This document provides an overview of venture capital. It discusses the size of the venture capital market in the US and Europe, how venture capital funds make money, the typical stages of investment and associated investment sizes, the types of support venture capital firms can provide, case studies of Index Ventures' involvement, typical deal terms, strategies for identifying relevant venture capital partners, and key considerations when choosing a venture capital partner.
1. Everything you need to know about
Venture Capital
Ben Holmes
Index Ventures
20 February 2007
2. Who we are
Index Ventures
Pan European Venture Fund €1.3bn under management
Based London & Geneva Active investor in web / internet
Selected Investments
3. Agenda
Overview of Venture Capital
When to raise VC finance?
Strategies for VC fundraising
How to choose the right VC partner?
4. Venture Capital – Size of market
US - 2006
$25.7bn
–
1446 transactions
–
$10.5m average investment
–
Europe - 2006
– €4.1bn
– 867 transactions
– €14m average investment
55% of transactions within broad IT sector
However rapid increase in Web application investments
– UK 2005 - £24m invested
– UK 2006 - £79m invested
Sources: Dow Jones VentureOne, Paul Fisher at FirstCapital
5. Venture Capital – How the VC makes money
Raise fund every 2-4 years
– Pension funds, financial institutions and specialist
“fund of fund” investors
Invest money over 3-5 years
~ 1/2 of investments lose money
~ 1/3 of investments break even
~ 1/6 of investments make (lots) of money
Very small management fee on funds managed
~ 1-2.5% pa
Carry
~ 20-25%x (Total Return – Total Amount Invested)
6. Venture Capital – Stages of Investment
Early Stage Later Stage Pre-IPO / Private
Seed
Series A, (B) (B),C,D… Buy-out Equity
Investment 0 - €1m €2m-€20m €5m-€20m €30m+
Size
Potential Grant-funding Venture Capital Venture Capital Specialist Late
Sources of stage tech
University seed
Funds (Wealthy) investment
funds
Angel investors funds
Friends and
family Hedge Funds
Angel Investors
(Venture Capital)
7. Venture Capital – What a good VC will add
Advice and Strategy Internationalisation
Hiring Trusted service
provider relationships
– Developers
– Search / recruiting
– Country Managers
– Branding / PR
– Sales
– Finance, etc
– CEO / CFO / COO
– Advisory Board
Exit optimisation
– Knowledge / contacts
Partnerships
with relevant buyers
– Experience with
Profile and PR
process
8. VC Case Study
Company Creation
– Index acting as Interim Mgmt
Team Recruitment
– Mattias Miksche as CEO
Relocated to Stockholm
Board Hiring
– Fred Davis
Additional Finance
– Sequoia Capital
Celebrity Partnerships
Fashion Industry Partnerships
9. VC Case Study
Company establishes HQ in
London
– Few hundred meters from
Index
Day to day contact with
founders
Team Recruitment
– Mike Volpi, Cisco as Chairman
– Saul Klein, Head of Marketing
– Etc.
Exit strategy
– Index plays key role in
navigating multiple buyer
discussions
– Successful exit to eBay
€2.5bn+
10. Venture Capital – Typical Deal Terms
but that’s so
Target 20-35% ownership unfair…
Board Representation
Liquidation Preference
Participation rights
Element of reverse vesting
Certain control and veto rights
Option Pool
Period of exclusivity to close legals
Photo Source: Philip Greenspun, MIT
11. Agenda
Overview of Venture Capital
When to raise VC finance?
Strategies for VC fundraising
How to choose the right VC partner?
12. Good reasons to raise VC
Pre-requisites
Excellent
Unique Product Large Potential
Development
Or Concept Market Opportunity
Capability
Implications…
Intense
Need to move
competition
rapidly
likely
VC funding supports
Rapid Product
Hiring Partnerships
Development
Infrastructure Internationalisation Commercialisation
13. When NOT to raise VC
Application
Market size is Motivation is
is a feature
too small not financial
not a product
Risk is not that you waste time unsuccessfully trying
to raise finance …
… real danger is that you do succeed in raising VC
funds
– Lose opportunity for small exit which could be
personally lucrative
– Lose opportunity to run lifestyle business
– Get bound in to 3+ yrs work you may not enjoy
14. Agenda
Overview of Venture Capital
When to raise VC finance?
Strategies for VC fundraising
How to choose the right VC partner?
15. The top tips…
Have a great product
Focus predominantly on the
business not fundraising
Evidence of executional ability is
more exciting to VC than a 100
page business plan
16. Identifying relevant VC partners
Has funds
to invest
Do create a shortlist
Match of
Excellent
Size/Stage/ Rifle is a better weapon
track record
Geography
than a shotgun
Shortlist
No directly
Relevant
competitive
Portfolio
investments
Good free sources on VC funding
http://www.thealarmclock.com/euro/
http://www.vecosys.com
17. Getting on radar screens
Out of the blue email is a longshot
Try to build context
– Analyse portfolio companies – are there any links
there
– Analyse contact network and advisors
– Analyse press coverage
– Participate in blog conversations
– Attend events and conferences
– Relevant PR around product also helps
VCs spend their time looking for businesses with
momentum
18. Sharing relevant information
Pre - first meeting Pre - termsheet Post - termsheet
100 page business plan not Dialogue rather than Some additional reference
required documentation – expect calls with partners /
lots of meetings customers
20 page ppt which clearly
answers main questions is Calls with current / Personal reference calls
best bet prospective customers or
partners Legal / accounting audit (if
– Product
relevant)
– Market
Meeting broader team
– Business Model Drafting legal
– Team Brainstorming around documentation
– Competition strategy
– Product Roadmap
Identifying key hires post
– Technology Overview
closing
– Business Development
– Financial Status Formal presentation to VC
partnership
2-4 weeks 1-2 Months
19. Agenda
Overview of Venture Capital
When to raise VC finance?
Strategies for VC fundraising
How to choose the right VC partner?
20. Valuation should not be the decisive factor
Entrepreneur’s Equation Revenues / Profitability
Growth rate
Team quality
Value at exit
Strategic fit with buyer community
Well managed exit process
Fewest strategic errors made
Hiring (quality & speed)
Probability of getting there
Partnerships
Product development
Valuation at initial round
Valuation and dilution at
% share of business at exit subsequent rounds
Option grants
21. Key things to consider
Relationship
1.
With key individual(s); and
broader team
References
2.
Right partner at a fair price
Speak to other founders
vs.
Portfolio
3.
Any partner at best price
Relevant experience
Non competitive
Community you want to be
part of
Valuation and associated
4.
deal terms
22. Thank you
Ben Holmes
Email: benh@indexventures.com
Skype: ben_holmes
Stardoll: binky2128