The document discusses key aspects of fundraising for startups, focusing on how much to raise, business valuation, and the workings of venture capital funds. It emphasizes the importance of careful financial planning, raising funds in tranches to minimize dilution, and understanding the criteria that venture capitalists (VCs) use for investments. Additionally, the document outlines risk management strategies, highlighting the need to minimize execution and market risks.

1. Source: http://twistedsifter.com/2009/11/how-to-lose-193-million-in-7-hands-of-poker/
Fundraising
Rodrigo A. Sepúlveda Schulz
18 January 2011, Singapore - The Founder Institute - (cc) BY NC SA

2. http://www.RodrigoSepulveda.com

5. Summary
✤ how much to raise ?
✤ what valuation ?
✤ how a fund works & what VCs look for
✤ risk management

6. 1. how much to raise ?

7. PnL projections is the basis

11. 2.2 million

12. insight 1 = cashflow > 0, around month 21
2.2 million

13. insight 1 = cashflow > 0, around month 21
2.2 million
insight 2 = the business needs about 2.2m

17. Adjust the model for uncertainty :20-30%
2.8 million

18. how much money? key take-aways
✤ careful financial planning is necessary
✤ tells you exactly how much money is required
✤ (adjust for uncertainty with analytical tools)
✤ forces the entrepreneur to test his hypothesis and business logic
✤ gives before-hand many of the answers to investor questions
✤ Allows for scenario building (high, low, target)

19. 2. what valuation ?

20. http://www.ownyourventure.com/equitySim.html

21. the good (theoretically)

22. the bad (your projections)

23. the bad (your projections)

24. the bad (your projections)

25. the bad (your projections)

26. the bad (your projections)

27. the ugly

28. solution: raise in tranches
Series A
Series B

29. series A : 12 mo. cash, no options

30. great execution commands higher
pre-money valuation 4 next round

31. Series B : add an option pool !

32. example of an exit price
(2x revenues, after 4-5 years)
(fully diluted)

33. valuation take-aways
✤ 1st round (seed and/or series A)
✤ not a real life valuation, it’s only about how much you want to give away for the
amount of money you need > implied valuation
✤ minimize dilution by raising in tranches
✤ 2nd round (series B)
✤ you need to prove execution to raise at a higher valuation
✤ raise enough to reach cash-flow positive status
✤ 3rd round+ : growth (organic or acquisition)

34. 3. how funds work
& what VCs look for

36. fund lifetime ~10 years
let’s assume for this example a $100m fund
with 4 investment professionals

37. extension
fund lifetime ~10 years up to 2 years
let’s assume for this example a $100m fund
with 4 investment professionals

38. 10 years

39. LPs = Limited
Partners put money in
$
10 years

40. LPs = Limited
Partners put money in
$
10 years
GPs = General Partners = the VCs :
‘manage the money’ =
they invest over 4-5 years

41. LPs = Limited money has to be returned to LPs
Partners put money in with an IRR
= Internal Rate of Return
$
$
10 years
GPs = General Partners = the VCs :
‘manage the money’ =
they invest over 4-5 years

42. LPs = Limited money has to be returned to LPs
Partners put money in with an IRR
= Internal Rate of Return
$
$
10 years
GPs = General Partners = the VCs : Only 50-60% is invested in
‘manage the money’ = NewCos,
they invest over 4-5 years rest kept as “dry powder”

43. ✤ there are usually investment rules:
✤ ex: only 5% of a fund in a company
✤ ex: no cross-fund in a single company
✤ which means for ex. 100*5%= 5m MAX in the life of the company from your VC !
✤ it also means 20 companies max/fund
✤ with 4 investors, investing over 5 years, that’s 1 new company / investor per year !
✤ statistically 60% of companies fail, 30% do just OK, 10% do great...

44. understand why there is a liquidity
clause after 5 years !
startup : 5y with VC
10 year fund
investment period

45. understand the age of the fund
startup : 5y with VC
10 year fund
investment period

46. understand the age of the fund
startup : 5y with VC
10 year fund
investment period

47. how LPs make money

48. how LPs make money
1) hurdle rate ~15%, c. 4x (gross) required...

49. how LPs make money
1) hurdle rate ~15%, c. 4x (gross) required...
100m * (1+15%)^10 = 400m

50. how LPs make money
1) hurdle rate ~15%, c. 4x (gross) required...
100m * (1+15%)^10 = 400m
2) carried interest : any upside above the
hurdle rate is shared :
80% for LPs, 20% for GPs

51. how LPs make money
1) hurdle rate ~15%, c. 4x (gross) required...
100m * (1+15%)^10 = 400m
2) carried interest : any upside above the
hurdle rate is shared :
80% for LPs, 20% for GPs
there are subtleties: hurdle rate or not,
on invested money or not,
% might change if you are a great fund, etc.

53. how GPs make money

54. how GPs make money
1) management fees ~1,5-2,5% of fund/year

55. how GPs make money
1) management fees ~1,5-2,5% of fund/year
100m * 2% = 2m/year.
means 2m * 10y = only $80m left to invest

56. how GPs make money
1) management fees ~1,5-2,5% of fund/year
100m * 2% = 2m/year.
means 2m * 10y = only $80m left to invest
2) carried interest : any upside above the
hurdle rate is shared :
80% for LPs, 20% for GPs

57. how GPs make money
1) management fees ~1,5-2,5% of fund/year
100m * 2% = 2m/year.
means 2m * 10y = only $80m left to invest
2) carried interest : any upside above the
hurdle rate is shared :
80% for LPs, 20% for GPs
there are subtleties: % on invested money or not,
% might change if you are a great fund, etc.

58. http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2008/08/venture-fund--1.html

59. Why VCs raise more than 1 fund
management fees add up,
before making money on capital gains
Fund I
Fund II
Fund III
they need however to show success
before raising a new fund

60. understand you are competing for the same
cash with a different risk/ return profile
startup : 5y with VC high risk / high return
startup : 5y with VC low risk / medium return
startup : 5y with VC medium risk / medium return
10 year fund
investment period

61. understand you are competing for the same
cash with a different risk/ return profile
startup : 5y with VC high risk / high return
startup : 5y with VC low risk / medium return
startup : 5y with VC medium risk / medium return
10 year fund
investment period

62. understand you are competing for the same
cash with a different risk/ return profile
startup : 5y with VC high risk / high return
startup : 5y with VC low risk / medium return
startup : 5y with VC medium risk / medium return
10 year fund
investment period

63. VCs key take-aways
✤ understand why there are liquidity clauses
✤ understand the “age” of the fund : money for you or not
✤ understand “dry powder” for subsequent rounds
✤ understand that you are one of many startups. What matters is the
performance of the fund
✤ understand VCs make money only if you do really great (in the top
10%) after paying for the hurdle rate and 80% carried interest...

64. 4. risk management

65. it’s all about minimizing risk first
✤ Execution risk => team
✤ Opportunity risk => market size, market traction
✤ Business model risk => business plan
✤ Technology risk => prototype, launched site
✤ All the rest => business plan, reference calls, due diligence
✤ The only thing left should be the market risk (competition, growth)

66. Team

67. Target market and B-model

68. Technology

69. Summary
✤ how much to raise ?
✤ Valuation & tranches
✤ how a fund works & what VCs look for
✤ risk management

70. Thank you!