In the first post of our cap table series, we broke down a cap table into its most basic parts and defined each one. As a quick refresher, cap tables all of the shareholders in your business and lay out who owns what, how much each one owns, and what value is assigned to the […]
To really succeed at building relationships with angel groups and getting investments from them, you have to understand how they work. If you match an angel group’s investment criteria, the next step is to go through their process. But for a lot of entrepreneurs, that process is opaque. While some angel groups might provide you […]
We launched the third program in our Entrepreneurial Education Series, “Connecting Corporations and Startups,” on September 24th with our partner 1871 and sponsor The Wall Street Journal. The event brought together powerhouse entrepreneurs, corporate venturers, and corporate executives Jacob Babcock (CEO & Co-Founder, NuCurrent), Hardik Bhatt (CIO, State of Illinois), Rob Diebold (Strategic Business Development […]
Understanding all of the technicalities of investment — how you should calculate your valuation, what your term sheet actually says, and what a cap table is, let alone should demonstrate — can an often feel like the most difficult part of the process. Even more than pitching and finding the right investors, understanding the technicalities of investment requires learning and […]
Join Hyde Park Angels at 1871 on September 24 for a dynamic event focused on teaching you how to leverage Chicago’s rich corporate landscape to grow your startup. Our experienced panel of entrepreneurs and corporate venturers will take you through landing corporate clients, building strategy partnership, and even attracting corporate investment. You’ll also have the […]
Receiving a term sheet from an investor can be an exciting time for you as a founder. But you shouldn’t let that excitement keep you from understanding and thinking critically about that term sheet. The better your grasp the terms presented, the more chance you’ll have of effectively starting your long-term investor relationship on the […]
More and more, investors are using the “Moneyball” model — an evidence-based, algorithmic approach — to make investments. The idea is that they can use analytics and success metrics to predict the future, and as a result, make better investment considerations. So far, it seems like it’s working. Assuming you don’t already have close relationships with investors, which will […]
As an early-stage entrepreneur, one of the first things you learn is that the valuation of your company is important. Every Shark Tank episode focuses on the drama and negotiations around valuation. In fact, the beginning of every Shark Tank pitch starts off in the following way: Entrepreneur: “I am seeking a $## investment in […]
If you’ve never seen a term sheet or before — or have for that matter — it can have a dizzying effect. There’s a lot of complex language and terms you’ve likely never seen before. To help ensure best practices and simplicity in your current and future rounds, use National Venture Capital Association’s sample term sheet or one that’s […]
From our work with Visible.VC developing an index of investor sentiment and predictions for future investment, we’ve seen that investors believe there is plenty of funding available for seed rounds, but a much more limited amount for Series A rounds. You might fall into a number of categories: not raising any capital yet, still gathering […]
