Venture Capital Cycle – How Does it Go?

Venture capital is something that most aspiring entrepreneurs are eyeing. This is because the deal is rather simple – you submit the proposal, firms accept the deal and provide funds to finance it. Compared to bank loans which you need to repay, venture capital is paid by the firms and investors.

But while it may seem easy, the process may be a little complicated as you go along. Here is a simple discussion on venture capital cycle and how it works.

The cycle is basically made up of three stages: raising of funds, investment of such funds, and exit.

Before you can close a venture capital deal, you must first find a venture capital firm. Research on the firms available, and see which industries they are most inclined to. Your proposal must fit their investment criteria, otherwise, everything would just be a waste of time. The usual fields are biotech and greentech. If these are the types of businesses that you wish to enter into, then you are in luck.

The next step is to develop a business proposal. This you will submit to the firm. It is therefore important that the proposal is short but complete and well-researched. At this stage you may seek help from professionals and consultants. Make sure that there are no errors in it. When it is your time to present, be sure to have studied your proposal and the industry where it belongs in order for you to be able to answer questions that capitalists and managers may ask.

Granting that you've submitted a good proposal and was given the 1:400 shot at landing a deal, you have now completed the first stage of the cycle. The next stage is in the investment of such funds.

During presentation, you will be required to present a management team. It is important that this team be composed of competent people who are knowledgeable of the field or industry that you propose to enter. Aside from your own management team, the firm shall appoint managers to help, even impose, policies and decisions in the company. Since these firms have high stakes in the company's success, it is only logical that they interfere with the decision-making process and in effect, have more control over the company than its owner.

During exit, the funds are liquidated and returned to the investors. This usually happens within 3-5 years, even sooner, if the return of investment is very high. An exit may take different forms, such as merger and acquisition, buyout and initial public offering or IPO. While others may have succeeded in earning more than 500% of their initial investment, there are likewise others who failed. Also, a big chunk of the funds goes to the expenses of the firm, such as management fees, consultation fees, and other fees.

Understanding venture capital cycle will make you better, more efficient entrepreneurs. That is why it is important to do some research, read articles, even enroll in a venture capital course. Furthermore, investigate on the trends of the industry that you want to enter into.

No entrepreneur became successful just by mere luck or chance. Any entrepreneur will tell you that you need to study and understand what you're doing in order for you to be successful.

S.Matrai

Venture Capital – Knowing Your Funding Options

Entrepreneurs and business experts have defined venture capital as a financing style between a capitalist and entrepreneur with a common goal of a handsome return in a short period of time, maybe 3 to 5 years. But while there are several resources on the definition and characteristics of this topic, few have actually discussed the options that this kind of business set-up has.

Before taking the plunge, know what these options are and how they can be applied to your current business plan.

The funding option depends on the stage of the company's progress. Investment firms can invest from $50,000 up to $20 Million. If the company is still at its earliest stage, where a concept or invention is still to be developed or proved, the option is called seed financing. Here investment is spent on marketing and product development. Product ingenuity and market research are the areas being focused.

When the company has already developed its product and marketing strategy but needs money for the actual production and initial marketing, the funding option is called start-up financing. This is the common option for new entrepreneurs and inventors. Here funds are spent for the production and initial marketing. Amounts can range from $50,000 to $1 Million.

Sometimes a company already has its products and may have initially introduced them to the market, but receives little or no revenue at all. In this case, the entrepreneur may need financial assistance at this stage, called the first or early stage. The amount usually ranges from $500,000 up to $15 Million, depending on the extent of the changes that need to be made. It could be that the product needs to be revised or developed to make it more saleable, or it can be a mere repackaging or change in advertising strategy.

The next option is called the second or later stage. Here the company has its products and may have received revenues, and has the potential of making it big in the near future, but for some reason has no funds at hand. It could be that there are some loans that need to be paid, or other financial schemes that need to be complied with. That is why venture capital firms invest from $2-15 Million to help the company.

Some profitable companies want to expand, but does not want to put in more capital out of their own money. Their goal is not to keep the company for many years but for it to quickly grow in order to make an IPO within a few months, say 3-18 months. This option is called the third or mezzanine stage. Amounts range from $2 Million to $20 Million.

Similarly, this next option needs an investment before an IPO, but the time frame is within 3-12 months. This is called the bridge. Investment is also between $2 Million to $20 Million.

Remember that there is a specific option for each stage that your company has. The key is to know what options to use. Similarly, you must know where to find these venture capital firms. You must also develop a concise but comprehensive business proposal to present to them. Lastly, keep in mind that venture capital is not the end-all but just the beginning of more challenging things to come.