Funding your startup or growth company through equity crowdfunding platforms has the potential to raise money faster and more efficiently than other venues. The beauty of going down this route is that it makes the fundraising process seamless from the initial contact through closing the deal. Here are five strategies that will increase your likelihood ...
This post is part of a series of posts called “Pitching a VC” that explains how to get access to VC’s, what to say when you get there and what will happen afterward. A friend of mine who lives in Silicon Valley called me lastt week to talk about his new company. He’s been a ...
When the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act passed recently, many columnists and bloggers began weighing in with varying opinions, and some conjecture that may have muddied the waters. As I’ve written before, thousands of us entrepreneurs will benefit from the law. This could become a very viable and exciting way for small companies to ...
Hattie Bryant and Bruce Camber said they were thrilled when John Garcia told them he had made a fortune as an entrepreneur and could help their company make it big too. Swayed by his sales pitch — including his claim that he had scores of people lined up to invest in promising companies like theirs ...
As an entrepreneur, you probably don’t care as much about the overall VC industry as you care about your VC investors. So while the noise might be intellectually interesting, you’re asking, “How does it affect me?” To find out, ask your venture capitalists these important questions:* What year (vintage) is your fund? * Have you ...
The brutal economy has slowed venture funding to a tortoise’s pace, and start-ups looking for money are finding themselves out of luck. For some companies, the answer had been to turn to angels — individual investors who might be able to cough up a few thousand dollars to keep your doors open. But now it ...
The reasons for not aggressively investing are different for private and professional investors. Because of the drop in the stock market and real estate property values, private investors have less money to invest and they have other attractive investment options. Investing in start-up companies has not fared well for most investors in recent years, and ...
As a venture capitalist, I get approached several times a day by entrepreneurs looking to raise money. One of my typical responses is, ‘You shouldn’t be talking to me; you should be targeting angel investors.’ The source of this confusion varies: Sometimes it’s a misunderstanding of the different roles and expectations of a venture capitalist ...
Using informative case studies, detailed charts, and term sheet exercises, Raising Venture Capital for the Serious Entrepreneur discusses the basic principles of the venture capital method, strategies for raising capital, methods of valuing the early-stage venture, and proven techniques for negotiating the deal. The author leads you step-by-step through: * Developing a Financing Map * ...