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4 Keys To A Successful Integrity Check With Investors

Startup Professionals Musings

This is the mysterious and dreaded due diligence process, which can kill the whole deal. Some entrepreneurs do very little to prepare for due diligence, assuming all the talking has already been done, and the business plan and results to-date tell the right story. Visit reference customers, partners, and vendors.

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5 Steps To Finding The Best Investor For Your Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Taking on equity investors to fund your company is much like getting married – it is a long-term relationship that has to work at all levels. It’s no fun for either side.

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5 Keys To Vetting Investors Before You Accept Funding

Startup Professionals Musings

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Taking on equity investors to fund your company is much like getting married – it is a long-term relationship that has to work at all levels. It’s no fun for either side.

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How Much Information Should you Give VCs for Due Diligence?

Both Sides of the Table

I often caution entrepreneurs about seeing too many VCs when you’re beginning your fund raising process both because information tends to leak and because if you see too many people who talk with each other you’ll soon have whispers amongst all of the VCs who “passed on you” and your deal will seem over-shopped and lacking in momentum.

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A Seriously Great Story and Why We Funded Them

Both Sides of the Table

We are often asked how companies get funded, why VCs make the decisions we make and what we’re looking for in entrepreneurs. At Upfront we’re totally fine funding entrepreneurs who have done multiple businesses in the past – in fact we like it. But I’m guessing the narrative is similar elsewhere. And Seriously.

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The Audacious Plan to Make Electricity as Easy as WiFi

Both Sides of the Table

As I’ve written about recently, at Upfront Ventures we started talking a couple of years ago about wanting to fund stuff with more meaning. I think this is a combination of being realists as venture capitalists that outsized returns in our funds must come from taking on bigger, more impactful projects that can move markets.

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Size Up Your Investors Before Accepting Their Money

Startup Professionals Musings

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Taking on equity investors to fund your company is much like getting married – it is a long-term relationship that has to work at all levels. It’s no fun for either side.