A growing number of start-ups are accessing venture debt to fund the growth of their business. With the primary appeal of limiting equity dilution, it’s easy to see why founders might jump on board the venture debt train. But venture debt has been linked to a number of collapsing startups both here and in the… Read more »
The journey of a startup is seldom a solitary endeavour. It’s an expedition steeped in camaraderie, mentorship and, crucially, timely intervention. A pivotal lifeline, often undervalued or misunderstood, is the startup accelerator. Today, as a technology venture capitalist and a mentor with the Founder Institute, I’d like to share why accelerators warrant serious consideration from… Read more »
I recently returned from Silicon Valley where I had insightful conversations with a diverse range of founders and investors. These discussions shed light on the challenges faced by technology startups in the current funding landscape. With venture capitalists (VCs) taking longer to respond and valuations subdued, it is crucial for founders to approach these obstacles… Read more »
In today’s business landscape, where the rate of disruption is accelerating and the fickle nature of consumer preferences leaves little room for error, the success of a startup hinges on the founders’ ability to weather the storm. Resilience, the capacity to absorb unexpected setbacks and adapt to new challenges, is a crucial quality for entrepreneurs… Read more »
As we embark on another year in the world of startups, it’s important to acknowledge the challenges that tech founders will face in 2023. This year, top performing startups will have an easier time raising capital than average performing ones. Startups that have extended their runway by making cuts must ensure that they have strong… Read more »
I was in North America last month where I met with lots of investors and founders, across different stages and sectors, from around the region. Some focused on early-stage consumer-oriented startups where they observed a pickup in the velocity of founder pitches for both novel and copycat businesses. Others were later-stage investors who observed that… Read more »
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been having conversations with several founders about employee share ownership plans (ESOPs). An important ingredient of many fast-growing startups, ESOPs are used to align key team members to the long-term success of the business by providing them with exposure to the growth in equity value of the startup. Once… Read more »
Last week I was chatting with a founder who claimed they had achieved product-market fit with their novel technology business. She and her co-founder had been working hard on the product for months. Their solution was in beta, it already had several users, and was generating valuable feedback from these users. She proudly explained that… Read more »
In the first of a three-part series, I explore key areas for innovation in 2021 From remote working to a brave new world of digital healthcare, 2020 was another year where the impossible became possible through rapid advancements in technology. Necessity spurred tech companies to fast-track plans and use technology to solve problems that were… Read more »
This is the third part in a three-part series on startup growth by venture capital investor Benjamin Chong. Part 1 is here & part 2 here. Growth guru Paul Graham’s startup incubator Y Combinator cites a good growth rate at 5 to 7% per week and an exceptional growth rate at 10% per week. The… Read more »
This is the first part in a three-part series on startup growth by venture capital investor Benjamin Chong. Parts 2 & 3 will be published over the coming fortnight. The unemployment toll from COVID-19 was 600,000 in April alone, the largest one month increase on record. So concerning is this consequence of COVID-19 that the… Read more »
A growing number of start-ups are accessing venture debt to fund the growth of their business. With the primary appeal of limiting equity dilution, it’s easy to see why founders might jump on board the venture debt train. But venture debt has been linked to a number of collapsing startups both here and in… Read more »
Melbourne-based drone startup Swoop Aero, which is working with aid agencies and the UN to deliver urgent medical supplies to remote areas, has received a multi-million-dollar investment from VC firms Tempus Partners and Right Click Capital. Tempus partner Alister Coleman and Right Click’s Garry Visontay, will join the company’s board as part of the deal.… Read more »
Bridges are said to be a monument to progress. For many start-ups, bridging rounds of capital are exactly this – a step towards success. They may not have been part of the original game plan, but they are often a necessity in the unpredictable world of entrepreneurialism. Reasons for a bridging round can be varied.… Read more »
We’ve all seen startups on the TV show “Shark Tank” eaten alive by potential investors for seemingly outrageous valuations. Often their pitches take an even more unforgiving turn when founders are unable to validate their numbers. But coming up with an attractive yet sensible valuation that appeals to investors is no mean feat. Of… Read more »
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