Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2011

This was an audience of mostly first-time entrepreneurs. It is great for entrepreneurs and great for VCs. So here is what I have been telling entrepreneurs privately for the past 6 months. What a bubble means for each entrepreneur. Still, market amnesia by ordinarily rational actors always surprises me. I believe that.

Saudi Arabia 309

Saudi Arabia Valuation IPO Technical Review 309

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2011

As a courtesy if you enjoyed his write-up please check out his startup company, ChannelStack. The Exchange Fund – This allows the entrepreneurs to diversify their founders stock into other portfolio companies stock. First Round Capital’s pre-money range is usually between $3-5 million. Ultimately, only 25 will be chosen.

Pre-Money Valuation 284

Pre-Money Valuation Technical Review Cofounder Cram Down 284

VC Cafe

SEPTEMBER 26, 2022

The past year was a wild ride for startups and founders, giving a whole new meaning to the ”rollercoaster” aspect of being an entrepreneur. A combination of competition for top talent and an effort to bring employees back to the office drove startups in Israel to throw extravagant parties and all-inclusive retreats abroad.

Founder 187

Founder Startup Valuation Pre-Money Valuation 187

Gust

NOVEMBER 7, 2011

We recently started a series of posts on establishing the pre-money valuation of pre-revenue startup companies for purposes of investment by seed and startup investors. This calculator uses 25 questions to size up the progress of the new venture and calculate a pre-money valuation for investment purposes.

Valuation 87

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Venture Capital Technical Review 87

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

Capital investments are like gasoline on a startup business’s metaphorical fire. If you’re like most startup CEOs, your startup has been your personal fiefdom and baby. Background: Justin Klemm’s analytics and website uptime startup, Ghost Inspector , wants to revolutionize the way businesses manage their ecommerce funnels.

Private Equity 94

Private Equity Pre-Money Valuation Equity Startup 94

crowdSPRING Blog

APRIL 26, 2013

These posts and videos are about logo design , web design , startups, entrepreneurship, small business, leadership, social media, marketing, and more! Activity Based Pricing: When Is It The Right Choice for Your Startup? Downfalls of Distributed Startups – [link]. Why Video Discovery Startups All Fail – [link].

Social Media 90

Social Media Small Business Design Media 90

ReadWriteStart

OCTOBER 7, 2010

Before I do, however, I want to talk about a thumb rule that I'd like to propose to entrepreneurs about raising money. So at any point, if you are trying to raise money, and you are hearing from investors that you are too early and have too little validation, it may be a good thing. I encouraged Todd to keep building.

Valuation 119

Valuation Silicon Valley Pre-Money Valuation Bootstrapping 119

Gust

JULY 23, 2014

So, putting all that together, to get a pitch meeting with me, an entrepreneur would probably have the best result with the following strategy: Read up on the kinds of investments I make, and the kinds of opportunities I am seeking. Invested Interests Power Pitches angel investor business David Rose entrepreneur meeting pitch startup'

Angel Investor 153

Angel Investor Elevator Pitch Pre-Money Valuation Technical Review 153

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 11, 2013

As an entrepreneur, you’ll face a bevy of challenges. Sometimes the list of challenges may feel never ending – from writing the business plan to finding the right partner – but one of the single most important challenges entrepreneurs face is calculating a realistic, defensible pre-money valuation. .

Pre-Money Valuation 133

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation Angel Investor Cofounder 133

Lightspeed Venture Partners

OCTOBER 29, 2012

The company sought to raise $125,000 for 25% of the comapny, implying a $375,000 pre money valuation. Unsurprisingly, all the sharks passed, based on market size and valuation expectations. SBU sought $300,000 for 10% of the company, implying a $2,700,000 pre money valuation.

Pre-Money Valuation 97

Pre-Money Valuation Offshore Valuation Cofounder 97

Gust

SEPTEMBER 27, 2014

To begin with, it is important to understand some basic facts about the world of entrepreneurial finance: There are many more entrepreneurs than there are investors, with the result that only one company out of every 400 that seeks venture funding actually receives it.

Angel Groups 159

Angel Groups Elevator Pitch Software Review Deal Flow 159

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 26, 2012

Once you have a potential investor excited about your team, your product, and your company, the investor will inevitably ask “What is your company’s valuation?” Many entrepreneurs stumble at this point, losing the deal or most of their ownership, by having no answer, saying “make me an offer,” or quoting an exorbitant number.

Valuation 270

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation NPV Intellectual Property 270

Lightspeed Venture Partners

OCTOBER 7, 2012

This does neither, so I’m out” Cuban said, “I see you guys not as entrepreneurs but as wantrepreneurs” I agree with him. In this way, they remind me of the Lifter Hamper entrepreneur. That’s why most entrepreneurs do not make a specific ask on valuation, but wait to hear offers from investors.

Technical Review 110

Technical Review Technical Cofounder Valuation Pre-Money Valuation 110

David Teten

SEPTEMBER 16, 2014

Angel investors are generally former entrepreneurs and/or executives, who invest in privately-held, early-stage companies. These companies can range from tech startups to food trucks to retail stores. Sohl: “The Angel Investor Market in 2009: Holding Steady but Changes in Seed and Startup Investments”. approx 2004-09.

Angel Investor 114

Angel Investor Technical Review Venture Capital Pre-Money Valuation 114

Tim Keane

JANUARY 12, 2010

Startups and angels: Along the way to success. Term-sheets and Valuations: Thinking about Negotiations. Please see later version of this post on May 16, 2010 Entrepreneurs are often not experts in the area of term-sheet negotiations and all of the surrounding issues. By Tim Keane, Angel Investor, Golden Angels Investors, LLC.

Term Sheet 68

Term Sheet Valuation Dividend Liquidation Preference 68

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 6, 2010

Once you have a potential investor excited about your team, your product, and your company, the investor will inevitably ask “What is your company’s valuation?” Many entrepreneurs stumble at this point, losing the deal or most of their ownership, by having no answer, playing coy, or quoting an exorbitant number.

Valuation 234

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation NPV Startup 234

View from Seed

OCTOBER 21, 2014

As the seed-stage startup fundraise process has received more transparency in recent years, ranging from published advice on how to raise seed capital to increased availability through AngelList, Funders Club, and various accelerator programs, I’ve noticed another trend emerging. Lower-Than-Market Value. Above-Market Value.

Valuation 336

Valuation Founder Seed Stage Angel Investor 336

Altgate

DECEMBER 16, 2010

@altgate Startups, Venture Capital & Everything In Between Skip to content Home Furqan Nazeeri (fn@altgate.com) ← Pre-Money Valuation vs Number of Founders Where Do Tech VCs Invest? But first, let’s look at pre-money valuation by liquidation preference.

Liquidation Preference 39

Liquidation Preference Pre-Money Valuation Term Sheet Valuation 39

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 8, 2012

I recently wrote about my views that startups rounds should be priced. If you do a capped note it’s bad for the entrepreneur. Here is what I recommend very often – privately – to startup entrepreneurs for angel funding. We plan to raise at a $5 million pre-money valuation.

Pre-Money Valuation 294

Pre-Money Valuation Finance Liquidation Preference Warrant 294

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2011

Once you have a potential investor excited about your team, your product, and your company, the investor will inevitably ask “What is your company’s valuation?” Many entrepreneurs stumble at this point, losing the deal or most of their ownership, by having no answer, saying “make me an offer,” or quoting an exorbitant number.

Pre-Money Valuation 246

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation NPV Intellectual Property 246

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 17, 2011

This conversation seems to come up very frequently these days both with portfolio companies and with entrepreneurs just looking for mentorship. I’m a very big believer in the “Lean Startup&# principles as espoused by Steve Blank and Eric Ries. 5 million raised at a $9 million pre-money valuation or 35.7%

Pre-Money Valuation 303

Pre-Money Valuation Dilution Valuation PR 303

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

Entrepreneurs sometimes assume an initial agreement with an angel is a commitment, so they start spending before any money is received. It’s true that angel investors typically do not present entrepreneurs with overly complicated deal structures, especially when compared to venture capitalists. Seat on the board. Marty Zwilling.

Term Sheet 227

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

Gust

NOVEMBER 18, 2012

Once you have a potential investor excited about your team, your product, and your company, the investor will inevitably ask “What is your company’s valuation?” Many entrepreneurs stumble at this point, losing the deal or most of their ownership, by having no answer, saying “make me an offer,” or quoting an exorbitant number.

Valuation 187

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation NPV Intellectual Property 187

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2012

Entrepreneurs sometimes assume an initial agreement with an Angel is a commitment, so they start spending before any money is received. It’s true that Angel investors typically do not present entrepreneurs with overly complicated deal structures, especially when compared to venture capitalists. Seat on the board.

Term Sheet 223

Term Sheet Pre-Money Valuation Due Diligence Angel Investor 223

Austin Startup

JUNE 21, 2018

Our pre-money valuation for the seed round is 2 trillion dollars.” Now, if you’re a crypto entrepreneur, you still have to abide by the basic rules of good startups (link shamelessly inserted if you missed it before). It will revolutionize produce sales globally. By: Joe Merrill, Partner at Sputnik ATX.

Securities and Exchange Commission 61

Securities and Exchange Commission SEC Pre-Money Valuation Security 61

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 27, 2014

We both agree that the later-stage valuations are being driven up to a point that feels irrationally priced [he uses b-round SaaS valuations as an example and I am willing to be even more broad based]. Four years ago people paid $66m median pre-money valuation and are now paying $155m. Startup Lessons'

Valuation 309

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Non-Compete Later Stage 309

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 3, 2010

So as an entrepreneur it’s hard to navigate those waters over time. As usual the rule is, if you’re doing well, they’ll find the money for your next round.&#. A totally new VC is willing to invest in the company but at a $15 million pre-money valuation. Everything that Roy mentions is true.

Pre-Money Valuation 226

Pre-Money Valuation Venture Capital LP Term Sheet 226

Gust

OCTOBER 12, 2011

During the summer of 2010, I developed a workshop, A New ACEF Valuation Workshop for Angels and Entrepreneurs. To provide some reference points, I surveyed thirteen angels groups in North American to determine their recent experience in negotiating the pre-money valuation of pre-revenue companies.

Angel Groups 125

Angel Groups Valuation Pre-Money Valuation St. Louis 125

Gust

APRIL 11, 2014

Let’s get right down to business: Dilution of founders’ and other early shareholders’ equity in startups is frequently a subject of intense interest and debate. The simplest illustration is the first VC funding round of a new startup. Suppose it raises $2 million at a $6 million pre-money valuation.

Dilution 162

Dilution Equity Pre-Money Valuation Prospectus 162

Lightspeed Venture Partners

NOVEMBER 19, 2012

The next two entrepreneurs run a wine tasting cruise business. Much of the money went into buying inventory, and a founder with around 40% owernship is still highly motivated to see the company succeed. Cuban loved both the idea and the entrepreneur. 75,000 for 10% implies a $675,000 pre money valuation.

Pre-Money Valuation 166

Pre-Money Valuation Alabama Valuation Churn Rate 166

Lightspeed Venture Partners

OCTOBER 1, 2012

pre money valuation). Cuban has interest in a gluten free diet, and claimed that he liked the company, but his only concern was valuation. Price is always a consideration in investing, but particularly so if the entrepreneurs have shown an interest in an early exit. The entrepreneur took this offer.

Pre-Money Valuation 158

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation Participating Preferred Preferred Stock 158

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

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 4, 2017

Investing in startups is a lot more than just buying “stock” in a company. For investors who have come to the table with a history investing in publicly listed companies or the property market, it’s easy to think that backing startups is largely a “set and forget” strategy. Ask yourself, where is your startup currently struggling?

Pre-Money Valuation 187

Pre-Money Valuation Seed Stage IP Deal Flow 187

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 15, 2018

Startup valuation, under no circumstances, can be described as a simple affair. While valuing a publicly traded company is more or less straightforward, the case with a rarely profit making startup is not quite the same. Here are several factors that are taken into account while these startups are evaluated.

Pre-Money Valuation 124

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation Sweat Equity Startup 124

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2015

Over the years I’ve written extensively about the downsides of convertible notes for startups such as here , here and here. In the old days VCs funded off of a “pre-money” valuation. Pre-money ($8m) + investment ($2m) = Post-money ($10m) and the investors now own 20% of your company $2m / $10m.

Pre-Money Valuation 150

Pre-Money Valuation Option Pool Post-Money Valuation Dilution 150

Startup Lessons Learned

JUNE 19, 2019

Andy and I will be having a fireside chat at this year’s Lean Startup Conference in October. Probably the biggest change that I've noticed in the Valley is the transition from startups focusing on hardware, to startups built on software, and what that implies about the venture model as well. I was the second partner to opt out.

Silicon Valley 159

Silicon Valley Lean Venture Capital Pre-Money Valuation 159

K9 Ventures

MARCH 23, 2011

Obviously, both the founders and the note holders have the common objective of getting the company funded; but assuming the company is fundable, there is a basic misalignment of incentives when it comes to valuation. The typical fix for this problem is to put in a cap in the note for the pre-money price for conversion.

Pre-Money Valuation 132

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation Equity Liquidation Preference 132