TheFunded.com

TheFunded.com Advice: Looking for Advice on Raising Capital

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:24:30 -0500

We are a 3 year old digital signage software company with 2 products commercially available.

The products are being sold through a couple major distribution channels as well as with a few direct marketers. The company also has a small established reseller base in the US and Canada.

To date, the original partners in the company have provided the all the funding.

We are looking for advice on the best way to go about raising outside funds to take the company to the next level. We are currently in conversations with a few VC firms and considering looking at Angel Investors.

Any assistance or advice would be greatly appreciate.

TheFunded.com Sponsor Posting: Analyze Your Data Better with Advanced Data Visualization

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:41:13 -0500

| Posted by System | 152 Chars in Private

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HealthCare Ventures: Substance Over form

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:24:12 -0500

| Fund Rated 3.9

I am the CEO of a biotechnology company that recently entered into a major transaction with a large pharmaceutical company. Healthcare Ventures invested in us a year and a quarter prior to exit. Before Healthcare Ventures we had gone through multiple pitches with several other VC groups (sound familiar anyone?) and had significant interest because we had already received a favorable term sheet for a licensing deal. However, we did not find the right chemistry (read valuation and control) with any of the VC groups we had spoken to and in addition had the luxury of a phenomenal angel network willing to support us. Just when we had decided that VC funding was not right for us we received a call from Doug Onsi and Steven Landau. In one day they flew out to us and went over the science in far more depth than any before them. They gave us three extraordinary contacts the first day - free of charge :o). The next year we became VC-believers. HCV went out of its way to help us with their network and experience and made a great deal possible for us and our investors - angels included.

TheFunded.com Term Sheet: Middle East / Africa Electronics First Round Terms

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:22:20 -0500

Aberdare Ventures: Aberdare: Well Led ... Klingenstein's Experience Counts

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:49:14 -0500

| Posted by Earl Fender | Fund Rated 3.9

Aberdare is one of our early investors (VertiFlex Spine), led by Paul Klingenstein. I had lunch with him this week, and what I told him personally, I thought I'd share with you here. In my 1.5 years as CEO here, I've routinely sought Paul's advise, and listened to his valuable counsel. The point is: he's insightful, experienced, trusted, smart and intuitive - his guidance on multiple isses has been spot on. Others of my investors feel the same about him. If you're a CEO, I hope you have such a " go to" guy.
Earl Fender

Sequoia Capital India: Good Experience

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:43:09 -0500

| Fund Rated 2.6

Have good experience with them both during pre-closure and also as current board members. Time from initial pitch to termsheet was about 4 weeks - found them quick and responsive.
Got help in attracting senior management talent, quite prompt in doing needed introductions, good network.
Good guys, humble, nice to work with.

TheFunded.com Discussion: 4 Years Self Funded, How Do I Structure the First Round?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:22:11 -0500

TheFunded.com News: Institute Events in Seattle and Palo Alto

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:45:26 -0500

| Posted by The Founding Member

Anyone thinking to start a company or running a new startup that can use some assistance is invited to attend one of two upcoming informational sessions on TheFunded Founder Institute. They're fun, and they're free:

Seattle - November 19th
6:30 PM in Redmond
http://seattle-fi2.eventbrite.com

Bay Area - November 24th
6:30 PM in Palo Alto
http://bayarea-fi.eventbrite.com

There are reasons that the Institute runs four month programs in various cities twice per year. It would be easier to videotape lessons or write a book, but learning to be a successful entrepreneur isn't easy. Heres the thinking:

Success: Most of the things that you need to know to build a successful company from scratch can't be learned from books or from school. How do you know when a cofounder is right? When do you start talking about your business idea publicly? When do you quit your job? How do you get exposure for your idea from the media? The lessons of entrepreneurship are usually learned the hard way, and the deadly array of potential mistakes cause most startups to fail. Entrepreneurs that succeed are often lucky, fail fast, and recover intelligently. A good mentor with poignant advice can help you avoid most of the obvious mistakes and some of the less obvious pitfalls. Many successful entrepreneurs credit a part of their success to a mentor or friend, and the Institute has formalized this invaluable relationship. The Institute has one Mentor per enrolled founder in nearly all of the cities.

Timeliness: The world is changing daily, and the tools required to be a successful entrepreneur are changing as well. Books and school can't keep pace with the change, but successful entrepreneurs today are capitalizing on the changes to win. The best advice is from someone who is succeeding in the present, not someone who succeeded more than a decade ago. Why? Job boards like Monster were relevant in the 90's, Craigslist was relevant afterwards, and social media is the place to find team members today. You want Mentors who can give you timely advice on how to succeed, and the Institute only recruits successful CEOs of startup companies that are not too big.

Location: Building a successful technology startup differs significantly based on the location of where you start, as well as the present day trends. For example, expensive real estate costs drive decision making in New York and Silicon Valley. Top talent in Silicon Valley will quit everything to be a cofounder on a promising idea and work for equity. The nuances of each market require local expertise. So, the Institute tries to get at least half of the Mentor CEOs from the local market. The remaining Mentors are chosen to be subject matter experts from anywhere in the world

Motivation: Taking the first steps to start your new company are daunting, even if you love your idea, even if you have experience, and even if you have a great plan. The Founder Institute itself was carefully planned, but a leak in TechCrunch forced us to incorporate and to start accepting applications months before "the original plan." Without the leak, who knows what would have happened, and the Institute is my eighth company. Applying to the Institute and getting accepted is a catalyst. It's the sign for you to launch your company.

Feedback on the reasons is welcomed. Enjoy!

Norwest Venture Partners: Norwest Partners Venture or Private Equity?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:35:49 -0500

NewSpring Capital: New Spring Capital

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:12:12 -0500

TheFunded.com Discussion: IT for Revenue Share

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:31:19 -0500

TheFunded.com Term Sheet: Europe Wireless/Mobile First Round Terms

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:36:45 -0500

TheFunded.com Discussion: Is It an Economically Viable Move to Start a Company

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:44:40 -0500

VC Open Letters: Private Equity Funding Plunges 62% at Calpers Amid VC Fee Review

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:34:10 -0500

The header above was an article published on Bloomberg this week!!

Its about time limited partners WAKE UP and realize that the VCs are screwing them on fees!! Very few VCs ever earn the amount of money they make in fees. They get the nice house in Atherton and the nice cars and lifestyle well before they ever prove they can invest in comanies that give a good return on investment. And all of this amounts to crappy valuations for founders and managers of start-ups. VCs should make no more than the average start up CEO makes in salary and bonus and the rest should be in back end payout when they prove they have made money for investors. WAKE UP LPs!!!

TheFunded.com Discussion: How Much Fraud is There in Startups?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:12:54 -0500

Zelkova Ventures: Great Investor and Partner

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:45:19 -0500

| Posted by mschmulen | Fund Rated 5.0

Jay Levy and Zelkova was the co-lead on our Series A. Jay went the extra mile and was instrumental in helping us to close our round. Although Jay did not demand a board seat, he has been an active and valuable advisor to our company helping to drive our development process and offering great insight. If you are looking for an investor who will be a great partner, I highly recommend Jay Levy and Zelkova.

Scale Venture Partners: Sharon One of Digital Media's Finest

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:38:24 -0500

| Posted by a.j. | Fund Rated 3.6

I was connected with Sharon through a fellow board member of hers. Sharon was reputably on of the most knowledgeable and sophisticated persons in the digital media space with an established network of successful and innovative individuals.

I had an opportunity to discuss my start up and potential exit strategies with Sharon on a call, during which she provided first-hand insight on market trends and valuations of internet lead gen companies, even narrowing the scope to the pertinent industry. She was attentive as I outlined the growth model and showed great interest in the company's progress and direction.

In a subsequent meeting with her, Sharon further elaborated on growth opportunities and proposed synergies that she was willing to facilitate among her own network of companies. On her own initiative, she followed through on these connections, and maintained communication with me as my company was rapidly grown and consequently acquired.

The widening of Sharon's circle of entrepreneurs in digital media is a testament to her versatile intelligence, as well as her willingness to share her knowledge openly with others in the industry.

HealthCare Ventures: Good VC Partner for Us

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:16:01 -0500

| Fund Rated 3.9 | 582 Chars in Private

We had a very good experience working with HCV, in particular with Doug Onsi. We also interacted frequently with a very smart MD by the name of Steve Landau that Doug works closely with in order to look at the science and technical aspects. Both have recent entrepreneurial backgrounds, which made them stood out from most of the other VCs we interacted with. As a VC, they were quite flexible during termsheet negotiation, which is always a big plus. We always felt they understood the challenges and issues that could likely make or break a small biotech like us from first hand experience. They got us in touch with some of the best people in their respective field to complement our team and bring in the right level of expertise. We recently closed on a deal with a large pharma partner and I can honestly say they clearly had a positive influence in getting us where we needed to be for this deal to be possible.

Allco Equity Partners Management Pty: No Longer Exists

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:54:26 -0500

| Fund Rated 4.4

According to http://www.delisted.com.au/Company/10671

This company no longer exists and has become Oceania Capital Partners Limited.

TheFunded.com Sponsor Posting: Event: The Changing Face of Private Company CEO Compensation

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:33:32 -0500

| Posted by System

ExpertCEO and Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe are co-sponsoring a breakfast panel titled "The Changing Face of Private Company CEO Compensation" the morning of Wednesday, November 18, at the Menlo Park offices of Orrick.

Registration and Breakfast: 8:00 a.m.
Program: 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Networking: 9:30 - 10:00 a.m.

Panelists will include:

- Ammar Hanafi, General Partner, Alloy Ventures
- Tom LaWer, Principal, Compensia
- Christine McCarthy, Partner, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP (moderator)
- Ken Ross, Founder and CEO, ExpertCEO
- William Soward, CEO, Adaptive Planning

This event is for Founders, CEOs and COOs. There is no charge, and more information and registration RSVP can be found at:
http://bit.ly/40pGOc

Maples Investments: Responsive

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:40:03 -0500

| Posted by addvice | Fund Rated 3.9 | 682 Chars in Private

Mike Maples has to be one of the most responsive people I've ever seen.

TheFunded.com Term Sheet: US West BioTech/Health First Round Terms

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:05:46 -0500

TheFunded.com Discussion: Where is Founder Collective?

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:48:48 -0500

TheFunded.com Discussion: Founders or Series Ff Stock

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:02:43 -0500

Altira Group: Upfront but Skittish if You are Capital Intensive

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:00:51 -0500

| Fund Rated 4.0 | 166 Chars in Private