PRIVATE EQUITY INVESTING
AN OVERVIEW OF THE FIELD PRESENTATION FOR NIH CONFERENCE Bethesda, MD
LET’S START WITH THE TWO MOST PROMINENT CATAGORIES: 1. ANGELS
2. VENTURE CAPITALISTS
WHO ARE THESE ANGELS? FIRST AND FOREMOST, THEY ARE ACCREDITED INVESTORS…..
AN ACCREDITED INVESTOR IS A PERSON WHO HAS A NET WORTH OF $1M AND OR AN ANNUAL INCOME IN EXCESS OF $200K FOR THE PREVIOUS 2 YEARS AND THE EXPECTATION OF THE SAME FOR THE NEXT
YEAR.
WHO SAYS SO ?….
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Who Are These Angels?
Wealthy individuals – “accredited investors” “Been there and done that” entrepreneurs Have made several angel investments Investing “Mad money” $25K to $250K per investment per angel More than 400,000 active angels Potential 5 million angels
THERE ARE A VARIETY OF WAYS ANGELS CAN AND DO MAKE THEIR INVESTMENTS…..
THE INDIVIDUAL OR …. “LONE WOLF INVESTOR”
ADVANTAGES FOR THE LONE WOLF
1. NIMBLE AND QUICK 2. INDEPENDENT DECISION 3. BIG REWARD…(MAYBE)
HOWEVER, THERE ARE A FEW DISADVANTAGES:
1. SOLE RESOURCE 2. SOLE RISK 3. LACK OF TIME 4. DUE DILIGENCE EFFORT 5. TOO QUICK TO WRITE CHECK
ANGEL FORUMS….. THE NEXT LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT
AN ANGEL FORUM IS A LOOSE CONFEDERATION OF INDIVIDUAL ANGEL INVESTORS WHO MAY COME TOGETHER ON A DEAL.
A FORUM MAY OFFER SOME ADVANTAGES….
THE COMMITTED FUND…. ANGELS PUT THEIR MONEY ON THE TABLE...
WHY COMMIT ?
A COMMITTED FUND OFFERS SOME DISTINCT ADVANTAGES:
1. MORE PORTFOLIO DIVERSITY 2. MORE RESOURCES TO USE 3. BETTER DUE DILIGENCE 4. SPREAD THE RISK !
NOW THAT WE ARE AUTHORITIES ON ANGELS…
WHO OR WHAT IS A VENTURE
CAPITALIST ?
Venture Capitalists
General partners
Salaried managers Minimal investment Huge upside
FUNDED by Limited partners
Corporations, pension funds, wealthy individuals Totally passive involvement
Over 700 venture capital funds Size: $20 million to $5 billion
Sources of Venture Funds
Pension Funds 41% Financial & Ins 25%
Corps (as LPs) 3% Individ & Fam 9%
Endow & Found 22%
Source: 2001 data from 2002 NVCA Yearbook, prepared by Venture Economics
A misconception…
Venture Capitalists are engaged in starting companies
VCs Are Moving Away From Seed/Startup
20% 18%
441
% of All VC Funds
16% 14% 12% 10% 8% 6% 4% 2% 0% 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
166
Source: PWC-MoneyTree
Entrepreneurs are usually funded from:
- Friends and family ( maybe fools) then
- Angel investors, then
- Venture capitalists, then…….?
HERE ARE SOME QUICK FACTS:
<1 in 10 Start-ups obtain angel financing <1 in 1000 Start-ups are VC financed <1 in 10,000 new companies go public <1 in 100 angel-funded companies
go public via IPOs
Annual Sources of Startup Funding
VCs (NASVF data)
< $3 billion
(<500 companies)
Angel
investors
(Center for Venture Research)
~$30 billion
12000
Transactions
10000
8000
6000 4000 2000
0
IPO M&A
1999
2000
2001
2002
2002 Software Industry Equity Update
Conclusion:
Angel investors provide about 90% of the seed and early stage outside equity capital for start up entrepreneurs. This is a combination of “lone wolves”, forums and committed funds.
Why do angel investors make such risky investments? Here is one reason
Seed vs Alternative Investments
25 20
22.4
Historical 20 Year Returns for Alternative Assets
14.9 13.2
Returns
15 10
18.7
18.7
16.5
5
0
Seed Fund s
All Venture
Hedg Buyouts e Funds
S&P 500
NASDAQ
Source: Venture Economics, HFRI Equity Hedge Index
Motivation
Venture Capitalists: make money Angels Staying involved into “codgerhood” (sense of usefulness) Give-back Affection for Entrepreneurs Investment of “mad money” Return on Investment
Median Pre-Money by Stage-FACTOID
$100 $80
$60 $40 $20 $30 $21
$101
Later Rounds Second Round First Round
$44 $29 $15 $7 $2
$14
$8 $6 $2 $0 3Q98 1Q99 3Q99 1Q00 3Q00 1Q01 3Q01
Seed Round
Source: PWC MoneyTree
SO WE HAVE A BASIS IN KNOWLEDGE OF ANGELS AND VENTURE CAPITALISTS… YOU HAVE A FUNDING NEED….. NOW WHAT???????
KNOW WHERE TO GO….. ANGEL OR VC ?
THE KEY IS TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK !
Trends in Venture Investment
100 $ Billions 80 60
40
20
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
VCs Are Moving Away From Seed/Startup…REMEMBER THIS SLIDE?
441
20% 18% 16% 14% 12% 10% 8% 6% 4% 2% 0% 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
166
% of All VC Funds
Conclusion:
VCs have too much money on the sidelines, which must be put to work. They cannot afford to spend their time on seed and early stage deals.
Capital Availability Gap: $1-5 million
Scarce capital – very few deals Wealthy, solo, private investors Boutique VCs - many new, small VCs Unique alliances between angels and VCs
Entrepreneurs:
Go Where the Investors Are!
Number of Investors Angels
GAP
VCs $5 million $10 million
Investment (one round)
SO IT’S GOING TO BE THE ANGELS IN THE EARLY ROUND
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO ASK FOR?
MOST IMPORTANTLY…. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ASK FOR IT ?
THE BASIS WILL BE YOUR BUSINESS PLAN….. MOST IMPORTANTLY - THE SUMMARY AND PITCH !
YOU HAVE AN IDEA….. NOW WHAT DO YOU DO?
What constitutes a good business plan ?
a.
b.
Is the Executive Summary clear and concise ?
If an outsider read the summary, would they understand exactly what your business is all about ? Does the summary create a high level of interest ? Think about being at a cocktail party and having someone ask you “what does your business do?” Could you answer concisely in 2 minutes or less?
c. d.
Summarize the plan: like the jacket cover on a novel, tell the reader in a CLEAR, CONCISE and COMPELLING way, enough about the contents to convince them to read on.
Show the need: Explain the problem in search of a solution, the extent of the problem, and the desire in the marketplace for the solution.
Describe your solution: Provide a description of your offering, explaining how it meets the market need in a better manner than any of the possible alternatives.
Establish credibility: describe your enterprise, key personnel, history of success and measurable objectives.
Explain your delivery methods: keep in mind that a better mousetrap doesn't guarantee success. Be prepared to describe planned promotions, sales techniques, channels of distribution and post sales support.
Acknowledge barriers to success: Explain the how you will deal with expected or potential market resistance, difficulties of access to the market and competitive reactions to your offering.
State requirements for long term success: assuming initial market acceptance of your offering, describe your need to handle growth, improving the initial offering and developing new offerings
Provide financial projections: Show expected revenues, expenses, capital requirements, cash flows and balance sheets.
Explained financial returns: Explain when and how investors will experience a return on their investment. LIQUIDITY EVENT !
If you are going to cite reports, studies, statistics, etc for business verification…..cite authoritative studies or market surveys that are directly applicable to the point you are making.
SO YOU MADE THE PITCH AND SET THE HOOK….. WHAT NOW ?
FOLLOW UP WITH THE INVESTOR BE PREPARED FOR DUE DILIGENCE VALUATION TERM SHEET DONE!
THE REAL DEFINITION OF THE VALUE OF AN EARLY STAGE COMPANY IS: “That point at which an investor’s fear is in equilibrium with his greed.”
THE TERM SHEET IS NOTHING MORE THAN A CLEAR AGREEMENT IN WRITING DEFINING ALL THE TERMS AND RIGHTS OF THE INVESTOR AND THE COMPANY.
A TERM SHEET WILL NORMALLY HAVE ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO 21 SECTIONS. EACH SECTION CAN BE WRITTEN IN A WIDE RANGE OF FAVORABILITY TO EITHER THE INVESTOR OR ENTREPRENEUR.
REVIEW: WE HAVE COMPARED AND CONTRASTED ANGELS AND VCs.
WE HAVE LOOKED AT WHERE EACH GROUP INVESTS AND HOW THEY CAN BE ORGANIZED
WE HAVE TAKEN YOU THROUGH THE SCENARIO OF A START UP LOOKING FOR MONEY….WHERE AND HOW.
WE HAD A CRASH COURSE IN WHAT A BUSINESS PLAN SHOULD LOOK LIKE AND DO AS IT RELATES TO ASKING FOR FUNDING.
ANY QUESTIONS ?
SOME RESOURCES:
1. THE ANGEL INVESTOR’S HANDBOOK BY GERALD A. BENJAMIN & JOEL MARGULIS
2. TERM SHEETS AND VALUATIONS BY ALEX WILMERDING 3. WWW.ASPATORE.COM 4. WWW.INCEPTIONMICROANGELFUND.COM