8 Questions to Ask as a Founder Before Signing a Term Sheet

I’m often asked what traits I look for in founders. As I recently told GGV’s NextGen Fellows, one of the key things I look for is the ability to be an incredibly fast learner.

It’s really hard to build a startup into a successful company, and the phases change so rapidly that nobody is born with or has all the requisite skills and experiences to achieve at every phase of growth. READ MORE

Buyout Firms Are Finding It Harder to Hang Onto a Key Source of Fees

It’s getting harder for the private equity industry to hang on to long-term assets while still raking in the fees they throw off.

Institutional investors are souring on so-called continuation funds, which private equity firms deploy when they want to keep managing assets in traditional buyout funds that are about to mature -- often to avoid taking portfolio companies public prematurely or being forced to sell them at unfavorable prices.  READ MORE

The Venture Capital Landscape Is Changing, and Perhaps Not for the Better

Startup companies have traditionally looked for the most experienced venture capitalists they could find to get their businesses off the ground and support their growth. That’s not always the case anymore, according to a study by University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School Associate Professor Rich Mathews and his co-author Naveen Khanna of Michigan State University. They argue that startups straight out of the gate are often deciding to work with new venture capitalists rather than established ones. READ MORE

What do start-ups expect from venture capital funds when it comes to ESG?

Venture capital (VC) plays a transformative role in society given the nature of the disruptive business models and companies VC funds invest in. Even though these funds take up minority stakes in companies, that typically gets diluted in subsequent rounds of funding. VC funds through their active-engagement model can set the foundation for long-term and sustainable value creating companies. READ MORE

More Startups Scale Up To Serve Freelance And Contract Workers

There are plenty of rankings showing the largest employers in every locale. But really, around the world, the biggest employer of paid workers is the same: No one.

Rather, a vast and growing portion of the labor force consists of some form of freelance, contract, gig or self-employed workers. In a number of professional categories around tech and digital media, in particular, those numbers are taking off. READ MORE

Here’s How To Get Your Entrepreneurial Venture Started

Let's face it; the world is not a meritocracy. Those who come from money, go to elite schools and have connections start with a leg up. "These identities can get you into doors," said Kathryn Finney, author of Build the Damn Thing: How to Start a Successful Business If You're Not a Rich White Guy. Everyone else—BIPOC, women, and people from lower socio-economic classes—hasn't got the same access. READ MORE

Positioning Your Company For Venture Capital Financing

Market rumblings indicate the current economic landscape is creating challenges for start­ups looking to raise money. By some accounts, early-stage startups have not (yet) seen much of an impact of the tightening market, primar­ily because they have been shielded by corrections in the late-stage and public markets. They have nonetheless seen a decrease in valuations, re-cutting of deals, and in some cases, delayed closings. According to PitchBook-NV-CA’s Q2 2022 Venture Monitor, “...the pace of venture capital (VC) activity across all stages is likely to slow in H2 2022 as the threshold for closing deals rises, and pricing uncertainty extends to early stages of the investment cycle.” READ MORE