FUNDING A STARTUP VENTURE

1. 15 FUNDING A STARTUP VENTURE

2. Learning Objectives • Develop a resource strategy. • Understand the importance of a financial plan. • Explain methods of funding with equity. • Discuss how to finance with debt. • Explore non-dilutive funding sources.

3. Startup Resource Strategy • Categories of necessary resources: • Human capital • Social capital • Physical capital • Financial capital

4. Startup Resource Strategy • Process for constructing a resource base: • Identify and specify required resources at various milestones in the company’s growth. • Identify potential suppliers of those resources. • Assess the entrepreneur’s ability to attract resources. • Combine resources to create new, unique resources. • Transform individual resources into organizational resources.

5. The Financial Plan • Growth stage identification • Startup funds are required. • Capital required to grow on the basis of a proven business model. • Mezzanine financingor bridge financingrequired to provide the entrepreneur with the funds the company needs to get through an initial public offering.

6. Stages of Investment Figure 15.2

7. The Unique Funding Issues of High-Tech Ventures • Early seed funding supports a long period of product development – often comes from government grants or foundations. • “Valley of death” – period from idea generation to product development characterized by a high failure rate • “Early adopters” stage – technically-oriented users who want leading edge technology • Marketing dollars needed to create awareness for new adopters • “Tornado” – period of mass adoption

8. Funding a Social Venture • Social ventures are focused on providing a benefit to society. • Typically low return on investment • Structured as non-profits (no ownership stakes) • “Impact investing” • Social investment funds • Seed-stage and growth-stage grants

9. Funding Startups through Bootstrapping • Bootstrapping: techniques for getting by on as few resources as possible and using other people’s resources whenever feasible • Get traction as quickly as possible • Hire as few employees as possible • Lease or share everything • Use other people’s money • Bootstrapping ethics

10. Funding with Equity • Investments in a venture are generally made to gain an ownership share in the business, called equity. • Sources of equity financing: • Friends and family • Private investors—”angels” • Private placement memorandum • Venture capital institutes and networks • Small business investment companies (SBICs)

11. Friends and Family • Equity from friends and family • The most expensive long term funding. • The entrepreneur is more likely to lose control of the business.

12. Private Investors—Angels • Angels are informal risk-capital sources. • Funding is between $10k-$500k. • Angels are often well educated entrepreneurs who tend to invest within a short distance from home. • Angels take an active role in the company.

13. Private Placement Memorandum • Private investments obtained by selling securities in a private corporation/partnership • SEC Regulation D covers memorandum details. • Advantages: • Few prior assets or credit references are needed • No SEC filing needed for entrepreneurs

14. Venture Capital Institutes and Networks • Institutes on major university campuses offer access to venture capital networks. • University acts as conduit to match entrepreneurs and investors.

15. Small Business Investment Companies • Small business investment Companies (SBICs) • Privately managed venture capital firms licensed by the Small Business Administration • Get financing at very favorable rates, in partnership with the federal government, to invest in small and growing businesses through equity and long-term debt.

16. Financing with Debt • Commercial banks • Basis of loans: • Character • Capacity • Capital • Collateral • Condition

17. Financing With Debt (cont’d) • Commercial finance companies • Less regulated than banks • High finance charges • Factoring • Receivable financing in which the factor takes ownership of a receivable at a discount and then collects against it

18. Financing With Debt (cont’d) • Small Business Administration loan • Entrepreneur applies for up to $2M loan from his personal bank; SBA guarantees that it will repay up to 90% of the loan to the commercial lender should the business default. • Micro loans exist for companies to use nonprofit community development corporations rather than banks.

19. Other Non-Dilutive Funding Sources • Strategic alliances: Partnerships with another business (formal or informal). • Grants: Federal agencies with R&D budgets in excess of $100M must give a portion to technology-based small business in form of Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grants. • State-funded incentives: Range of incentives to help new and growing ventures. • Incubators: Places where startup ventures can get space and support for early stages of startup.

20. Looking Ahead • Part One: Entrepreneurial Opportunity (Ch 1-4) • Part Two: Feasibility Analysis (Ch 5-8) • Part Three: Business Design (Ch 9-15) • Part Four: Planning for Growth and Change • Chapter 16: Funding a Rapidly Growing Venture • Chapter 17: Planning for Growth • Chapter 18: Planning for Change

21. New Venture Action Plan • Calculate how many personal resources you have to help fund a new venture. • Determine ways to bootstrap the startup of the new venture. • Network to come into contact with potential “angels.” • Identify an attorney who can help structure any legal documents. • Investigate the sources of debt financing in the community. • Determine if any of the non-dilutive sources of funding are appropriate for your business.