Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2023

Applied research is still primarily scientific study, seeking to solve practical problems, but doesn’t yet focus on a commercial product. It’s still considered high risk for investment, since manufacturing and quality issues are likely. Technology pilots. This is the transition stage from basic research to applied research.

Resource 102

Resource Ideas Funding Research 102

socalTECH

JULY 9, 2019

in Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences from West Virginia University, and told us a bit about the fund, its investments, and his advice to entrepreneurs looking for investment from the company. We invest in life sciences, medical devices, but we're also a generalist investing in SaaS technologies and real estate, as well.

Venture Capital 113

Venture Capital Invest SaaS Entrepreneur 113

socalTECH

DECEMBER 30, 2015

Today, we have the thoughts of Jeb Spencer of TVC Capital (www.tvccapital.com), a software focused growth equity fund which just raised a new fund, and has had some great success in the market. Jeb Spencer: For TVC, closing on our new $115 million software focused growth equity fund at the end of last year made for an exciting 2015.

Capital 100

Capital Beverly Hills Artificial Inteligence Equity 100

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 25, 2013

Despite the proliferation of entrepreneurial courses within Business Administration programs, business schools are essentially vocational training grounds for consultants and investment bankers. Five reasons many MBAs struggle at startups are as follows: 1. Follow my startup-oriented Twitter feed here: @johngreathouse.

Entrepreneur 279

Entrepreneur Technical Review Case Study Class 279

socalTECH

DECEMBER 30, 2016

I studied East Asian religions in college and was intrigued to hear that a Buddhist monk was delivering meditation and mindfulness via a mobile app. Traditional venture capitalists will focus on leading larger rounds of equity in fewer companies. What's your favorite technology gadget, device, or innovation you ran across this year?

Santa Monica 124

Santa Monica Southern California Venture Capital SoCalTech 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2021

Applied research is still primarily scientific study, seeking to solve practical problems, but doesn’t yet focus on a commercial product. It’s still considered high risk for investment, since manufacturing and quality issues are likely. Technology pilots. This is the transition stage from basic research to applied research.

Help 165

Help Research Startup Funding 165

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2022

According to one study a decade ago, only 45% of founders plan to exit after stage one, and my guess is that less than half the remainder survive the next stage in their own company. They need a large infusion from venture capitalists, private equity, bank loans, or mezzanine financing. There is no free lunch.

Sales 147

Sales Metrics Guide Startup 147

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2018

Or if you’re a VC raising from LPs you have to list all of your deals, your investment value, your carrying value, your multiples, your IRRs, TVPIs, DPIs, etc along with net cashflows plus your previous LPAs. These collective sets of documents form the basis of what somebody looking at investing would call “financial due diligence.”

Funding 336

Funding Venture Capital Startup Email 336

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2014

According to a Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with a majority of new ventures that don''t attract investors failing within the first three years. The hottest new way of funding startups is to use online sites, like Kickstarter , to request donations, pre-order, get a reward, or even give equity (coming soon).

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Funding Startup Technical Review 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2015

According to a classic Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with a majority of new ventures that don't attract investors failing within the first three years. Nevertheless, it’s an option that doesn’t cost you equity. These resources often include a cash investment, as well as office space, and consulting.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review Equity 105

socalTECH

MAY 25, 2016

Santa Monica-based March Capital Partners (www.marchcp.com) has just announced a brand new, $240M venture investment fund, led by longtime venture investing veterans Jim Armstrong, Sumant Mandal, Gregory Milken and Jamie Montgomery. What is the investment focus for this fund?

Southern California 113

Southern California Capital Funding Invest 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2017

According to my experience and a classic Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with a majority of new ventures that don't attract investors failing within the first three years. The hottest new way of funding startups is to use online sites, like Kickstarter , to request donations, pre-order, get a reward, or even give equity.

Develop 70

Develop Development Product Startup 70

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2017

More recently, the desire for extra income has become the key driver in new startups, according to a 2015 study. This usually means not taking money from equity investors, since investors want fast growth, high profits, and an exit event, to allow investments to be recouped. It seems that more people are focused on money today.

Entrepreneur 69

Entrepreneur Startup Equity Course 69

socalTECH

JUNE 21, 2013

Instead of equity, the company is aimed at profiting profitable small businesses with business debt funding from investors, to help those businesses grow and get to the next level. Why did you decide to focus on debt, not equity? I studied finance, and worked on Wall Street as a credit analyst, so I understand debt better.

Startup 247

Startup Software Review Entrepreneur Equity 247

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

According to a Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with 90% of new ventures that don't attract investors failing within the first three years. The hottest new way of funding startups is to use online sites, like Kickstarter , to request donations, pre-order, get a reward, or even give equity (coming soon).

Startup 123

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 123

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 19, 2014

A grant is not an equity investment, so the entrepreneur doesn’t have to give up a stake in the company either. For all the value of a large grant, isn’t it worth a small investment to get your application “on the fast path,” and optimize your selection probabilities? Stringent spending controls. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 97

Startup High Tech Research Funding 97

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. But there are also going to be those companies that require capex and growth equity (Zynga, Facebook, etc). Is there a bubble going on in seed investing? That’s thanks to Dan Primack , founding editor.

Venture Capital 232

Venture Capital Slides Seed Funding Google 232

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

If you truly believe that you, your company and your products are exceptional and your company will be valuable then you’re actually doing them a FAVOR by helping them invest in your startup. If you don’t believe in your bones that you’re amazing then it’s no wonder you don’t want to sell them on making the investment.”

Venture Capital 332

Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2013

Since 2008, the desire for profits has trumped passion in 54 percent of new startups, according to a more recent study. This usually means not taking money from equity investors, since investors want fast growth, high profits, and an exit event, to allow investments to be recouped. According to William R.

Startup 92

Startup Entrepreneur Equity Course 92

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2019

According to one study a while back, only 45% of founders plan to exit after stage one, and my guess is that less than half the remainder survive the next stage in their own company. They need a large infusion from venture capitalists, private equity, bank loans, or mezzanine financing. There is no free lunch.

Startup 97

Startup Sales Metrics Guide 97

Xconomy

SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

At Xconomy, we have seen growing investments in the sector—both in a rash of new agtech startups and by bigger players such Monsanto, Bayer Crop Sciences, and Syngenta. The annual AgTech Investment Report from AgFunderNews found that investment in agriculture and food-related technology startups alone hit $4.6

Newsletter 40

Newsletter Research Technology Equity 40

socalTECH

DECEMBER 10, 2009

One of the industries which has seen a lot of activity lately in Southern California is clean technology, with a large amount of investment activity and new company formation. It's a concept similar to investing in property--you want to be able to make the most money when you buy the place, not when you sell it. Coming into the U.S.,

Southern California 193

Southern California Startup eHarmony Sites 193

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

Since 2008, the desire for profits has trumped passion in 54 percent of new startups, according to a recent study. This usually means not taking money from equity investors, since investors want fast growth, high profits, and an exit event, to allow investments to be recouped. According to a recent book by William R.

Entrepreneur 96

Entrepreneur Startup Equity Course 96

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 3, 2012

Jonathan LaCour: I studied finance in law school, and did lots of structured finance and investments. I thought I would be an investment banker, and I decided I was probably going to move to San Francisco to enter private equity, venture capital, or a startup.

Startup 217

Startup Mobile Venture Capital Resource 217

Xconomy

MAY 30, 2016

Lita Nelsen has seen it up close—and played a part in its evolution—from her studies there in the 1960s, to her business-school fellowship in the late 1970s, to her 30 years working in MIT’s Technology Licensing Office. MIT’s approach to nurturing entrepreneurship has changed a lot over the past 50 years.

Startup 67

Startup Compton Research Technology 67

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 24, 2011

According to financial columnist Daniel Solin, “One large study looked at more than 15,000 predictions by 237 market timing newsletters over a 12-year period. At the end of the period studied, 94.5% New hires in a depressed economy also tend to be more willing to accept below-market salaries in exchange for equity-based compensation.

Company 257

Company Companies Startup Study 257

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 13, 2015

Applied research is still primarily scientific study, seeking to solve practical problems, but doesn’t yet focus on a commercial product. It’s still considered high risk for investment, since manufacturing and quality issues are likely. Technology pilots. This is the transition stage from basic research to applied research.

Develop 102

Develop Development Product Funding 102

SoCal CTO

APRIL 8, 2010

- Startup Company Lawyer , March 14, 2010 After the recent announcement of the Series Seed Financing documents by Marc Andreesen, Brad Feld points out that there are now four sets of “open source” equity seed financing documents. I do sometimes get impatient when the investment proposal has little or no information on the exit path.

Startup 150

Startup Software Review Competition SoCal 150

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2012

Remember that up to this point, the investor has primarily seen and talked to the founder and CEO, and studied written documents. All private equity groups go about due diligence in their own way, but there are a few key areas of focus that entrepreneurs should always expect: Team strength and health. Product or service readiness.

Technical Review 94

Technical Review Startup Writing Competition 94

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 24, 2019

When an entrepreneur takes on investors who take equity (i.e. The board is where large equity investors get their representation. Feel free to study CBS or Weinstein Company to find out what happens when you have crony independents on a board. 25,000 is still skin in the game to them. money is money and skin in the game matters.

Startup 187

Startup Writing Venture Capital Oracle 187

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2017

Project revenues, costs and investment needs. When sizing your funding request, be aware of the value of your startup today, since most investors expect an equity share for their contributions. No mention usually means no plan and not competitive. Major milestones along the way should be outlined.

Startup 65

Startup Writing Patents Competition 65

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2015

According to one study a while back, only 45% of founders plan to exit after stage one, and my guess is that less than half the remainder survive the next stage in their own company. They need a large infusion from venture capitalists, private equity, bank loans, or mezzanine financing. There is no free lunch.

Startup 108

Startup Sales Metrics Entrepreneur 108

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2011

A grant is not an equity investment, so the entrepreneur doesn’t have to give up a stake in the company either. For all the value of a large grant, isn’t it worth a small investment to get your application “on the fast path,” and optimize your selection probabilities? Pursue grants and investors in parallel.

High Tech 88

High Tech Startup Research Entrepreneur 88

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 22, 2010

Remember that up to this point, the investor has primarily seen and talked to the founder and CEO, and studied written documents. All private equity groups go about due diligence in their own way, but there are a few key areas of focus that entrepreneurs should always expect: Team strength and health. Product or service readiness.

Technical Review 90

Technical Review Writing Competition Tips 90

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

According to one study a while back, only 45% of founders plan to exit after stage one, and my guess is that less than half the remainder survive the next stage in their own company. They need a large infusion from venture capitalists, private equity, bank loans, or mezzanine financing. There is no free lunch.

Startup 56

Startup Sales Metrics Guide 56

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 3, 2013

According to one study , only 45% of Founders plan to exit after stage one, and my guess is that less than half the remainder survive the next stage in their own company. They need a large infusion from venture capitalists, private equity, bank loans, or mezzanine financing. There is no free lunch. Install a real board of directors.

Sales 96

Sales Metrics Startup Entrepreneur 96

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 8, 2011

Many of the entrepreneurial lessons I learned from this adjunct Wharton study group, you too can share with your children. You must invest your ante at the start of each hand with no guarantee you will get it back. Thus, it is akin to the sweat equity you put into your adVenture, never knowing if your efforts will yield a return.

Startup 207

Startup Entrepreneur Competition Guide 207