How To Raise A Venture Capital Fund


Book Description

Despite all of the writing on venture capital, there is a missing part of the literature. There has been no book written about raising a venture capital fund. It remains a secret to a few privileged venture capitalists who have gone through this fundraising process. Until now . . . This book serves as a guide. It dives into the process of raising a venture capital fund, the how-tos, the unique language of the limited partner (LP) world, secrets of how LPs think about fund diligence and alignment, the best practices in fundraising, what works, and how you can best prepare for success. I've written this book after spending a decade investing into venture capital funds at a $30B wealth management firm and a $160B technology company. I've been on both sides of the table, the VC and the LP side. I've been behind the scenes managing every aspect of the fundraising process, investing into 80 funds, and reviewing thousands of fund investments. I also co-founded a company that specifically focuses on co-building venture capital businesses, which includes helping VCs understand the intricate dynamics of raising a venture capital fund. After reading my book, you will gain the knowledge and insights gained from these experiences.




How Venture Capital Works


Book Description

Explanations to the inner workings of one of the least understood, but arguably most important, areas of business finance is offered to readers in this engaging volume: venture capital. Venture capitalists provide necessary investment to seed (or startup) companies, but the startup is only the beginning, there is much more to be explored. These savvy investors help guide young entrepreneurs, who likely have little experience, to turn their businesses into the Googles, Facebooks, and Groupons of the world. This book explains the often-complex methods venture capitalists use to value companies and to get the most return on their investments, or ROI. This book is a must-have for any reader interested in the business world.




Venture Capital


Book Description

An essential guide to venture capital Studies have shown that venture capital backed entrepreneurial firms are on average significantly more successful than non-venture capital backed entrepreneurial firms in terms of innovativeness, profitability, and share price performance upon going public. Understanding the various aspects of venture capital is something anyone in any industry should be familiar with. This reliable resource provides a comprehensive view of venture capital by describing the current state of research and best practices in this arena. Issues addressed include sources of capital-such as angel investment, corporate funds, and government funds-financial contracts and monitoring, and the efficiency implications of VC investment, to name a few. Opens with a review of alternative forms of venture capital Highlights the structure of venture capital investments Examines the role venture capitalists play in adding value to their investee firms This informative guide will help you discover the true potential of venture capital.




Venture Deals


Book Description

An engaging guide to excelling in today's venture capital arena Beginning in 2005, Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson, managing directors at Foundry Group, wrote a long series of blog posts describing all the parts of a typical venture capital Term Sheet: a document which outlines key financial and other terms of a proposed investment. Since this time, they've seen the series used as the basis for a number of college courses, and have been thanked by thousands of people who have used the information to gain a better understanding of the venture capital field. Drawn from the past work Feld and Mendelson have written about in their blog and augmented with newer material, Venture Capital Financings puts this discipline in perspective and lays out the strategies that allow entrepreneurs to excel in their start-up companies. Page by page, this book discusses all facets of the venture capital fundraising process. Along the way, Feld and Mendelson touch on everything from how valuations are set to what externalities venture capitalists face that factor into entrepreneurs' businesses. Includes a breakdown analysis of the mechanics of a Term Sheet and the tactics needed to negotiate Details the different stages of the venture capital process, from starting a venture and seeing it through to the later stages Explores the entire venture capital ecosystem including those who invest in venture capitalist Contain standard documents that are used in these transactions Written by two highly regarded experts in the world of venture capital The venture capital arena is a complex and competitive place, but with this book as your guide, you'll discover what it takes to make your way through it.




The Business of Venture Capital


Book Description

The new edition of the definitive guide for venture capital practitioners—covers the entire process of venture firm formation & management, fund-raising, portfolio construction, value creation, and exit strategies Since its initial publication, The Business of Venture Capital has been hailed as the definitive, most comprehensive book on the subject. Now in its third edition, this market-leading text explains the multiple facets of the business of venture capital, from raising venture funds, to structuring investments, to generating consistent returns, to evaluating exit strategies. Author and VC Mahendra Ramsinghani who has invested in startups and venture funds for over a decade, offers best practices from experts on the front lines of this business. This fully-updated edition includes fresh perspectives on the Softbank effect, career paths for young professionals, case studies and cultural disasters, investment models, epic failures, and more. Readers are guided through each stage of the VC process, supported by a companion website containing tools such as the LP-GP Fund Due Diligence Checklist, the Investment Due Diligence Checklist, an Investment Summary format, and links to white papers and other industry guidelines. Designed for experienced practitioners, angels, devils, and novices alike, this valuable resource: Identifies the key attributes of a VC professional and the arc of an investor’s career Covers the art of raising a venture fund, identifying anchor investors, fund due diligence, negotiating fund investment terms with limited partners, and more Examines the distinct aspects of portfolio construction and value creation Balances technical analyses and real-world insights Features interviews, personal stories, anecdotes, and wisdom from leading venture capitalists The Business of Venture Capital, Third Edition is a must-read book for anyone seeking to raise a venture fund or pursue a career in venture capital, as well as practicing venture capitalists, angel investors or devils alike, limited partners, attorneys, start-up entrepreneurs, and MBA students.




Essentials of Venture Capital


Book Description

The first comprehensive guide for mastering venture capital Essentials of Venture Capital is your guide to understanding how venture capital and technology finance works from the inside out. Author Alexander Haislip easily explains the most complex concepts in venture capital and how the business is evolving to meet modern market needs. He illuminates the opaque industry that drives innovation in Silicon Valley and beyond. Learn how venture capital firms are organized and managed Develop techniques for fundraising and making high-growth investments Understand preferred stock provisions and startup valuation methods Navigate recent regulatory changes and evaluate investment returns The author draws on more than half a decade of experience and interviews with high-level investors in the U.S. and abroad. Whether you are contemplating a career in this industry, hoping to raise money for an entrepreneurial endeavor, or are already a seasoned veteran of venture finance, the book's insights and real-world examples will cement your understanding. Essentials of Venture Capital is the first comprehensive book to explain venture capital, how it is changing and what it will look like in the future.




Venture Capital


Book Description

Written by two of Boston's most active and experienced early stage investors, Venture Capital: A Practical Guide to Fund Formation and Management is a handbook and desk reference written for fund managers who are launching new venture capital funds, and those who aspire to start funds in the near future. Experience has taught us there is more to running a successful venture fund than finding companies and hoping for big exits. In this book, we will discuss: 7 Critical Questions That All Venture Fund Managers Need To Consider - What are the key factors to consider in defining your fund's investment strategy? - How do you go about raising capital for your fund? - What are some of the biggest challenges faced by a fund manager? - How do you structure a fund from both a legal and accounting standpoint? - What types of skills do you need on your fund's management team? - What are the economics behind running a fund? - How should a fund manager report fund activity and results to the fund stakeholders (i.e. investors or Limited Partners)? Running an early stage venture fund can be interesting and rewarding work. But setting up and managing an investment fund takes significant time and effort. Given the relatively long life cycle of a startup company investment -- typically 10+ years before a successful investor outcome -- fund managers must be willing to commit their time and effort for at least a decade. Not everyone is willing to commit at that level. Whether you are thinking about setting up a new fund or already managing an active fund, make sure you know what the best practices are in fund management. This book will help you grasp the magnitude of the effort and determine whether you have what it takes to be successful.




Raising Venture Capital for the Serious Entrepreneur


Book Description

Get the Funding You Need From Venture Capitalists and Turn Your New Business Proposal into Reality Authoritative and comprehensive, Raising Venture Capital for the Serious Entrepreneur is an all-in-one sourcebook for entrepreneurs seeking venture capital from investors. This expert resource contains an unsurpassed analysis of the venture capital process, together with the guidance and strategies you need to make the best possible deal_and ensure the success of your business. Written by a leading international venture capitalist, this business-building resource explores the basics of the venture capital method, strategies for raising capital, methods of valuing the early-stage venture, and techniques for negotiating the deal. Filled with case studies, charts, and exercises, Raising Venture Capital for the Serious Entrepreneur explains: How to develop a financing map How to determine the amount of capital to raise and what to spend it on How to create a winning business plan How to agree on a term sheet with a venture capitalist How to split the rewards How to allocate control between founders/management and investors




The Business of Venture Capital


Book Description

The definitive guide to demystifying the venture capital business The Business of Venture Capital, Second Edition covers the entire spectrum of this field, from raising funds and structuring investments to assessing exit pathways. Written by a practitioner for practitioners, the book provides the necessary breadth and depth, simplifies the jargon, and balances the analytical logic with experiential wisdom. Starting with a Foreword by Mark Heesen, President, National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), this important guide includes insights and perspectives from leading experts. Covers the process of raising the venture fund, including identifying and assessing the Limited Partner universe; fund due-diligence criteria; and fund investment terms in Part One Discusses the investment process, including sourcing investment opportunities; conducting due diligence and negotiating investment terms; adding value as a board member; and exploring exit pathways in Part Two Offers insights, anecdotes, and wisdom from the experiences of best-in-class practitioners Includes interviews conducted by Leading Limited Partners/Fund-of-Funds with Credit Suisse, Top Tier Capital Partners, Grove Street Advisors, Rho Capital, Pension Fund Managers, and Family Office Managers Features the insights of over twenty-five leading venture capital practitioners, frequently featured on Forbes' Midas List of top venture capitalists Those aspiring to raise a fund, pursue a career in venture capital, or simply understand the art of investing can benefit from The Business of Venture Capital, Second Edition. The companion website offers various tools such as GP Fund Due Diligence Checklist, Investment Due Diligence Checklist, and more, as well as external links to industry white papers and other industry guidelines.




The Oxford Handbook of Venture Capital


Book Description

Venture capital (VC) refers to investments provided to early-stage, innovative, and high growth start-up companies. A common characteristic of all venture capital investments is that investee companies do not have cash flows to pay interest on debt or dividends on equity. Rather, investments are made with a view towards capital gain on exit. The most sought after exit routes are an initial public offering (IPO), where a company lists on a stock exchange for the first time, and an acquisition exit (trade sale), where the company is sold in entirety to another company. However, VCs often exit their investments by secondary sales, wherein the entrepreneur retains his or her share but the VC sells to another company or investor buybacks, where the entrepreneur repurchases the VC`s interest and write-offs (liquidations). The Oxford Handbook of Venture Capital provides a comprehensive picture of all the issues dealing with the structure, governance, and performance of venture capital from a global perspective. The handbook comprises contributions from 55 authors currently based in 12 different countries.