Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2015

Even if you work every day in the world of new-venture funding, as I do, the options are confusing, and their meanings seem to change on a regular basis. I challenge any entrepreneur, for example, to define the difference between "seed-stage" and "early-stage" financing. Business accelerator funding.

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Funding Venture Capital Startup Seed Funding 104

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2016

One of the most frequent questions I get as a mentor to entrepreneurs is “How do I find the money to start my business?” If you have the urge to be an entrepreneur, I encourage you to think seriously about each of these, before you zero-in on one or two, and get totally discouraged if those don’t work for you.

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Funding Startup Equity Examples 107

SoCal Tech Calendar

JUNE 24, 2016

Today, start-ups have more choices for accessing business resources and seed funding than ever. This is especially true for first-time and early-stage entrepreneurs not yet ready to pursue venture capital or who lack certain critical capabilities.

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Startup Resource LAVA Seed Funding 100

SoCal Tech Calendar

JUNE 17, 2016

Today, start-ups have more choices for accessing business resources and seed funding than ever. This is especially true for first-time and early-stage entrepreneurs not yet ready to pursue venture capital or who lack certain critical capabilities.

Startup 100

Startup Resource LAVA Seed Funding 100

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. of the fund.

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Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

I thought I’d try to look at it from a different lens, that of the entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur you should assume that. Convertible or equity? When I was fund raising for my second company we had agreed a company-wide deal with Salesforce.com to use our product. So what is an entrepreneur to do?

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Pricing Entrepreneur Technical Review Venture Capital 292

Xconomy

JANUARY 7, 2020

When a group of scientists from Amira Pharmaceuticals wanted to start a new biotech after the company’s 2011 acquisition by Bristol-Myers Squibb , Celgene provided seed funding. Rob Williamson, a longtime biotech entrepreneur, joined PharmAkea as CEO in 2013 after the company formed its “build-to-buy”-style.

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Seed Funding Equity Research Acquisition 63

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2010

a loan) that is later converted to equity at the time of the next financing. If no financing happened then this “note&# may not be converted and thus would be senior to the equity of the company in the case of a bankruptcy or asset sale. So my view is that VCs and entrepreneurs need to make tougher choices.

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Startup Funding Venture Capital Pricing 290

socalTECH

AUGUST 1, 2012

Is crowdsourcing donations a reasonable alternative to seed funding? Based on the experience so far of POP Charger , the Kickstarter project being run by local entrepreneur Jamie Siminoff, it seems to be. The project passed its goal of $50K last week, only three days after it was posted.

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Seed Funding Equity Entrepreneur Funding 159

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2023

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. Direct seed funding, for a share of the equity, and introductions to investors. Mentoring and technical assistance from volunteer or paid experts.

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Organization Incubator Startup Resource 92

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2012

A while back I heard a talk by Dave McClure, a long-time angel investor, who also proclaims to be one of the “new breed” of venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, as CEO of 500Startups , which is either a micro-VC seed fund, or a startup incubator, or both. He is going gangbusters, and is now targeting a $50M second round of funding.

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Entrepreneur Startup Seed Funding Incubator 101

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. Direct seed funding, for a share of the equity, and introductions to investors. Mentoring and technical assistance from volunteer or paid experts.

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Resource Startup Incubator Seed Funding 159

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2010

The VC industry grew dramatically as a result of the Internet bubble - Before the Internet bubble the people who invested in VC funds (called LPs or Limited Partners) put about $50 billion into the industry and by 2001 this had grown precipitously to around $250 billion. So the people who invest in VC funds have two problems.

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Venture Capital Startup Seed Funding Rustic Canyon 311

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 15, 2010

We started this week’s show with a Q&A session where I answered viewer questions about fund raising and the VC industry. 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. . - Finally we covered this weeks deals.

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Venture Capital Seed Funding Pricing Southern California 210

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2011

Recently I heard a talk by Dave McClure, a long-time angel investor, who also proclaims to be one of the “new breed” of venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, as CEO of 500Startups , which is either a micro-VC seed fund, or a startup incubator, or both. Today, if you do well in this mode, you will get funded if and when you need it.

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Startup Funding Seed Funding Incubator 92

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 12, 2010

In the VC & Private Equity world there’s a small number, too, with one of the most respected being PEHub. Dan believed that consumer internet entrepreneurs have a choice now: traditional VC vs. super seed investors. People like Fred Wilson who say let all the small companies fund and bloom, create more jobs, etc.

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Venture Capital Slides Seed Funding Google 232

socalTECH

JANUARY 7, 2019

With Startup Boost, we had dozens of investors, service providers, successful entrepreneurs, and major industry leaders (including Microsoft, Google, Softbank, REME, and TechStars) coalesce around our initiative to help early stage companies get to the next level.

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Technical Review Software Review Startup Coach 157

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.

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Incubator Startup Seed Funding Equity 58

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

Most entrepreneurs have found by now one or more of the many popular crowdfunding sites , and have the name and contact information for at least one of the big venture capital firms. Here are eight key insights that will help you find a productive match: Angels want equity ownership, not causes. Most share expertise as well as money.

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Angel Startup Venture Capital Seed Funding 106

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2019

The first check I wrote was just over 10 years ago into a company called Invoca who just announced a new $56 million in funding led by Scott Hilleboe at HIG Growth Partners. We not only have our Series A funds that can write $500k?—?$15 15 million first checks but we also have three growth funds.

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Venture Capital IP Startup Google 223

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.

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Venture Capital Capital Pricing Doc 417

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

” And even the venerable Fred Wilson weighed in with how people “ leading vs. following ” in funding rounds play different roles and have different skills. It should help some entrepreneurs to better access early-stage capital and should allow some angel investors better access to deal flow. So there you have it.

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Venture Capital Invest Course Technical Review 356

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2015

” Today I want to talk about how a VC thinks about equity pricing on your round and particularly if you’re coming off of a convertible note. In the old days VCs funded off of a “pre-money” valuation. It’s worth reading his post to understand the problem. I can boil it down to how this tension plays out.

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Venture Capital Pricing Startup Invest 150

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. Direct seed funding, for a share of the equity, and introductions to investors. Mentoring and technical assistance from volunteer or paid experts.

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Incubator Startup Resource Seed Funding 87

socalTECH

JULY 1, 2013

The incubator-- Greenwings Biomedical (www.greenwingsbiomedical.com), is led by Richard Koffler , a serial entrepreneur and angel investor in Los Angeles. Do you provide funding for companies? Having an entrepreneur come to us and tell us they need our money--that''s not our model.

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Incubator Startup USC Tech Coast Angels 217

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. Direct seed funding, for a share of the equity, and introductions to investors. Mentoring and technical assistance from volunteer or paid experts.

Incubator 106

Incubator Startup Help Resource 106

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. Direct seed funding, for a share of the equity, and introductions to investors. accelerator business entrepreneur incubator startup' Marty Zwilling.

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Incubator Startup Help Resource 98

socalTECH

JUNE 23, 2021

Alex Nocifera: We're lucky in that we have LA's best seed funds. The one thing the investors I mentioned all the way through-is they have put a lot of trust into me as an entrepreneur, and they trusted me. We weren't working with main street and small businesses, but public and private equity backed companies.

Marketing 113

Marketing Los Angeles Zag Startup 113

Xconomy

SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

Think “innovation” and you might picture some scrappy entrepreneurs toiling away in a kitchen or garage, hoping the landlord doesn’t notice what they’re up to. For the life sciences industry, one of the largest landlords, and closest observers, is Alexandria Real Estate Equities. So it ranges.

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Venture Capital Startup San Diego Class 40

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

It’s what signals to existing investors how quickly their teams need to be fund raising and the level of risk the company is facing and also it signals to potentially new investors both how quickly you need to raise (ie you have less leverage if you’re in a rush) as well as how much cash you’ll need if they fund you.

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Startup Company Companies .Net 383

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2021

More and more entrepreneurs are hearing about the successful graduates and investors queued behind a few well-known startup incubators, including Y Combinator, TechStars, and the Founder Institute. Initial funding. The reality is far different. All the rest of us might be the real beneficiaries, with a lot more to learn.

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Incubator Technical Review Entrepreneur Mentor 146

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 30, 2014

More and more entrepreneurs are hearing about the successful graduates and investors queued behind a few well-known startup incubators, including Y Combinator, TechStars, and the Founder Institute. Initial funding. The reality is far different. All the rest of us might be the real beneficiaries, with a lot more to learn.

Incubator 103

Incubator Entrepreneur Technical Review Mentor 103

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

For some aspiring to be tech entrepreneurs, I often suggest a two-step process, as I argued in this post that “ The First Startup Founder You Need to Invest in Is You.” Of course I’m not suggesting people shouldn’t start a company. If you can and if you want to – you should. He still has the dream.

Technical Review 150

Technical Review Startup Venture Capital IP 150

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.

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Coach Seed Funding Summary Incubator 250

socalTECH

APRIL 10, 2018

Most of our mentors are people who have been successful entrepreneurs and investors, who have been there, and understand how to get a company to the next sage. We charge zero, and take no equity, and really there are very small operational costs for us to support startups. We do that by galvanizing the community to help out.

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Startup Seed Funding Mentor Ideas 172

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2016

I’d like to explain as best I can my opinion on what is going on because most of what I hear from entrepreneurs is not only wrong but is reminiscent of what I heard in 1997-2000. ” “This will be great for VCs and bad for entrepreneurs.” What is the True Sentiment of VCs? ” “Sure, prices are dropping.

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Startup Company Companies Venture Capital 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2013

More and more entrepreneurs are hearing about the successful graduates and investors queued behind a few well-known startup incubators, including Y Combinator, TechStars, and the Founder Institute. Initial funding. The reality is far different. All the rest of us might be the real beneficiaries, with a lot more to learn.

Incubator 115

Incubator Help Startup Technical Review 115