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General VC Questions

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Ask anything about venture capital, and there will likely be an answer. Sometime there is no answer, and you may need to consult a professional. The training data is growing every day, which will help the system answer even more questions in the future.
1

Am I supposed to be getting healthcare from the management company? If so, after what return threshold makes sense? Or am I supposed to have done this since the beginning?

Top answer:

Management Companies are setup as a Distribution Focus, Hybrid or Operating Company. You can find more information here: https://vcl.to/ManCo-strategy [Image] The majority of new and emerging mangers will setup their Management Compani...

1

Definition and Example of Win:Loss Ratio

Hi, is the win-loss ratio mentioned in Sprint 5 - Firm Positioning about how many deals does your firm go after and how many is it able to win their ideal term sheet and close?

Top answer:

The Win-Loss ratio is the percent of investments that you were able to win. Many of the best investments are competitive and it's common for VCs to lose some of those deals unless they provide a strong value add.

 -  Mike Suprovici
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Is it common for VCs in the life sciences to sign NDAs with companies?

I asked Decile Hub this question and got a slightly different answer on the follow up (i.e., on follow up, that it is permissible for life sciences companies). I am meeting with a company building a hardware product for measuring metabolites in blood, and they requested an NDA when sending us the materials.  I've heard that this is more common for companies in the life sciences space, especially if they have deals with major pharma, who often require such terms. I do not think they are disclosing deals with partners that might require NDAs.  What is the proper way to respond to a request like this?

Top answer:

For initial evaluation you could request a non-NDA version of materials.  If you initiate serious diligence of the deal you can evaluate signing an NDA or bringing on a 3rd party expert to evaluate the technology under NDA. For an initia...

2

What is included in the Decile Partners offerings or SLA?

Top answer:

Decile Partners provides a unified back office service for venture capital firms. This includes multiple functions such as legal, accounting, tax, and audit, which are typically provided by multiple external vendors. Decile Partners also...

2

Any idea on how a fund in the Netherlands would acquire another fund in Delaware? How would you roll over the portfolio companies and LPs?

Top answer:

Generally speaking, funds do not acquire other funds, especially across different countries/jurisdictions.  This is not to say it never happens, but it is fraught with jurisdictional, regulatory and legal hurdles. A company acquiring an...

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Hello, I've already raised 3.5MM for a fund of 10MM USD. However, we have the interest of several institutional investors who want to invest at least 5MM USD. How would you handle this dilemma? Initially, due to the fund's potential, we wanted to make it 15MM-20MM, but at VC lab, since it's a fund in Latin America, they recommended capping it at 10MM. What do you recommend? Greetings from Chile.

Top answer:

Your fund size should be the minimum target. So in this case $10mm is the minimum target and you can oversubscribe it to a hard cap of say $15 or $20m. The first thing that you should do is to see the conversation through with the LP and...

1

What are some examples of unethical behaviour in venture capital?

Top answer:

Venture Capitalists engage in a variety of conscious and unconscious unethical behavior with different stakeholders. Some example of unethical behavior commonly seen in venture capital include: Founders / Deals • Disrespecting Founders ...

1

Do cost and fair market value ever differ?

Question edited slightly for clarity. 

Top answer:

Yes - cost and fair market value can differ. Cost in this context refers to the amount initially paid for an investment, while fair market value (commonly referred to as FMV) is the current market value of that investment. Changes in mar...

1

What is an acceptable equity ask by investors from portfolio companies?

Top answer:

What an investor can ask in terms of a percentage of equity or an investment amount depends nearly entirely on variables, so it is impossible to generalize. Some factors to consider for startup: • Geography (US, LatAm, etc.) • Market (B...

2

What are the differences between using SAFE in the UK and the US?

I believe they are often called ASAs (Advance Subscription Agreements) in the UK. Are there any fundamental differences in how they work in the UK and US?

Top answer:

Generally speaking, an Advanced Subscription Agreement (commonly known as an ASA and designed for use in the United Kingdom), is conceptually similar to a SAFE (originally designed for use within the United States).  However, there are ...

3

GP carry raise: How can one perform valuation of a percentage of GP carry prior to fund closure or returns from fund (when DCF can be applied)?

An LP has already signed my LPA and is bringing others into my fund as investors. He shared that a condition of bringing others is that I be full-time over the fund since this is the only way one can really run a successful venture. I agree, however I require more than my management fee provides for living expenses since Fund 1 is small. Even if I oversubscribe, it wont get us to the amount I need. My question: Investor is willing to provide me cash now for a percentage of carry as a one time payment to help support my transition to VC full time. He suggested I valuate a percentage with rationale and he will help me raise the capital  for the GP carry (NOTE: this is not Management Company carry, ONLY fund 1 GP carry and has been clarified with investor. Greatly appreciate guidance on how to valuate this.

Top answer:

Do not form your fund and send LPAs to limited partners prior to you having at least $1m in PACTs signed or 10% of the fund, whichever is greater. This is a major mistake with dire consequences.  Also, please note that the arrangement th...

1

How GAAP and ASC820 are involved in valuation policy?

Here is the response of the decile LLM: The Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and ASC 820 (formerly FAS 157) are involved in valuation policy by providing a framework for measuring and reporting the fair value of assets and liabilities. Under ASC 820, investments are categorized into three levels based on the observability of inputs used in their valuation. Level 1 investments have quoted prices in active markets, Level 2 investments use observable inputs other than quoted prices, and Level 3 investments use unobservable inputs. These standards ensure consistency and transparency in financial reporting.

Top answer:

The Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and ASC 820 (formerly FAS 157) are involved in valuation policy by providing a framework for measuring and reporting the fair value of assets and liabilities. Under ASC 820, investments...

3

What are the approximate number of Global Venture Firms forecasted by the end of 2023?

By my estimates, this number can range from 30,000- 45,000.  There are a multitude of variables to consider.

Top answer:

There is no hard data on this because most of the filings are done at a fund level, instead of at the Firm level. A firm will often manage a family of funds. VC Lab estimates that ~9,500 new VC firms will launch within 5 years.

 -  Mike Suprovici
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What is an investor discount in a SAFE?

Top answer:

Convertible notes sometimes include a conversion discount, which enables the investor to convert their debt into equity at a lower valuation then new investors in the subsequent financing round. SAFE notes also sometimes include a discou...

1

Where to find trends in the industry?

What are the resources that everyone here uses for staying on top of trends. There are oodles of media out there, which would be most trustworthy for keeping a finger on the pulse? Currently looking at Pitchbook, Carta newsletter, ExecSum Newsletter, and some Fortune Newsletters, anything in particular I should add to this roster?

Top answer:

Pitchbook does not have accurate data for early stage funds or startups. Avoid them. Neither do some of the other sources you mentioned. To get more accurate information on trends, specialize in areas of focus and find industry publicati...

1

Same LP / Venture Partner compensation

Is it allowed for an LP to be a Venture Partner at the same time (i.e. a mentor) and be compensated ?

Top answer:

It is generally not recommended for an LP to also be a Venture Partner - it could introduce conflicts of interest but the LP may also lose their "limited" status and corresponding protection from liability in the case an LP is involved i...

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What do I do about LPs who show up in Hold Before Closing after they've already signed an LPA and are listed there as well?

Top answer:

Hi John, in that situation you can manually move them to the appropriate stage in the closing pipeline. This can be done by checking the box next to the LP's name and changing their stage or by simply clicking on the dropdown menu button...

1

One of our portfolio companies is looking for help developing a financial model. Is it a conflict for one of the general partners to be hired as a consultant to provide that service?

Top answer:

In my view, it's your job as VC to help your company. If you have expertise in this area, just help them without charging them. It's part of your value add.  It is a bit of a conflict if you charge them and it may require some sort of d...

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I want to know about the Fund location to be mentioned in the thesis because as we have started approaching potential LPs for PACTS, this is something which will be noticed and will come up for discussion. (It's not related to dealing with lawyers and other related aspects at this stage). Just need to know that if establishing a Fund being based in Milan or some other not so VC friendly(as compared to Delaware) would put us at a disadvantage?

- I'm the solo GP of my Fund and based in Milan. - My Fund will be focusing on European firms as the concerned deal flow. - Most of my LPs are going to be from Europe and US.

Top answer:

In your thesis statement you should say where you're located. In your case, you can say that you're in Milan or in Italy. 

 -  Mike Suprovici
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Given the opportunity to make a pre-seed investment in common versus preferred shares, should the default be to buy the preferred shares

Top answer:

As a VC, you must get preferred shares. This is sort of non-negotiable. Common is significantly less valuable because it has no preference. Unless the founder will do all future financings via common, which is highly unlikely and creates...

1

When comparing terms in common share agreement versus preferred shares agreements what should I watch for to ensure preferred shares are not offering far better terms than common shares

We are doing due diligence on one of our investment targets, and I am comparing terms in the shareholder agreements for common and preferred shares. Recognizing that the preferred shares will have some advantages over common shares, what terms should I watch for that would be considered unreasonable treatment of common shareholders?      

Top answer:

Venture Investors typically take preferred positions in portfolio companies. The early stage investment agreements are fairly standardized. For a review of a standard preferred offering, review the Series Seed documents below: https://w...

1

How do we send communication to just our team?

Top answer:

HI Revi, thanks for reaching out. There are two options in Hub to email a group of people: -1. In the respective pipeline where your team members are housed click on "Send email" for a prospect that is one of your teammates, then clic...

1

Any data on what percentage of VC funded companies exit via M&A vs IPO?

Prospective LPs are asking about liquidity scenarios. What's the likelihood of exits via M&A vs IPO where there may be restrictions to sell for certain period?

Top answer:

For your liquidity scenarios, it's not necessary to distinguish between M&A and IPO. Build your liquidity scenario based on the exit value. In other words, if a high exit is $1b in your model, just put a footnote that it could be derived...

1

Meeting startups while raising fund?

Is it recommended that while we are talking to LPs also take meetings with startups in our vertical? Not offering to invest but just having meetings. When an LP asks me about what exciting startups we have seen, tell them about 1-2 rockstars.

Top answer:

It is recommended that managers continue to source and assist Rockstar CEOs to invest in while working to close a fund. The ideal situation is to help startups aligned with your Thesis for four to six months before they need capital, and...

1

Sovereign Wealth Funds as Limited Partners

What is the general perception towards involving Sovereign Wealth Funds as limited partners?

Top answer:

Sovereign wealth funds are commonly prohibited from investing in new managers or emerging managers, and they typically have long and complicated investment approval processes that can take months or years. In addition, they are known to ...

2

Will micro VCs be here to stay and dominate early stage funding over time?

Micro VCs have been on the rise, particularly in the last couple of years. Compared to their traditional VC peers, micro VCs are thought to be more nimble, hands-on, and have lower overheads. That said, micro VCs are generally constrained by the lack of name recognition, limited fund size, and sector coverage. I personally view micro VCs as a positive contributor to the early-stage startup ecosystem, providing much-needed capital to get startups with potential off the ground. Micro VCs are also often seen to direct investment to underrepresented/diverse founders and in sectors where traditional VC funding is harder to access. Keen to hear the thoughts of the community who have been following the venture capital space for longer on whether micro VCs will continue its growth and popularity to become mainstream with time.

Top answer:

The vast majority of brand name enduring VC firms were once 'micro' VCs as well. Sequoia's first fund was $3m. What's different today is that there is a Cambrian expansion of startups globally outside of the traditional hubs. As a result...

1

DAOs and Venture Funds

As DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations) begin to play a larger role in the venture ecosystem, what are some of the best practices for KYC compliance regulations? Example: A startup has a DAO on their cap table as a pre-seed investor and my fund, Hypothetical Investments, is looking to invest in their Series A round. 

Top answer:

DAOs are NOT beginning to play a bigger role in the venture eco-system as of this message, and it's unclear if they will ever become a mainstream financing alternative.  If a startup has a DAO on their cap-table, you may want to diligen...

1

Warrant Finance Question

Thoughts on best way to finance the exercise of warrants if you don't have a cashless exercise.  For example, you have Series A pref warrants that are in the money at exit, but you don't have a cashless exercise option.  So you have to come up with $100K to exercise the warrants to profit $1.0MM at the exit.  If you don't have the initial $100K in cash available at the time, how to best finance the conversion?  Any thoughts appreciated.  Thank you.

Top answer:

It may be possible for you to get a loan for this matter. There are providers that have portfolio lines of credit products that may work in this situation. 

 -  Mike Suprovici
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1

VC in the news

Why do articles this year seem to be so anti-VC, whether it's they are on the decline or there is no more capital to support?  In listening to several webinars from VC Lab, it seems there is a huge disconnect between click bait reporting and reality of the industry.  A follow up, what would be considered a true risk to the VC space?

Top answer:

There are number of factors that are contributing to this phenomenon, including: • VC has number of different funds that invest at various stages. To make things more confusing, there are also a number of PE style investors that have ent...

2

Methods and strategies to identify markers for success, and also failure?

Investing in startups and companies early in their development carries inherent risk. What are some methods or approaches to employ to assess and mitigate risks when evaluating potential investment opportunities? 

Top answer:

You may find this thread helpful. Since this is such a general question, it's very complicated to answer it. A biotech company will have different risks and opportunities vs SaaS. A pre-seed company will much riskier then a Series-B comp...

4

Is there a reliable source to map the # of Female- led VCs?

I am specially intersted in understand the impact of Females in VCs

Top answer:

No there is not. Venture Capital has historically been a very opaque industry where it's very difficult to obtain information. 

 -  Mike Suprovici
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1

Is there a limit for the number of venture partners in a venture capital fund?

Top answer:

No, there is not a limit to the number of venture partners in a venture capital fund. However, the more VPs the more challenging it is for the GPs to manage them. As a result, it's sub-optimal to have a lot of VPs for new or emerging fir...

1

Does Decile Launch supports India or just Delaware and Ontario?

Top answer:

Decile Launch supports Delaware and Ontario as of this message but we are reviewing other domiciles for future expansion. Please review why Delaware is the domicile of choice for the vast majority of VC Firms here: https://govclab.com/20...

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What major changes in the VC model should we expect to see by the end of this year, as VC is evolving at a very fast rate?

Top answer:

We will not see major changes in the VC model. The traditional 2 and 20 model works really well for venture capital and LPs are slow to adapt to changes in structure. 

 -  Mike Suprovici
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1

Sprint clarification - landing page

The Sprint mentions designing a landing page. Is this the landing page on the domain we registered www.[fund name].com or do we need to design a landing page on decile hub https://[fund name].decilehub.com ?

Top answer:

You can use whatever tool you want for this task. 

 -  Mike Suprovici
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1

Is there any resource to better understand how Venture Studio plays out in VC Lab, especially financially?

I have gone through the blog 'How to build a venture studio'.

Top answer:

Decile AI - "Yes, the fund in a venture studio can be used to test out ideas. This process involves deploying capital for market feedback before identifying the best ideas or models for larger investments. This approach is different from...

 - 
Community Member
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1

When assessing the performance and potential of a startup in our portfolio, what are the key metrics that should be focused on?

Wonder if there are any general key metrics applicable across different industries when evaluating startups or if these metrics differ based on specific industries? If we need to specify, what are the key metrics to consider for emerging industries like AI-related ventures?

Top answer:

Great question, and I think the answer can vary depending on the stage at which the company is at. In other words, the metrics for a pre-seed/seed stage company will differ vastly from a more mature, Series C/D company. I think at the ea...

 - 
Community Member
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[Partner] How should one think about the tradeoffs between General Partner vs. Venture Partner vs. Operating Partner (non-investing)?

Given how venture funds might be transforming and operationalizing, how do you think about the key tradeoffs of deciding to orient your career towards one of the following paths: 1. General Partner at VC Firm 2. Venture Partner (potentially across multiple VC Firms) 3. Operating Partner / COO at a VC Firm Are there rapid ways to perform skills self-assessments so that I can understand the option space and what paths might be a great fit / have the most interesting opportunities? Thanks so much!

Top answer:

Read this article: https://govclab.com/2021/10/28/venture-capital-roles/ 1. It's VERY difficult to become a GP in a fund, even for those who are experienced investors. It's typically easier to start a Firm then to join one at as a GP wh...

1

How do Venture Capitalists Support Portfolio Companies Beyond Financial Investment

In Hollywood, I've always seen famous shows like Silicon Valley which highlighted not only the initial financial investment into a promising startup but also showed how they helped guide them to a major milestone. I was wondering how much of this guiding do Venture Capital firms actually do? 

Top answer:

Venture capitalists add value to startups in multiple ways beyond just providing capital. They offer strategic guidance, share industry expertise, and leverage their networks to help startups forge new partnerships and identify potential...

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What is the difference between an LP and GP?

Top answer:

General Partner (GP): In the context of venture capital funds, the general partner is the fund manager responsible for making investment decisions, managing portfolio companies, and overseeing the fund’s operations. GPs typically receive...