Defining a “Fair Deal”

22nd June, 2017 No Comments Blog , Fundraising , Startups , Venture Capital

I was recently asked by a new entrepreneur for thoughts on “fair terms” for a preferred equity financing.  I have been through the negotiating process for a new round, as the new investor and as a company representative, many times, but admit I had never written down how I think about what is “fair” concerning […]

Startup Valuations

5th March, 2017 No Comments Fundraising , Startups , Startups , Venture Capital

Valuation – the monetary value of a company – is the source of much worry on the part of the typical entrepreneur.  But it need not be such a tremendous stressor.  Certainly, valuation matters, but, for early-stage startups, it is much less a reflection of intrinsic value or accomplishment and much more a product of […]

Making the Most of Startup Advisors

22nd May, 2016 No Comments Fundraising , Startups , Venture Capital

As an investor in startups, I get a lot of questions about advisors.  Should we bring on this advisor or that one?  How do we compensate advisors?  What should I expect an advisor to do?  I’ll try to answer these and other questions in this post; I’ll direct my comments to the leaders of startups […]

How Much Capital Should You Raise?

24th November, 2015 No Comments Blog , Fundraising

Entrepreneurs embarking on a fundraising process struggle with this question.  Will you suffer too much dilution by raising too much?  Do you need to raise at least a certain amount to get the attention of certain investors?  What if you set your sights too high and fall short? I suggest that the answer is fairly simple, […]

Event Best Practices

25th September, 2015 No Comments Blog , CoVenture , Fundraising

Some people naturally make a good impression at a cocktail party, fundraiser or conference.  Charisma and enthusiasm help, but a few practical habits go a long way as well: Introduce yourself to anyone you don’t see regularly (e.g less than weekly).  Many people have trouble remembering names and doing this will put them at ease. […]