The document outlines essential information about financing an invention, particularly focusing on venture capital (VC) funding sources, organization, and processes. It provides insights into how VC funds operate, what venture capitalists look for in investment opportunities, and offers tips on pitching to investors. Additionally, it discusses alternative funding options and emphasizes the importance of market demand and execution strategies in successfully bringing an invention to market.

1. Financing Your Invention Curtis V Palmer, President / CEO TechBirmingham

2. Thinking About Pursuing VC Funding?

3. Where Does VC Money Come From? Insurance Companies, Educational Endowments, Pension Funds and Wealthy Individuals VC invests pools of money allocated to “Alternative Investments”. Perhaps 5% to 10% of the portfolio might be allocated to Alternative Investments. The portfolio owners seek to obtain high returns from these more risky Alternative Investments.

4. How are Venture Capital Funds Organized? Most VC Funds are Limited Partnerships Venture Capital Fund Limited Partners Pension Funds, Educational Endowments, Foundations, Insurance Companies, Wealthy Individuals General Partners These are the “Venture Capitalists” you will deal with. They may have been Entrepreneurs in a prior life or they might be financial types. The General Partners use an Offering Memorandum to raise a fund of a given size from the Limited Partners by convincing them that the GPs have a unique strategy or expertise in a particular sector or sectors of the market. Fund raising can take a year or more. If the GPs are successful they will convince enough Limited Partners to invest enough money to achieve the size fund offered. When this happens there is a first “close” of the fund.

5. What Do Venture Capitalists Do? GPs have to Source Deals Referrals from trusted sources (other funds, entrepreneurs they have invested in before, lawyers, accountants etc.) Make Investment Decisions GPs pick the ones they think will be the “winners” They might look at 50 or 100 opportunities for each one they invest in

6. Managing the VC Investment GP/VCs have a fiduciary duty to the LPs to “manage” the investment This means they usually sit on the Board of Directors Given this time commitment a VC might only be able to handle 6 to 10 portfolio investment companies at a time

7. VCs Want “Exits” GP/VCs win only if they can get their money out of the investment Acquisition, IPO, etc. Even the most successful funds rarely have even 1/3 of their portfolio investments become successful

8. Fund Investment Cycle 10 Year Fund Life Funds plan to harvest winners in 5 to 7 years or less Initial Portfolio Investments For Early Stage Funds it is typical for the Fund to invest $1 and keep $2-$3 in “dry powder”

9. Things For You to Think About Does Your Idea Fit the Needs of the VC? They need to see Big Returns. If your Plan can justify this and you need lots of capital to achieve your Plan then VC may be the way to go. You may be able to grow a successful company and make a lot of money without having to scale to the size that will interest Venture Capital.

10. More Things to Think About Are You Ready For Venture Capital? VCs have a relatively short time fuse to success - a 10 year Fund and the need to show some “Winners” early in order to raise the Next Fund Result: You have to be ready to move quickly, there will not be much time to recover from errors in the plan or execution

11. Even More To Think About Prepared to Become a Minority Stockholder? In order to generate returns for their Limited Partners the GP/VCs have to invest a large amount and this usually means they will obtain a significant percentage of the company over time Having a small piece of a Big Pie can make you rich but you have to be mentally prepared to become a Minority Stockholder

12. So You STILL Want VC Funding?

13. Making Your VC Pitch K.I.S.S ~ *Really* Simple! Target Your Audience Lowest Common Denominator Keep It Short (too!) Answer detail/curveballs quickly and move on Show commitment and enthusiasm

14. VC Pitch Pointers Use best presenter Have egghead in room Give firm answers Look at everyone in room Do your homework

15. VC Strategy Get money when you don’t need it Practice and Test your pitch PRACTICE and TEST your pitch Be “introduced” when possible One strike… 15 seconds Assume >= 6 months

16. Questions to Expect from a VC Is the IP protected? Is team assembled? Where do you fit… physically, on food chain Customer requirements When will you manufacture/develop? How much $ will it cost to build it? In volume? How much money will you make “us”?

17. BizPlan As A Financing Document

18. How a VC Reads your Plan First Reading: Like a Resume Make The Cut, So That You Get An Opportunity To Tell Your Story Second Reading: Justify The Investment Third Reading: Commit To A Plan That You And The Investors Can Live With. REMEMBER: If you don’t make the FIRST CUT, #2 and #3 never happen.

19. Making the First Cut An Idea Too Good To Ignore A Financial Promise Too Good To Turn Down A Team Good Enough To Believe In An Action Plan That’s Credible and Focused Format and Style That Show Passion Sanity Details That Give Assurance of Insight, Commitment and Follow Through

20. Why Plans Fail the First Cut Insufficient Market Non-Credible Technology Too Wild and Blue-Sky (Unproven) Not Protectible Too Mundane Investment Too Large For The Promise Failure to Understand The Market

21. More Reasons Plans Fail Action Plan Not Credible Too Ambitious / Optimistic Not Ambitious Enough Naïve About The Hurdles Regulatory Barriers Insufficiently Addressed Gaps Filled By Handwaving Team Not Credible

22. “Cosmetic” Reasons for Failing Filled With Market Or Technology-Specific Jargon i.e., WHAT IS THE BUSINESS? Naïve Projections Misspellings, Poor Grammar, Poor Quality Printing Too Long “ Forget Marketing, My Technology Is Best” Poor Grammar, Spelling, or General Writing Style

23. Valuation as a Driver of Financing

24. Valuation What’s My Invention Really Worth? ANSWER: At Any Given Time Your Company Is Worth What Someone Will Pay For It At That Time

25. What Determines Valuation Supply Demand When Market Liquidity Metrics for Valuation

26. Valuation ~ Macro Drivers Which Way Is The Tide Going? A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats But, A Falling Tide Strands Them Overall State of the Economy e.g. Purchasing Cycles: Will Customers Purchase Today? Condition of Public Equity Markets

27. Valuation ~ Positioning Negotiation Skill? Having or Appearing to Have Alternatives Getting A Bidding War Going? The Train Is Leaving The Station You Are Known By The Company You Keep Customers, Partners, Advisors

28. Other Ways To Achieve Funding

29. Debt Financing SBA Loan Home Equity Loan Personal Loan Export Financing Customer Financing Supplier Financing Equipment Leasing Purchase order financing Factoring Micro-loans Credit Cards Seller Financing Franchise financing

30. Equity Financing Friends, Family, and other Fools Venture Capital Strategic Corporate Investors Angel Investors Strategic Partnership Sweat Equity Compensation

31. Miscellaneous Financing Licensing / Royalties Barter SBIR Grant Other Government Grants Contests

32. Inventor’s Funding: Many Options Your Personal Funds Friends, Family, and other Fools Personal Credit Cards, Home Equity Loan, and/or Other Borrowings Business Angels Corporate Direct Investment Venture Capital

33. My Way ;-)

34. Minimize Funding Requirements Get paid to build the product Easier to start with a service (funding) Provisional payments in advance and upon fulfillment You have no funding now, why start with a strategy that requires something you do NOT have?

35. Pull… don’t Push Customer Need (Demand) Inventor Company Purchases $ Purchases $ Market Pull Customer Need (Demand)? Inventor Company Invention Search? Market Push

36. Benefits of Customer First Free and better market research Learn through relationships and services Companies know their markets Learn through partners and customers Develop value on someone else’s nickel Built-in market for your invention

37. Common Sense Approach Start with Buyers Why? “You can build solutions but not buyers…” Execution Intelligence Wins Know the Market Talk to : potential customers, potential competitors, partners, advisors, investors/creditors, “multipliers” 2. Identify a compelling need Talk to : potential customers, potential competitors, partners, advisors, investors/creditors, “multipliers” 3. Generate customers Talk to : potential customers, potential competitors, partners, advisors, investors/creditors, “multipliers” 4. Sell solution 5. Build & deliver solution

38. Curtis V Palmer [email_address] www.TechBirmingham.com