Both Sides of the Table

JULY 15, 2010

Heck, stick around and watch me discuss the seed funding debate that is going on right now and what is happening in the VC industry overall. If you’re an entrepreneur, all else equal you prefer convertible debt because the deal is priced at a later stage when you’re worth more.

Venture Capital 210

Venture Capital Seed Funding Pricing Southern California 210

socalTECH

JULY 31, 2009

San Diego-based Qualcomm reports today that it is extending the deadline for the firm's wireless business plan competition, its Qualcomm Ventures QPrize Business Plan Competition, to August 21st. The deadline for the business plan competition was originally today, July 31st. READ MORE>>.

Seed Funding 100

Seed Funding Competition San Diego Venture Capital 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

One of the reasons that now is the time to be an entrepreneur is the explosion of startup assistance organizations, usually called incubators or accelerators. I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors. Health, life, and other insurance at group rates.

Resource 159

Resource Startup Incubator Seed Funding 159

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

And there is so much money around being thrown at so many entrepreneurs that many firms don’t even care about board seats, governance rights or heaven forbid doing work with the company because that would eat into the VCs time needed to chase 5 more deals. Seed has become an option factory for many.

Venture Capital 471

Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

socalTECH

MAY 7, 2009

San Diego-based Qualcomm disclosed today that it has launched a new, entrepreneurship prize which will provide $550,000 in seed funding to entrepreneurs in North America, Europe, China, and India. From those semi-finalists, it will select a grand prize winner which will receive $150,000 in convertible note funding.

Seed Funding 100

Seed Funding Competition San Diego Entrepreneur 100

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2010

So super angel and seed funds are proliferating – As a result there has been an explosion in the number of amazing early-stage investors such as Softtech VC , Floodgate , Felicis Ventures , K9 Ventures , OATV , Lowercase Capital , Founder Collective , and many, many more. Some seed angles and seed funds clearly get it.

Venture Capital 311

Venture Capital Startup Seed Funding Rustic Canyon 311

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 17, 2013

A while back I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. Fundraising is indeed brutally tough at all stages, and the seed funding is the hardest to find.

Software Review 106

Software Review Funding Startup Seed Funding 106

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 3, 2010

I know many super experienced entrepreneurs who don’t understand the basics of how fund size and age can affect them so I thought it was worth establishing a baseline. I believe these VC funds have suffered some amount of reputation fall out. invested in the seed round they have more inside knowledge than I do.

Venture Capital 265

Venture Capital Seed Funding Pricing Invest 265

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2014

The VC market has right-sized (returned back to mid 90′s levels & less competition). Lower costs to start a business (95% reduction), many more companies created & funded by angels / seed. ” The new narrative is “will my seed funds be able to fund the prorata of their winners?”

Venture Capital 398

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Seed Funding 398

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2016

I find that this type offers the most value to new entrepreneurs or startups in the early idea stage. Here are some of the key parameters that will help you decide where you fit in this spectrum: Your commitment to the entrepreneur lifestyle. Costs, returns in equity and funding access.

Incubator 58

Incubator Startup Seed Funding Equity 58

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2011

A while back I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. Fundraising is indeed brutally tough at all stages, and the seed funding is the hardest to find.

Software Review 98

Software Review Funding Seed Funding Startup 98

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 12, 2014

These tensions seep out in some angels or seed funds publicly or semi-privately deriding later-stage VCs for their “bad” behavior. But with the massive growth of seed funds being raised and the huge value increase of prorata rights many more LPs have stepped in to take their VC (industry term is GP) position.

Guide 336

Guide Venture Capital Startup Writing 336

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2009

A few years ago it became fashionable for large VC’s to do seed funding. So they set up seed programs that allowed for rapid decisions for $500k or less, often done as convertible debt for both speed and cost reasons. I told entrepreneurs that it was a bit of a Faustian bargain. I was an early cynic.

Seed Funding 283

Seed Funding Venture Capital Funding Software Review 283

From the Venture Trenches

APRIL 30, 2013

The value that is being “added” is often at arms length or via a specialist who interacts with the entrepreneur. But like a Darwinian experiment, the extent to which these gifts are utilized remains entirely up to each individual entrepreneur. Jeff looks for these same qualities in the companies he backs.

Web Design 103

Web Design Social Media Seed Funding Design 103

socalTECH

OCTOBER 23, 2012

One of the biggest complaints that local entrepreneurs have with Los Angeles has been a dearth of local sources of venture capital. However, the recent surge in startup activity has attracted a lot more capital into the area, including a significant amount of capital from LA's latest fund: Karlin Ventures (www.karlinvc.com).

Funding 253

Funding Startup Invest Commerce 253

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 17, 2016

One of the reasons that now is the time to be an entrepreneur is the explosion of startup assistance organizations, usually called incubators or accelerators. I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors. Health, life, and other insurance at group rates.

Incubator 106

Incubator Startup Help Resource 106

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2018

One of the reasons that now is the time to be an entrepreneur is the explosion of startup assistance organizations, usually called incubators or accelerators. I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors. Health, life, and other insurance at group rates.

Incubator 87

Incubator Startup Resource Seed Funding 87

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

It should help some entrepreneurs to better access early-stage capital and should allow some angel investors better access to deal flow. If you know, VCs end up writing sizable checks into their own funds, which is important in better aligning interests. Helpful to Entrepreneurs – The most obvious. Both are right.

Venture Capital 356

Venture Capital Invest Course Technical Review 356

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2010

Yesterday I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. Fundraising is indeed brutally tough at all stages, and the seed funding is the hardest to find.

Software Review 95

Software Review Startup Seed Funding Funding 95

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2014

One of the reasons that now is the time to be an entrepreneur is the explosion of startup assistance organizations, usually called incubators or accelerators. I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors. accelerator business entrepreneur incubator startup'

Incubator 98

Incubator Startup Help Resource 98

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 21, 2014

An impressive number of new VCs have been created – most of them with new seed funds. You need to listen to your product team, watch your competition and work hard on determining whether you’re truly providing value to your customers. And importantly we’ve had revenue. Sales Startup Lessons'

Marketing 354

Marketing Case Study Metrics Sales 354

socalTECH

OCTOBER 10, 2013

Michael Kleist: We''re seed funded, and have already raised money from twelve investors. It''s also a dog-eat-dog world over there with the competition. Once you know the space, China really helps entrepreneurs. tradesparq alibaba trading international trade china entrepreneur startup kleist michael' READ MORE>>.

Southern California 170

Southern California Startup SoCal CTO Hire 170

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 18, 2015

I rarely talk to any startup entrepreneur or VC who doesn’t feel it and somehow long for simpler times despite the benefits we all enjoy from increased enthusiasm for our sector. For entrepreneurs there’s too much money sloshing around. And it’s true that I still take a whole lot of first meetings with entrepreneurs.

Software Review 150

Software Review Startup Venture Capital Invest 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 7, 2013

Sure, there will always some seed funding (10% of overall deal flow), but you can bet that this money goes to entrepreneurs who have been there before and won. So what can entrepreneurs do to get to the head of the venture capital investment queue and position their startup for a winning IPO? Line up a winning team.

Venture Capital 101

Venture Capital Startup Capital Seed Funding 101

From the Venture Trenches

APRIL 30, 2013

The value that is being “added” is often at arms length or via a specialist who interacts with the entrepreneur. But like a Darwinian experiment, the extent to which these gifts are utilized remains entirely up to each individual entrepreneur. Jeff looks for these same qualities in the companies he backs.

Web Design 40

Web Design Social Media Seed Funding Design 40

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2010

So by offering convertible debt you can avoid a price discussion in the same way that angel investors sometimes do in order to win competitive early-stage deals. So my view is that VCs and entrepreneurs need to make tougher choices. He had raised about $500,000 in seed funding that lasted a long time. And it adds up.

Startup 290

Startup Funding Venture Capital Pricing 290

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 23, 2015

For a high-volume seed fund that adds many portfolio companies every year (such as our friends at 500 Startups who invest in over 100 distinct companies annually), the cost of a bad affirmative decision (a false positive) is quite low, since it accounts for a relatively small portion of their total fund. It's Me, Not You.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Technical Review Software Review Southern California 100

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 24, 2011

Sure, there is always some seed funding (10% of overall deal flow), but you can bet that this money goes to entrepreneurs who have been there before and won. To me, this indicates that venture capitalists (VCs) are looking for business, but not from first-time startups.

Venture Capital 93

Venture Capital Startup Capital Seed Funding 93

socalTECH

MAY 17, 2018

I worked in the medical field for the Kaiser HMO, and had my own surgical practice in the uber-competitive West Los Angeles market. However, we realized very quickly when we built this, and started pitching for our seed funding round under the guise of attacking healthcare, is that is a massive market with many entrenched interests.

Technology 165

Technology Startup West Los Angeles Platform 165

socalTECH

OCTOBER 19, 2018

in a seed funding round. The funding was led by Moonshots Capital, and also included Techstars and Luma Launch. Essentially, we're getting those SMBs a more affordable option, so they can be just as competitive as the big brands. One example we like to use is Makeitpoppy, a new clean beauty company.

Help 133

Help IP Content Google 133

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

In a world where the economy only heads in one direction (read: 2009-2014) most investors & entrepreneurs forget to pay attention to gross burn. If you have raised a limited amount of money from angels, accelerators or seed funds be very careful about having a high burn rate. Think DropBox, Airbnb, Uber, Maker Studios.

Startup 383

Startup Company Companies .Net 383

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2009

So far at the company I have raised seed funds of $500,000 of which $470,000 is still in the bank so I’m in pretty good shape. Experienced and serial entrepreneurs in the content management space. Page 3: Competition. I was a bit humbled by some of the companies that were funded by the people that I had met.

Venture Capital 274

Venture Capital Blogging Startup Slides 274

Berkonomics

APRIL 24, 2014

Often I see executive summaries from entrepreneurs who have never managed any form of business, or even managed employees in their past life, and who don’t know the first thing about business formation and managing for growth. I used to tell them to find a partner with knowledge in business creation and management.

Coach 250

Coach Seed Funding Summary Incubator 250

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2022

The challenge is when and how to make the switch to the entrepreneur lifestyle. As a mentor to young aspiring entrepreneurs , I often get asked for tips on a strategy to get started. Raising money is difficult, even with the best idea, so don’t assume any entitlement to loans, grants, or seed funding.

Startup 114

Startup Tips Coach Satisfaction 114

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2016

Valuing any company can be difficult because it requires a degree of forecasting future growth & competition and ultimately the profits of the organization. ” “This will be great for VCs and bad for entrepreneurs.” What is the True Sentiment of VCs? ” “Sure, prices are dropping. All of these are false.

Startup 150

Startup Company Companies Venture Capital 150

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

He blogs to 10,000 web entrepreneurs at Software by Rob and co-hosts the podcast Startups for the Rest of Us. While I agree that many VCs are crummy seed investors, I think there are some that are excellent seed investors. They are: Fred Wilson: Lead Investors, Dipshit Companies, and Funding Every Entrepreneur.

Startup 191

Startup Venture Capital Blogging CTO Hire 191

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 10, 2018

Many entrepreneurs let the early rejections get to them and it’s normal because when you hear “no” you think “what’s wrong with me!?” When investors hear that somebody else wanted to fund you it gets their FOMO going and they pile on. When you’re funded you’re often over-funded.

Press 232

Press Funding Venture Capital Technical Review 232