Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 15, 2016

There is much talk these days that startup valuations have decreased and may continue to do so and that the amount of time it takes to fund raise may take longer. I’m surprised how few entrepreneurs have this open conversation with their investors. In fact, most entrepreneurs I know don’t ask – why is that?

Burn Rate 150

Burn Rate Cap Table Valuation Software Review 150

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

At an accelerator … Me: Raising convertible notes as a seed round is one of the biggest disservices our industry has done to entrepreneurs since 2001-2003 when there were “full ratchets” and “multiple liquidation preferences” – the most hostile terms anybody found in term sheets 10 years ago.

Venture Capital 417

Venture Capital Liquidation Preference Valuation Term Sheet 417

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 1, 2016

At the Upfront Summit in early February, we had a chance to have many off-the-record conversations with Limited Partners (LPs) who fund Venture Capital (VC) funds about their views of the market. That’s money that fuels our startup ecosystems. …But LPs Have Been Putting Out More Money Than They Are Getting Back.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital LP Silicon Valley Marketing 150

The Equity Kicker

OCTOBER 22, 2012

Many of the conversations and talks there revolved around the importance of having big ambition and of doing quality work. Focusing too much on the big vision and too little on the plan is an increasingly common mistake at startups. I’m just back from an inspiring few days at Dublin Web Summit and then F.ounders , both in Dublin.

Liquidation Preference 134

Liquidation Preference Distribution Web Conversion 134

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 30, 2015

When you do a convertible note with a cap that converts into the next round of funding one of the unintended consequences is that if you’re successful and raise at a larger price than your cap the early angels often get “multiple liquidation preferences” on their dollars in.

Liquidation Preference 150

Liquidation Preference Ratchet Angel Investor Entrepreneur 150

abovethecrowd.com

FEBRUARY 24, 2015

Lost in this conversation are the dramatic differences between a high priced private round and an IPO. Conversely, these late stage private rounds have no such pageantry or process. Despite this, startups commonly highlight “gross revenue” even when 80+% goes out the door for every single transaction.

IPO 40

IPO Liquidation Preference Valuation Technical Review 40

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2013

So as a startup CEO you constantly have to suspend disbelief. ” A startup CEO’s job is to absorb stress so the team doesn’t have to. Startups have to be optimists because no rational person would actually believe you could build Uber into the amazing company that it is today. We just need your $500,000!!”

Startup 417

Startup Dilution San Diego Stock Options 417

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 14, 2010

That means that the likely have a minimum of $15 million in liquidation preferences. It will usually be higher because the liquidation preference has a dividend so if the deal is long in the tooth assume that the liquidation preference might be $20-22 million. Take liquidation preferences head on.

Venture Capital 289

Venture Capital Liquidation Preference Common Stock Dividend 289

Tim Keane

JANUARY 12, 2010

Startups and angels: Along the way to success.   At the financial level , and assuming a harvest of the investment in the company without the need for further financing, two terms stand out as driving economics: the dividend and the liquidation preference. Second a liquidation preference and a participation.

Term Sheet 68

Term Sheet Valuation Dividend Liquidation Preference 68

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 8, 2012

I recently wrote about my views that startups rounds should be priced. It has both a “full rachet” and “multiple liquidation preferences.” Here is what I recommend very often – privately – to startup entrepreneurs for angel funding. Almost every startup needs an anchor.

Pre-Money Valuation 294

Pre-Money Valuation Finance Liquidation Preference Warrant 294

Up and Running

AUGUST 17, 2015

As I read stories of college dropouts who had successfully sold tech companies, or entrepreneurs with innovative ideas who made it big on Shark Tank, it became clear that there was no set path to startup success. C Corp versus LLC, non-competes, liquidation preferences, preferred versus common stock, and so on).

Entrepreneur 60

Entrepreneur Cofounder Angel Investor eCommerce 60

Feld Thoughts

FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Mark Suster wrote a great post yesterday titled The Resetting of the Startup Industry. Much of it is very short term focused and, like a giant tractor beam, draws the conversation into a very short time horizon (as in days or weeks). Then use the down round to clean up your preference overhang.

Cap Table 70

Cap Table Down Round Liquidation Preference Founder 70

Scott Edward Walker

APRIL 22, 2012

This part 2 will address the economics of a convertible note seed financing and the three key economic terms: (i) the conversion discount, (ii) the conversion valuation cap and (iii) the interest rate. 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?

Pre-Money Valuation 72

Pre-Money Valuation Finance Liquidation Preference Founder 72

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

This clause attempts to protect the conversion price of stock of angel investors, prior to additional financing, from being reduced to a price equal to the price per share paid in a later “down” round. Liquidation preference. Tags: entrepreneur startup angel investment term sheet business. Anti-dilution protection.

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Term Sheet Pre-Money Valuation Due Diligence Post-Money Valuation 227

Austin Startup

AUGUST 1, 2017

First, investors will sometimes be willing to take a higher valuation if it means getting a heavier liquidation preference. Should you accept a 3x liquidation preference with a $15MM valuation instead of a 1x preference at a $8MM valuation? If you’re confident you’ll get a huge exit, maybe. One Shot” incentives.

Liquidation Preference 48

Liquidation Preference Common Stock Valuation Silicon Valley 48

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2012

This clause attempts to protect the conversion price of stock of Angel investors, prior to additional financing, from being reduced to a price equal to the price per share paid in a later “down” round. Liquidation preference. These “IV drip” financings may reduce risk for investors, but put more pressure on founders.

Term Sheet 223

Term Sheet Pre-Money Valuation Due Diligence Angel Investor 223

Scott Edward Walker

APRIL 9, 2012

Venture capital funds, seed funds, super angels, angel groups, incubators, and “friends and family” are all playing the seed financing game and investing early in startups in an attempt to land the next Facebook. ii) what happens if the maturity date is reached prior to the note’s conversion to equity? price the round).

Preferred Stock 87

Preferred Stock Finance Common Stock Liquidation Preference 87

David Teten

AUGUST 21, 2019

This includes the application process, phone calls with us, conversations with co-founders, investors and counsel, etc. But this is the same for a VC round with a liquidation preference. Also see Lighter Capital ’s Cost of Capital Calculator and How to think about different types of funding for your early stage startup. .

Revenue 60

Revenue Liquidation Preference Equity Cofounder 60

The Startup Lawyer

JANUARY 10, 2011

Both sets of advice tend to ignore the gap between an investor’s expression of investment interest and your startup’s receipt of the term sheet. Term sheet purgatory can seem like is an eternity for a startup, although it may last from one week to over one month. And this has potential negative consequences for the startup.

Term Sheet 64

Term Sheet Pre-Money Valuation Liquidation Preference Option Pool 64

Startup Company Lawyer

JANUARY 9, 2011

Convertible debt with a price cap seems to be the preferred structure for early-stage financings. Over the last 12 months, I’ve noticed a trend where early-stage startup companies raise seed financings of between $250K and $1M using a convertible note with a price cap.

Liquidation Preference 57

Liquidation Preference Finance Preferred Stock Common Stock 57

genylabs.typepad.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

Planning, Startups, Stories. where your stock sits in the liquidity preference stack. what rights and preferences the founders and the other investors have. You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post. SF Chronicle: Ultralight startups: little capital, just computer.

Equity 40

Equity Technical Review San Jose Stock 40

Scott Edward Walker

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

Once a startup has executed a term sheet, it has lost all of its negotiating leverage. What Are the Key Issues for Founders? Indeed, some very pro-entrepreneur investors, like Fred Wilson , do not require no-shop provisions (see rule #4 in Fred’s post “ Competing To Win Deals ”).

Term Sheet 76

Term Sheet Due Diligence Liquidation Preference Redemption 76

ithacaVC

NOVEMBER 12, 2011

And, typically, the note holder is given a discount on the conversion price. So, the debt holder ends up with Series A stock with a $1 value (and usually a 1X liquidation preference, in this hypo $1) for $.85. Conversion Discount vs Warrant Coverage. 85 a share (just divide the debt amount plus interest by $.85).

Warrant 49

Warrant Liquidation Preference Equity Stock 49

K9 Ventures

MARCH 23, 2011

The typical fix for this problem is to put in a cap in the note for the pre-money price for conversion. Before the era of capped notes, entrepreneurs preferred to do notes because the note essentially deferred the valuation of the company. What percent of the company should the note holder get on conversion?

Pre-Money Valuation 132

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation Equity Liquidation Preference 132

Startup Company Lawyer

JANUARY 31, 2011

Automatic conversion: on a $1M equity financing with no conversion discount and no price cap , provided that the transaction documents provide for a right to purchase a pro rata share of future financings. (I Optional equity conversion: on other equity financings with no conversion discount and no price cap.

Preferred Stock 60

Preferred Stock Liquidation Preference IPO Common Stock 60

Scott Edward Walker

JULY 27, 2011

Introduction For the past few months, I’ve been discussing the rights of VC investors in connection with preferred stock financings, including the following: liquidation preferences anti-dilution provisions dividends Board control protective provisions drag-along provisions pay-to-play and pull-up provisions conversion rights redemption rights All (..)

Delaware 49

Delaware Liquidation Preference Redemption Los Angeles 49

Hunter Walker

NOVEMBER 23, 2015

So we want someone who is a very solid engineer, who cares about customers, who wants to be in a startup environment, but who also has a strong sense of engineering quality and skill. I also did the obvious conversation about how it’s the starting line not the finish line. We test for both engineering skill and the softer skills.

Engineer 48

Engineer Liquidation Preference AJAX IPO 48

thestartuplawyer.com

FEBRUARY 24, 2010

Contact The Startup Lawyer: Home Page About Contact FAQs Glossary Ryan Roberts Law: Home Page Social Networks: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Delicious Digg Last.FM He obviously never launched a startup and got shafted by a co-founder. He obviously never launched a startup and got shafted by a co-founder.

Cofounder 40

Cofounder Founder Preferred Stock Startup 40

Pascal's View

DECEMBER 30, 2012

A refreshing contribution to the business literature on startups, Founder’s Dilemmas is engaging without sacrificing substance and statistically sound without being turgid. Wasserman notes that venture capitalists attribute 65% of the failures in their portfolio companies to problems with the startups’ management teams.

Cofounder 34

Cofounder Liquidation Preference Vesting Equity 34

Life Beyond Code

SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

Any startup that wants to fast-track to being ‘Silicon Valley VC ready’ should participate in this program.”. When we were looking to talk to investors, Sramana introduced us to multiple investors and acted as an advisor helping us to navigate complex term sheet clauses like tranche financing and liquidation preferences.

Programming 116

Programming Silicon Valley Bootstrapping Technical Review 116

Austin Startup

APRIL 1, 2017

They’ll focus on high-level issues like valuation, liquidation preference, and board composition (# of seats), and then prematurely check out once a term sheet is signed. Does the candidate regularly invest in other startups alongside your investors, perhaps as part of a seed fund, accelerator network, or other group?

Term Sheet 48

Term Sheet Institutional Investors Lead Investor Technical Review 48