2015 in Review: Our Top 3 Entrepreneurial Resource Series We launched the official Hyde Park Angels blog in late January with one central goal — to demystify the early-stage investment process for entrepreneurs so they could successfully navigate the process and build their companies. Since then, we’ve broken down difficult concepts like term sheets, option pools, and…
Entrepreneurs need capital to support their businesses, but they often think venture capital is the only way despite a number of other options. One of those options is venture debt, which startups can qualify for once they’ve raised a venture capital round. We spoke with Bailey Moore, Vice President of Wintrust Ventures, about how venture…
Register for “How to Work with Your Advisors, Board Members, and Investors” on November 12 at 6:00 pm at 1871 to learn more about this and other topics on our blog. As an entrepreneur raising capital, you have many options on what type of round to pursue: equity, safe, or even convertible debt. Especially in…
Understanding all of the technicalities of investment — how you should calculate your valuation, what your term sheet actually says, and what a cap table is, let alone should demonstrate — can an often feel like the most difficult part of the process. Even more than pitching and finding the right investors, understanding the technicalities of investment requires learning and…
Receiving a term sheet from an investor can be an exciting time for you as a founder. But you shouldn’t let that excitement keep you from understanding and thinking critically about that term sheet. The better your grasp the terms presented, the more chance you’ll have of effectively starting your long-term investor relationship on the…
As an early-stage entrepreneur, one of the first things you learn is that the valuation of your company is important. Every Shark Tank episode focuses on the drama and negotiations around valuation. In fact, the beginning of every Shark Tank pitch starts off in the following way: Entrepreneur: “I am seeking a $## investment in…
The Hyde Park Angels Partner Network is a comprehensive network of businesses, venture capitalists and community partners that collaborate with Hyde Park Angels to provide entrepreneurs the relationships and resources they need to be successful. So what does that mean for you? In a nutshell, you have access to business expertise, services, resources, and relationships…
If you’ve never seen a term sheet or before — or have for that matter — it can have a dizzying effect. There’s a lot of complex language and terms you’ve likely never seen before. To help ensure best practices and simplicity in your current and future rounds, use National Venture Capital Association’s sample term sheet or one that’s…
Getting funded is often more art than science. Some companies can and do get funded within hours, though contrary to what you might think, this is certainly more exception than rule, especially in the early stages. However, there is one factor that can significantly aid you in raising your round. Finding a Lead Investor Your…
This post is part of the Entrepreneurial Education Series, which brings together successful, influential entrepreneurs and investors to teach entrepreneurs everything they need to know about early-stage investment through events, articles, videos, and more. If you are interested in learning more about raising a round, save the date for “Early Stage Investment 101” on June…