Occassionally, a startup will get a term sheet from an angel with a pre-money valuation less than the investment amount (i.e., the angel wants control of the startup). And “control” isn’t just defined as a majority of the shares of the company — if the angel asks for approval of all budgets & hires or [...]
If you follow this blog, you know that I think convertible debt is a good structure for a startup’s angel round. The main feature of the convertible note is that the debt investment made by the angel investor will typically later convert into equity. For this article, let’s assume this equity is the Series A [...]
I previously mentioned that convertible debt is a good way to raise capital for most startups. The main reason why convertible debt is beneficial for startups is that it delays coming up with a valuation figure at the seed stage–the valuation conundrum is essentially punted to the Series A (or “qualified financing” stage). But what [...]
I loved Pitch Camp. Flip Flops. Free donuts and pizza. Hours of “unauthorized” advice from the angel investor, venture capital, and journalism communities. It sure beat the heck out of any legal conference I’ve ever attended. At Pitch Camp, a fund’s partner told the crowd that he turned down a startup simply because the startup’s [...]
I wanted to give my initial thoughts on the Y Combinator Series AA Angel Investor Legal Documents that were officially released late last week. I plan to write a document-by-document breakdown in the coming week: Term Sheet – August 29th Stock Purchase Agreement – August 30th Board Consent – August 31st Stockholder Consent – September [...]
I could use more palm trees here in Dallas and while I’m at it a Togo’s. However, the “City of Angels” reference in this post’s title is about bridging the gap between entrepreneurs and angel investors rather than going “Under the Bridge.” The startup ecosystem in Dallas is discombobulated if not broken. “Underperforming” would be [...]
Ryan Roberts is a startup lawyer and represents technology companies through all phases of the startup process, including incorporation, seed & venture financings, and exit transactions. Click here to learn more about his practice.
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