Gust

OCTOBER 18, 2011

This is the first of a six part series on different methods used by angel investors to arrive at pre-money startup valuations. It is one of the most useful methods for establishing the pre-money valuation of pre-revenue startup ventures. Return on Investment (ROI) = Terminal (or Harvest) Value ÷ Post-money Valuation. (in

Valuation 174

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Southern California Post-Money Valuation 174

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 21, 2009

On the third Wednesday of every month I co-chair a meeting called the SoCal VCA (venture capital alliance), which represents participants from all of the top venture capital firms in Southern California as well as prominent members of the Tech Coast Angels (TCA). We feature a prominent speaker at every event.

Technical Review 241

Technical Review IPO Southern California Venture Capital 241

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2014

I always advise software startups to file patents to protect their “secret sauce” from competitors, and to increase their valuation. The good news is that a patent can scare off or at least delay competitors, and as a “rule of thumb” patents can add up to $1M to your startup valuation for investors or M&A exits (merger and acquisition).

Software Review 250

Software Review Software Technical Review Intellectual Property 250

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2012

I have been close to the tech & startup sectors for more than 20 years and I can’t think of a period in which I felt more optimistic about the innovation and value creation I see in front of us. This world of local meets retail meets digital advertising portends to technology disruption and with it VC opportunities.

Venture Capital 347

Venture Capital Technical Review LP Mobile 347

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 24, 2017

A version of this article is in the Harvard Business Review. Technology cycles have become a treadmill, and for startups to survive they need to be on a continuous innovation cycle. 20th Century Tech Liquidity = Initial Public Offering. Technology Cycles Measured in Years. This seems to be occurring more and more.

Founder 281

Founder Technical Review CTO Hire IPO 281

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2011

2 preamble issues having read the comments on TC today: 1: I know that the prices of startup companies is much great in Silicon Valley than in smaller towns / less tech focused areas in the US and the US prices higher than many foreign markets. As the risks below get eliminated the higher the valuation investors are prepared to pay.

Pre-Money Valuation 336

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation Silicon Valley Stock 336

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 25, 2010

Either would be fine with startups, so long as they can easily change their valuation. When I was raising money in late 1999 I had an investment team in Germany (I was in the UK) suggest that they should get a lower valuation than others because they were ex McKinsey guys and had better access to industry. I agree on all points.

Finance 286

Finance Term Sheet Technical Review Warrant 286

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2011

Responses ranged from, “hey, they’re in a HUGE market&# to “it is an amazing company and their technology rocks.&# It’s like people arguing that there’s a beautiful beach house in 2006 that represents great long-term value due to scarcity of similar property. But everything has intrinsic value.

Saudi Arabia 309

Saudi Arabia Valuation IPO Technical Review 309

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2014

I know – I was there when the first people debating funding it at less than a $5m valuation. Periodically we do portfolio reviews to evaluate whether we have enough diversified risk across the fund. Almost nobody believed and now look at it. Online education. We look at stage, geography and of course sector. 6SensorLabs.

Technical Review 362

Technical Review America United States Partner 362

VC Cafe

APRIL 26, 2021

This latest batch includes new maps for Insurance tech, Industry 4.0, Deep Tech, Passion Tech and Proptech, as well as updated landscapes for cyber security tech and retail tech. Israel has already produced three Insurance Tech Unicorns including Lemonade, Hippo Insurance and Next Insurance. Energy Tech.

Israel 215

Israel Technical Review Artificial Inteligence Startup 215

The Equity Kicker

JUNE 20, 2014

When companies attract high valuations their investors are predicting the future too – either that the business will trade in M&A at a ‘strategic multiple’ or that they will generate big cash flows. For larger valuations it is the latter. That’s true, but in the startup industry we have to do it every day.

Valuation 123

Valuation Metrics Software Review Technical Review 123

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 14, 2012

Finally, cutting edge technologies ought to at least have an impact on greatness, right? During the latter years, their market valuations leapfrogged their industries by at least three times. b) Good-to-great companies use Technology as an Accelerator , not a creator of momentum. The 11 companies which made the cut?

Technical Review 159

Technical Review Merger Valuation Framework 159

The Startup Magazine

MARCH 14, 2022

And with the technology available these days, it is convenient to invest in emerging startups. Of late, with the advent of new technology and the spread of the internet to nearly all corners of the country, Indians have taken up a new kind of shop! Some sectors where they have left their indelible mark are – Health tech.

Technical Review 167

Technical Review Due Diligence India Startup 167

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 9, 2011

Valuations were enormous relative to progress in companies. Companies with less than $2 million in revenue were asking for $50-60 million valuations and getting them. I spent my days meeting companies, figuring out what areas of the market interested me and trying to get a sense for how VCs thought about fair valuations.

Stock 305

Stock Technical Review Marketing Greece 305

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2022

Every business owner and entrepreneur I meet in my consulting rounds dreams of finding that “ disruptive ” innovation that will supercharge their business and move it into the ranks of business unicorns (billion-dollar valuations), such as SpaceX and Apple. If you don’t keep it top of mind today, then you are going to be left behind.

Technical Review 252

Technical Review Silicon Valley Software Review Metrics 252

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 24, 2017

A CPA provides input on tax structure and metrics, and assists with due diligence related to your industry. Is it prudent to have a set formula for valuation before you know how the company will perform or will you require the company to pay for an expert to value the company if one side wants to sell? Lump sum at closing?

Partner 208

Partner Technical Review Intellectual Property Due Diligence 208

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 21, 2013

In the Ad Tech world PS revenue often means providing “media services” as a value-add to using your product. The closest analogy I have for a PS person is a “sales engineer” who is normally a technical staff member who assists in sales campaigns. rollout support. integration with other systems. configuration.

Software Review 321

Software Review Software IP Technical Review 321

YoungUpstarts

JULY 10, 2017

A change in revenue recognition means a change in the due diligence process, specifically accounting diligence, modeling, quality of earnings and cost of integration. Effects on valuation. Understanding these changes is critical for companies looking to successfully navigate the landscape of M&A in the future.

Revenue 124

Revenue Technical Review Software Review Due Diligence 124

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2010

If I’m interested I get to spend more time with them, if I’m not I don’t have to – A few companies per month come in that have fascinating business ideas that warrant my spending more time trying to understand their people, company, technology and market. Tags: Tech Market Analysis VC Industry.

Technical Review 312

Technical Review Due Diligence Spain Warrant 312

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 11, 2022

In the US, a nonprofit is technically any company who qualifies as tax exempt through IRS Section 501(c). The grant source often gets overlooked, but it should be a major focus these days when relevant due to the Obama administration initiatives on alternative energy and healthcare. Government grants.

Angel Investor 327

Angel Investor Equity Technical Review Exit Strategy 327

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 28, 2018

How could Bird really be worth the reported $2 billion valuation that I read about in this press? While I promised not to comment on the exact valuation you can assume that it is very large and perhaps the fastest rise from zero to what some have called a “unicorn” valuation. Forget the valuation?—?I Not really.

San Francisco 256

San Francisco Valuation Los Angeles Technical Review 256

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 1, 2009

Consumer spending is 70% of the economy and will continue to be stretched – We can look all we want at tech innovation, VC funding cycles and hot M&A deals, but ultimately growth and therefore investment must be underpinned by revenue. This has a tangible impact on the valuation of start-ups and the pace of investment.

Technical Review 269

Technical Review Stock Hawaii Early Stage 269

Gust

OCTOBER 19, 2014

I always advise software startups to file patents to protect their “secret sauce” from competitors, and to increase their valuation. The good news is that a patent can scare off or at least delay competitors, and as a “rule of thumb” patents can add up to $1M to your startup valuation for investors or M&A exits (merger and acquisition).

Software Review 173

Software Review Software Technical Review Intellectual Property 173

VC Cafe

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

For the past 10 years, with interest rates near zero, VC investors plowed record amounts into tech startups and enjoyed a seemingly ‘easy’ investing environment. Seed and pre-Seed investment levels and valuations remain healthy, there’s more talent in the market and less competition. Luck favours the bold!

Venture Capital 215

Venture Capital Technical Review LP Institutional Investors 215

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 12, 2019

The reality is that as a result of two major trends the costs of starting a technology startup went down massively. So What Impact Did the Drop in Tech Founding Costs Have on VC? As a result of the IPO window shifting we saw a massive inflow of public-market capital into the latest stages of venture.

Venture Capital 328

Venture Capital Technical Review Seed Stage IPO 328

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

Nearly every successful tech startup I’ve observed over the past 20 years has gone through a similar growth pattern: Innovate, systematize then scale operations. So it makes me laugh to this day when I talk with a journalist or potential investor in the company and they ask flippantly, “How is MakeSpace a technology company?”

Operations 286

Operations New York City Technical Review Startup 286

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 18, 2020

This is a very introductory place to start, but if your company owns the building, machinery, inventory, and/or technology in which it uses to operate, there is often significant value in this in and of itself. Figure Out the Net Assets of the Business. If your company is worth only $2.5 Skip the Guesswork – Use the Tools.

Balance Sheet 195

Balance Sheet Valuation Software Review .Net 195

Steve Blank

JUNE 27, 2017

This article originally appeared in the Harvard Business Review. As more and more companies face disruption from globalization, new technology, and startups that have more capital than the incumbents, the continuing cry from Wall Street investors is, “Why can’t companies be as innovative as startups?”. What can a company do?

Startup 306

Startup New York City Valuation Distribution 306

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

Angels invest in one out of every forty deals they review (2.5%) versus the one out of 400 by VC’s (0.25%). They are professionals with full-time jobs, who often don’t have time for due diligence (and may not even know how to do it) and often make decisions through trusted referrals or based on gut feelings (more on gut feelings later).

Angel Investor 159

Angel Investor Technical Review Software Review Accredited Investor 159

VC Cafe

FEBRUARY 27, 2024

Everyone moved to earlier stage – part of the decline in late stage investing is the ‘baggage’ of companies that previously raised money at inflated valuations that they would struggle to justify in today’s market. That’s yet another reason for micro funds to move earlier in the fundraising timeline.

Valuation 186

Valuation Software Review Generative AI Technical Review 186

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 14, 2009

Posted on September 14, 2009 by steveblank Over the last 30 years Wall Street’s appetite for technology stocks have changed radically – swinging between unbridled enthusiasm to believing they’re all toxic. Tech acquisitions went crazy at the same time the IPO market did. 3) invest in and take equity stakes in exchange for capital.

Silicon Valley 237

Silicon Valley IPO Technical Review Venture Capital 237

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 20, 2019

There is additional encouraging news for aspiring entrepreneurs on many fronts, just in case you are thinking about joining the existing ranks: Valuations of successful startups have hit an all-time high. Most now routinely buy startups for new technology and new products. Women are a growing force as entrepreneurs.

North America 320

North America Incubator Initial Public Offering Valuation 320

ReadWriteStart

JULY 12, 2019

There are plenty of entrepreneurs diligently working toward a better future. But in high-tech businesses, it’s crucial that the AI you build, promote, or invest in — is authentic. So much so, that there was a half-joking consensus that adding either to your pitch deck meant an immediate 10% valuation bump with investors.

Artificial Inteligence 132

Artificial Inteligence Technical Review Software Review Startup 132

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 29, 2010

We received so much positive feedback from our This Week in Venture Capital show walking through valuation calculations & term sheets that we decided to do a Q&A show this week to address topics that entrepreneurs want to learn about. The best thing to get is a “right sized&# valuation. A: It’s not best.

Venture Capital 282

Venture Capital Term Sheet Valuation Stock Options 282

Steve Blank

MARCH 12, 2014

These two startups had problems they could not solve on their own due to lack of resources—time, people, money. Interestingly the four founders of teams whose ideas “won” argued over which team would get the students with the most advanced technical skills. Customer Discovery in the Real World.

Lean 335

Lean Customer Development Startup Silicon Valley 335

Steve Blank

MAY 19, 2015

These shortcuts add up and become what is called technical debt. You fix technical debt by refactoring , going into the existing code and “cleaning it up” by restructuring it. Organizational debt was coming due. And the size of the problem increases with the success of the company. Refactoring” organizational debt.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Salary Early Stage Software Review 120

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2010

I conclude that the genesis of this trend seems to come from several forces, including the following: Less investment capital available due to the recession. Due to the economy as well, traditional individual angel investors haven’t been able to fill the gap. Technology costs are plummeting, meaning you can do more with less.

Technical Review 215

Technical Review Early Stage Venture Capital Startup 215