The Process

Getting started
Typically, we first ask to see an executive summary. This is your first impression to the investment world, and we want to see it just as a potential investor would.

Then we start talking. It's as simple as that. We will give you an honest, critical assessment of your plan, from the VC's perspective. If there are gaps in the plan that concern us, we will outline those concerns in detail. On the other hand, if you have a compelling story and are ready for venture capital, we'll identify a targeted list of funds and start systematically working on introductions.

We choose our clients carefully
Venture capitalists fund less than .05 percent of the deals they see. When you target the equity markets for fundraising, you are competing against every other deal they see – whether a telecom company, a software company or a life sciences company.

Much like a venture capital firm, the Venture Pipeline sees thousands of business plans. We know what a fundable deal looks like. We know how to work with entrepreneurs to increase their chances for success.

When we work with a company, we invest time and resources to help that client. When we work with you, we intend to deliver value.

Meeting the team
You need to interview us, too. The quest to raise angel or venture capital can be an all-consuming task. Our objective is to work closely with the management team to make the process more efficient – and more effective. The strategy necessitates that we work together, and you have to be as comfortable with us as we are with the team and the business model.

Scrubbing the deal
Should we mutually agree to work together, the next step is the "scrub." We'll analyze the business plan, critically assessing each of the deal points just as a venture capitalist would. Where are the gaps? What are the issues that may become obstacles? What are the factors that make it possible for the investor to say "no?" How do we clear these potential roadblocks?

Identifying and targeting investors
This is an exercise we tackle together. And it is not a static operation. It calls for consistent industry monitoring and modification, and we expect you to be an active leader in this process. But there is a system to deploy, and we actively help in that regard, giving you the tools to build and refine your investor matrix.

Most important, though, we'll help you load your target list through our proprietary Venture Pipeline database. We know which funds are investing in each industry and at what stage. We know which regional markets they invest in. And, with more than 3,500 lawyers at DLA Piper, when it comes to introductions, we have a way into most every venture fund.

Contacting investors
We absolutely will not use the shotgun approach – broadcasting your executive summary throughout the world. Instead, we work with entrepreneurs to approach the market systematically – garnering feedback along the way and making the appropriate modifications as we introduce you to our network.

Quarterbacking the process
If you've made it this far, you've been working your tail off. No reason to stop now. In fact, now is the time to stay on top of everything - the fun is just beginning. Who is looking at your deal? Who is next to contact? What feedback have you received? What are your board members doing? What company with a similar business model just got funded, and by whom? You're going to manage the process. And together, we're going to help get you financed.

Securing financing and negotiating the term sheet
It's a very long road, and our ultimate goal is to help you with the term sheet math. And then the fun really begins...