth anniversary. Join a startup incubator.

Intellectual Property 134

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 134

Steve Blank

APRIL 11, 2013

This post is about the how the Chinese government engineered technology clusters. Of all the Chinese government programs, the Torch Program is the one program that kick-started Chinese high-tech innovation and startups. government’s SBIR and STTR programs. Venture Guiding Fund. – The Torch Program. Lessons Learned.

Programming 170

Programming Technical Review SBIR China 170

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2017

The hottest new way of funding startups is to use online sites, like Kickstarter , to request donations, pre-order, get a reward, or even give equity. This source is a major focus these days, due to government initiatives to incent research and development on alternative energy and other technologies. Get a loan or line-of-credit.

Product Development 177

Product Development Cost Developer Product 177

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 26, 2018

Myth #1: Venture capital is a growing opportunity for funding businesses. Actually, venture capital financing is very rare. I’ll explain this more later, but assume that only a very few high-growth companies with high-power management teams are venture opportunities. Venture capital.

SBA 161

SBA Venture Capital Angel Investor Technical Review 161

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 1, 2020

Forms of funding. ? Equity investment. Equity investment is the most popular and most talked-about avenue for startup funding. These investments are made instead of shares or equity in your startup. Government programs. Equity investors. The third source of funding is from equity investors. Bootstrapping.

Startup 150

Startup Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Seed Stage 150

ReadWriteStart

FEBRUARY 19, 2020

In 2018, venture capital investments in Latin America doubled for the second consecutive year, according to LAVCA’s Annual Review of Tech Investment in Latin America. A solid foundation of government support. The government creates programs to help entrepreneurs.

Colombia 146

Colombia America Technical Review Startup 146

Steve Blank

APRIL 12, 2013

This post is about the rise of Chinese venture capital and how it helped build the countries entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Rise of Chinese Venture Capital. By 1991, 70% of the Torch funded startups were getting bank financing for expansion and later stages of the new ventures, with local governments acting as guarantors.

Venture Capital 271

Venture Capital China Offshore SBIR 271

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 20, 2017

Angel investors and venture capitalists don’t make equity investments in nonprofit good causes. What options do they have available to them, since they can’t sell a share of the company (no equity investment)? There is no discussion of equity, or return on investment. Government grants.

Angel Investor 132

Angel Investor Equity Technical Review Exit Strategy 132

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 6, 2023

With the advent and growth of crowdfunding over the past few years, many entrepreneurs have predicted the demise of angel investment groups and venture capital organizations. Investors cannot verify accountability or governance. In equity crowdfunding, no investor is representing their own interest. billion to USD 3.62

Angel Groups 201

Angel Groups Accredited Investor Due Diligence Equity 201

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2012

This source often gets overlooked, but it should be a major focus these days due to government initiatives on alternative energy and technology. Venture capital. An investment from a venture capital firm is usually expensive, in equity and control. Bartering services for equity. Small business grants.

Technical Review 257

Technical Review Bootstrapping Venture Capital Incubator 257

Haystack

DECEMBER 29, 2018

6/ Venture Capital In Expansion Phase. Public investors, cross-over investors, and even traditional private equity firms have taken notice, further blurring the lines of what constitutes true venture capital. That will take a long time to settle. In the meantime, we have what we have today. 3/ Crypto Hibernation.

Technical Review 165

Technical Review Venture Capital Russia China 165

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 10, 2011

I presented to 1,000’s of entrepreneurs, talked to 17 startups, gave 12 lectures, had 9 interviews, chatted with 8 VC’s, sat on 4 panels, talked policy with 2 government ministers, 2 members of parliament, 1 head of a public pension fund and was in 1 TV-documentary. Toxic Business Press and Contradictory Government Incentives.

Finland 324

Finland Naming Russia Government 324

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

passed the CHIPS and Science Act , one of the first pieces of national industrial policy – government planning and intervention in a specific industry — in the last 50 years, in this case for semiconductors. The result was that by default, private equity and venture capital were the de facto decision makers of U.S.

China 323

China Venture Capital Government Artificial Inteligence 323

The Equity Kicker

JANUARY 15, 2013

The Canadian government announcement yesterday of a $400m plan to strengthen the Canadian venture capital industry is the latest in a long series of similar announcements and initiatives from governments around the world that put government cash into VC funds alongside private money to make it more attractive for private investors.

Venture Capital 116

Venture Capital Government France Canada 116

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2013

A grant is not an equity investment, so the entrepreneur doesn’t have to give up a stake in the company either. Since government grants are funded by tax dollars for specific industries and research, usage of grant funds is carefully monitored. Stringent spending controls.

Government 230

Government Equity Cost SBIR 230

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2015

According to a classic Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with a majority of new ventures that don't attract investors failing within the first three years. Nevertheless, it’s an option that doesn’t cost you equity. Solicit funds from friends and family. Apply for contests and business grants.

Entrepreneur 120

Entrepreneur Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 120

ReadWriteStart

MARCH 31, 2020

Venture capital investment is one of the top places startups look out for when seeking funding for their business alongside other popular options like angel investing and crowdfunding. This may probably drive entrepreneurs to alternative funding options, such as equity crowdfunding. Stricter Business Conditions.

Technical Review 175

Technical Review Artificial Inteligence Startup Term Sheet 175

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2023

The most common support organization at this level is called a startup incubator or accelerator , and these exist in most countries, usually sponsored by a university, local government organization, or even local individuals. Sometimes these will ask for 5%-15% of your equity for their support services. Funding or rollout stage.

Incubator 305

Incubator Startup Exit Strategy Institutional Investors 305