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Valuations 101: Scorecard Valuation Methodology

Individual accredited investors in typical angel round deals put personal capital at risk for an equity share of growth-oriented, start-up companies. These angel investors generally invest $25,000 to $100,000 in a round totaling $250,000 to $1,000,000. In 2011, the valuation of pre-revenue, start-up companies is typically in the range of $1.5–$2.5 million and is established by negotiations between the […]
Bill Payne
Bill Payne , Angel Investor , Frontier Angel Fund
20 Oct 2011

Valuation Methods 101

This is the first of a six-part series on different methods used by angel investors to arrive at pre-money startup valuations. Below is a brief description of each of the most popular methods. Detailed descriptions will be published over the next few weeks: The Scorecard Method The Scorecard Method compares the target company to typical angel-funded startup […]
Bill Payne
Bill Payne
18 Oct 2011

5 Ways To Scare Off Outside Investors During Your Pitch

The man stopped talking, finally, summarized his pitch, and thanked us for listening. We sat in stunned silence. He’d treated us – a group of local investors – to a pitch punctuated with detailed stories of how previous partners, an investor, and an attorney had screwed him. He told us he’d finally beaten them back, and was now […]
Tim Berry
Tim Berry , Founder , Palo Alto Software
18 Oct 2011

Keep Term Sheets Simple for Quicker Cash to Spend

Remember a term sheet agreement is not a deal until the check clears. Entrepreneurs sometimes assume an initial agreement with an angel is a commitment, so they start spending before any money is received.  Due diligence and paperwork take time, and can change everything. It’s true that angel investors typically do not present entrepreneurs with overly complicated deal structures, […]
Martin Zwilling
Martin Zwilling , Founder and CEO , Startup Professionals
17 Oct 2011

The Rhythm Method of Product Iteration

Of course, Steve Jobs left us a lot of incredible lessons.  Unfortunately, some of the really key ones, like “Be a genius”, can be tough to execute (I’ve been trying for years).  But one crucial one that you can implement might be called the “Rhythm Method”: imparting a well-known beat to your product and service upgrades. […]
Bob Rice
Bob Rice
14 Oct 2011