SlideShare a Scribd company logo
MASTER OF
STARTUPS
SERIES
TERM SHEET AND
VALUATION
www.geekhouse.si/en
BLAZ KOS
• 10+ years working with start-ups
• Management of university incubator, technology park and business angel network
• Management of two start-up accelerators and co-working space
• PODIM Conference – one of the biggest conferences in Alps-Adriatic region
• 600+ lectures in CEE
• Mentored over 300 start-ups
• Two handbooks about startups, 1500+ pages on two blogs
I am on a life mission to make the world a more innovative, organized and transparent place to be by
helping individuals, organizations and communities achieve their peak potential and an entirely new level of
performance.
www.AgileLeanLife.com
An entirely new level of personal performance.
VALUATION
Valuation of the startup companies
• No agreed method
• It’s difficult – more art than science
• It’s more about reaching the agreement between
investor(s) and entrepreneur(s)
• Negotiations have the key role
• Entrepreneur and investor must feel comfortable with
the valuation otherwise the things can go wrong in the
future
Valuation
Formal approaches
• Asset approach
• Book value, Adjusted book value, Replacement value, Liquidation value
• Income approach
• Discounted Cash Flow (DCF)
• Market approach (comparables)
• EBIDTA, EAT and capitalization factor or P/E multiple
Problem with startups:
• No assets / Optimistic forecasts
Public Company Comparables
• You identify common sector and do pro rata valuation
• It’s very hard to match with startups
• It’s easier on markets like US, where thousands of
companies are listed
• Here (CEE) you have practically no cases
Net Assets
• Balance Sheet Valuation
• Startups usually have no assets
• No value of IP and future expectations of the
company
• But can provide sanity check
Discounted cash flow
• Very popular method in financial sector
• Present value of all future cash flows
• Value of the company today are all future cash streams at
the discounted rates
• The biggest problem are often not realistic financial
projections
(startups should also focus more on innovation accounting
not traditional accounting to measure real progress)
Rule of thumb
• Minimal return investor expects (ROI)
• Money back (3x in 3 years, 5x in 5 years)
• Maximum investment investor is prepared to make
• What is the minimum equity investor wants
Real life approaches
• Usual % of ownership for an angel round: 15% - 25%
• or Convertible Debt (with 10 – 25% discount to the next round)
• Usual % of ownership for a VC rounds: 25 – 35%
(in every round investors will get approx. 1/3)
• How much has been done
• Phase of development (idea, prototype, first customers,…)
• Blood money
• Seize of the investment
• Risk
• Time horizon
• Negotiation skills
• Valuations in UK/US are much higher.
Since your financial
projections will be
wrong, focus on a
length of time you want
to fund your company
to get to the next
meaningful milestone.
HOW MUCH MONEY
SHOULD YOU RAISE?
Types of investments
• Capital increase
• Money into the company
• Convertible lone agreement (CLA)
• Debt that can be converted to equity
• Capital increase + CLA
• Capital increase + Buyout
• Buyout (not for BA/VC, more for PE)
• Money to the shareholders who are selling
Exits
• Management buyout (MBO)
• Mergers and acquisitions (M&A)
• Technology
• Customers and market share
• EBIDTA
• Initial public offering (IPO)
• Company goes public on stock exchange
• Partial exit through secondary market investors
• Bankruptcy/liquidation of the company
TERM
SHEET
Many VCs are experts in negotiating
strategies. They know how to distract you
from the main show. A great lawyer can
keep entrepreneur from falling into traps.
Term Sheet
• Summary of Terms for Equity Investment
• Deal Structure
• Agreed Terms for:
• Control
• Valuation
• Liquidity / Exit Strategy
• Risk / Down-Side protection
Economics
What is term sheet?
• An indication of two parties wanting to try to come to an agreement
sometime in the future
Goals:
• Articulate the basic provisions and terms of a potential deal that can
be used to draft the actual definitive legal agreements
• Sometimes lock down the negotiations between the Company and
Investors for a period of time
Legal documents based on term sheet
• Articles of Association
• Shareholders Agreement
• Investment contract
• Employment contracts
Term Sheet – General 1/2
• The Company and Involved Parties
• Series: Seed, A, B, C … K
• Price per share & Shareholder structure (N of shares/price, %)
• Before/After the investment
• Securities (type of stocks): Common (founders) /Preferred stock (investors)
• Investment size
• Pre-money valuation
• Post-money valuation (pre money + investment size)
• Purpose of the investment (why company needs money)
• Use of proceeds (how money will be spend)
• Disbursement schedule (how money will be transferred)
Term Sheet – General 2/2
• Investors
• Lead investor
• Co investors
• Key milestones (not common)
• Business plan
• Financial plan
• Representations and warranties (for presented data,…)
• Confidentiality (and penalties)
• Exclusivity (yes or no) / No-Shop Agreement
• Binding (yes or no)
• Expenses
• Due diligence: Investor
• Legal costs: Company after the investment
• Expiration of the term sheet
• Proposed closing date
Term Sheet - Management
• Management of the Company
• Non competing clause / 100% devotion to the Company
• Key Personnel Insurance
• Vesting schedule / Reverse vesting / The Cliff
• If you quit/get fired the company can buy back for pennies
percentage of entrepreneurs share
• Good leaver
• Bad leaver
• Lock-up/Negative covenants
• Option pool (10 – 20%)
• Reservation of the stock for future hires
Term Sheet - Control
• Voting rights
• Same/different than shareholder structure (CEE)
• Board Structure and Members
• Usually 5 members with voting rights (mature board 7 or 9)
• Executive and non-executive members
• Founder, CEO, VC, VC, outside board member
• Clerk/Procutrator (CEE)
• Usually the lead investor
• Protective provisions
• For transactions higher than x€
• Transferring intellectual property
• Taking debt
• Etc.
Term Sheet – IP/Information
• Due diligence (costs)
• Technical, Legal, Financial
• Intellectual property Ownership
• Information right
• All important company information must be provided to the BOD and select
investors
• CFO/Accounting firm
• Right to appoint
• Reporting
• Monthly reports
• Quarterly reports
• Yearly reports and plans
Term Sheet – ROI 1/2
• Pre-emptive rights/Rights on first refusal
• Current shareholders can always buy before others
• Dividends
• Dividend policy – reinvested, payed out etc.
• Anti dilution
• Protection in event of down round, additional financing at the lower
price – full/weighted ratchet
• Liquidation preferences
• Investor gets x100% of original money back before founders gets
anything
• Pay to play
• Investor must keep participating proratably in future financings
Term Sheet – ROI 2/2
• Tag along / Co sale agreement
• Investors follow founder sale on pro rata basis
• Drag along
• Effect is to force the non-investors’ to sell the company when the
investor thinks there is a good deal on the table
• Mandatory exit route
• Investors have the right to force all SH to sell the company after some
period of time
• Redemption rights
• Redemption rights provide a mechanism for an investor to get money back
if the company has excess cash and is not pursuing an IPO/M&A.
• Put/Call Options
• IPO / Registration rights
Term sheet and valuation
Negotiations 1/3
Entrepreneurs’ point of view
• Build the successful business
• Raise enough money to brig vision to life
• Keep as much control over the company as possible
• Keep as much value over the company as possible
• Share risk and reward with other investors
Negotiations 2/3
Investors’ point of view
• Maximizing IRR
• Wise spending of money
• Not to get diluted
• Exit (achieving liquidity event)
• Reputation
Negotiations 3/3
SPLIT OF FINANCIAL RETURNS
• Investor gets reward for the high risk and added value
• Incentive for founders to maximize value and stay in the company
CONTROL RIGHTS
• Founders want to have more control if thing go as planned
• Investors want to have more control if things do not turn out well
After the investment
• Professional relation
• Investor is not daily active in the company
• Filling the information asymmetry gap
• Regular reporting
• Activating the investor
• Being proactive in the relation and socializing
• Calling the investor when help is needed
• Informing them about the unexpected problems
Term sheet and valuation

More Related Content

PDF
Understanding VC Term Sheets
PDF
Understanding The Investment Term Sheet
PDF
Venture capital 101 - Imran Almaleh
PDF
The Helpful VC (June 2019)
PPTX
Understanding Term Sheet
PPTX
Introduction to Private Equity
PDF
How Investors do Valuations for Startups by Sanjay Mehta from 100x.vc
PDF
Fundraising for startups
Understanding VC Term Sheets
Understanding The Investment Term Sheet
Venture capital 101 - Imran Almaleh
The Helpful VC (June 2019)
Understanding Term Sheet
Introduction to Private Equity
How Investors do Valuations for Startups by Sanjay Mehta from 100x.vc
Fundraising for startups

What's hot (20)

PDF
Venture Capital Term Sheets: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
PPT
Venture Capital 101
PDF
The value-add of VCs
PPT
PDF
Venture Capital Unlocked (Stanford) / Venture Capital 2.0
PPTX
Venture capital 101 Slide Deck
PDF
[PREMONEY MIAMI] 500 Startups >> Dave McClure, "4 Years of Moneyball & 950+ S...
PDF
Sample Pitch Deck for Your Fund
PDF
Notation II Pitch Deck
PDF
Private Equity Presentation
PDF
Corporate VC - Qualcomm Ventures
PDF
Venture Capital Operating Model
PDF
OATV Fund III Pitch Deck
PPTX
Investment and fundraising for startups
PDF
Private Equity and Venture Capital 2
PPTX
Kleiner Perkins Fund 18
PPTX
Early Stage Term Sheet 101 for Emerging & High Growth Companies
PDF
Introduction To Private Equity
PDF
Notation Capital - 1 Year In
Venture Capital Term Sheets: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Venture Capital 101
The value-add of VCs
Venture Capital Unlocked (Stanford) / Venture Capital 2.0
Venture capital 101 Slide Deck
[PREMONEY MIAMI] 500 Startups >> Dave McClure, "4 Years of Moneyball & 950+ S...
Sample Pitch Deck for Your Fund
Notation II Pitch Deck
Private Equity Presentation
Corporate VC - Qualcomm Ventures
Venture Capital Operating Model
OATV Fund III Pitch Deck
Investment and fundraising for startups
Private Equity and Venture Capital 2
Kleiner Perkins Fund 18
Early Stage Term Sheet 101 for Emerging & High Growth Companies
Introduction To Private Equity
Notation Capital - 1 Year In
Ad

Similar to Term sheet and valuation (20)

PPT
Term Sheet Basics
PPTX
PDF
2018-12-04 Luis Roquette Geraldes presents Legal at Founder Institute Lisbon ...
PPTX
How to Get Venture and Angel Funding for Your Tech Startup
PPTX
How to Get Venture and Angel Funding for Your Tech Startup
PPTX
How to Get Venture and Angel Funding for Your Tech Startup  .pptx
PPT
Understanding vc mc gill x-1_july 2016
PPTX
Angel investing bootcamp
PDF
Legal & Finance - startups
PPTX
Levee de fonds_entrepreneur
PPTX
Venture Capital: An Entrepreneur's Manual
PPTX
Investment Workshop - Big Booster Boston Bootcamp
PDF
Top 10 Term Sheet Hacks 1225925669739638 8
PPTX
EIA2018Portugal - Jeff Abbott - Startup Financials
PPT
Understanding VCs
PDF
Ied fellows lecture 5
PDF
Top 10 Term Sheet Hacks
PPTX
Financing your start-up
PDF
Startup Istanbul 2016 / Anil Advani - Inventus Law
PDF
Angel and Venture fundraising - A 360 perspective
Term Sheet Basics
2018-12-04 Luis Roquette Geraldes presents Legal at Founder Institute Lisbon ...
How to Get Venture and Angel Funding for Your Tech Startup
How to Get Venture and Angel Funding for Your Tech Startup
How to Get Venture and Angel Funding for Your Tech Startup  .pptx
Understanding vc mc gill x-1_july 2016
Angel investing bootcamp
Legal & Finance - startups
Levee de fonds_entrepreneur
Venture Capital: An Entrepreneur's Manual
Investment Workshop - Big Booster Boston Bootcamp
Top 10 Term Sheet Hacks 1225925669739638 8
EIA2018Portugal - Jeff Abbott - Startup Financials
Understanding VCs
Ied fellows lecture 5
Top 10 Term Sheet Hacks
Financing your start-up
Startup Istanbul 2016 / Anil Advani - Inventus Law
Angel and Venture fundraising - A 360 perspective
Ad

More from Blaz Kos (13)

PDF
The only time management guide you will ever need
PDF
Initiative Startup Slovenia Brochure
PPTX
Why to become a business angel
PPTX
Building a winning startup team - Basics
PDF
Investor material for raising a VC fund
PPTX
How to create a pitch deck for investors
PPTX
How to write a business plan
PPTX
Innovation accounting and key metrics for startups
PPTX
Minimum Viable Product and Pivot
PPTX
About entrepreneurs and business ideas
PPTX
Vision, hypotheses and customer discovery
PPTX
Different types of startups, markets and whys
PPTX
The Lean Startup Basics and Intro for Beginners
The only time management guide you will ever need
Initiative Startup Slovenia Brochure
Why to become a business angel
Building a winning startup team - Basics
Investor material for raising a VC fund
How to create a pitch deck for investors
How to write a business plan
Innovation accounting and key metrics for startups
Minimum Viable Product and Pivot
About entrepreneurs and business ideas
Vision, hypotheses and customer discovery
Different types of startups, markets and whys
The Lean Startup Basics and Intro for Beginners

Recently uploaded (20)

PDF
Business model innovation report 2022.pdf
PDF
DOC-20250806-WA0002._20250806_112011_0000.pdf
PDF
Unit 1 Cost Accounting - Cost sheet
PPT
340036916-American-Literature-Literary-Period-Overview.ppt
PPT
Chapter four Project-Preparation material
PDF
20250805_A. Stotz All Weather Strategy - Performance review July 2025.pdf
PPTX
HR Introduction Slide (1).pptx on hr intro
PPTX
Lecture (1)-Introduction.pptx business communication
PDF
Traveri Digital Marketing Seminar 2025 by Corey and Jessica Perlman
PDF
How to Get Funding for Your Trucking Business
DOCX
unit 1 COST ACCOUNTING AND COST SHEET
PDF
Dr. Enrique Segura Ense Group - A Self-Made Entrepreneur And Executive
PPTX
Probability Distribution, binomial distribution, poisson distribution
PPTX
The Marketing Journey - Tracey Phillips - Marketing Matters 7-2025.pptx
PDF
kom-180-proposal-for-a-directive-amending-directive-2014-45-eu-and-directive-...
PPTX
CkgxkgxydkydyldylydlydyldlyddolydyoyyU2.pptx
PPTX
Amazon (Business Studies) management studies
PPTX
Dragon_Fruit_Cultivation_in Nepal ppt.pptx
PPTX
5 Stages of group development guide.pptx
PDF
Nidhal Samdaie CV - International Business Consultant
Business model innovation report 2022.pdf
DOC-20250806-WA0002._20250806_112011_0000.pdf
Unit 1 Cost Accounting - Cost sheet
340036916-American-Literature-Literary-Period-Overview.ppt
Chapter four Project-Preparation material
20250805_A. Stotz All Weather Strategy - Performance review July 2025.pdf
HR Introduction Slide (1).pptx on hr intro
Lecture (1)-Introduction.pptx business communication
Traveri Digital Marketing Seminar 2025 by Corey and Jessica Perlman
How to Get Funding for Your Trucking Business
unit 1 COST ACCOUNTING AND COST SHEET
Dr. Enrique Segura Ense Group - A Self-Made Entrepreneur And Executive
Probability Distribution, binomial distribution, poisson distribution
The Marketing Journey - Tracey Phillips - Marketing Matters 7-2025.pptx
kom-180-proposal-for-a-directive-amending-directive-2014-45-eu-and-directive-...
CkgxkgxydkydyldylydlydyldlyddolydyoyyU2.pptx
Amazon (Business Studies) management studies
Dragon_Fruit_Cultivation_in Nepal ppt.pptx
5 Stages of group development guide.pptx
Nidhal Samdaie CV - International Business Consultant

Term sheet and valuation

  • 1. MASTER OF STARTUPS SERIES TERM SHEET AND VALUATION www.geekhouse.si/en
  • 2. BLAZ KOS • 10+ years working with start-ups • Management of university incubator, technology park and business angel network • Management of two start-up accelerators and co-working space • PODIM Conference – one of the biggest conferences in Alps-Adriatic region • 600+ lectures in CEE • Mentored over 300 start-ups • Two handbooks about startups, 1500+ pages on two blogs I am on a life mission to make the world a more innovative, organized and transparent place to be by helping individuals, organizations and communities achieve their peak potential and an entirely new level of performance.
  • 3. www.AgileLeanLife.com An entirely new level of personal performance.
  • 5. Valuation of the startup companies • No agreed method • It’s difficult – more art than science • It’s more about reaching the agreement between investor(s) and entrepreneur(s) • Negotiations have the key role • Entrepreneur and investor must feel comfortable with the valuation otherwise the things can go wrong in the future
  • 6. Valuation Formal approaches • Asset approach • Book value, Adjusted book value, Replacement value, Liquidation value • Income approach • Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) • Market approach (comparables) • EBIDTA, EAT and capitalization factor or P/E multiple Problem with startups: • No assets / Optimistic forecasts
  • 7. Public Company Comparables • You identify common sector and do pro rata valuation • It’s very hard to match with startups • It’s easier on markets like US, where thousands of companies are listed • Here (CEE) you have practically no cases
  • 8. Net Assets • Balance Sheet Valuation • Startups usually have no assets • No value of IP and future expectations of the company • But can provide sanity check
  • 9. Discounted cash flow • Very popular method in financial sector • Present value of all future cash flows • Value of the company today are all future cash streams at the discounted rates • The biggest problem are often not realistic financial projections (startups should also focus more on innovation accounting not traditional accounting to measure real progress)
  • 10. Rule of thumb • Minimal return investor expects (ROI) • Money back (3x in 3 years, 5x in 5 years) • Maximum investment investor is prepared to make • What is the minimum equity investor wants
  • 11. Real life approaches • Usual % of ownership for an angel round: 15% - 25% • or Convertible Debt (with 10 – 25% discount to the next round) • Usual % of ownership for a VC rounds: 25 – 35% (in every round investors will get approx. 1/3) • How much has been done • Phase of development (idea, prototype, first customers,…) • Blood money • Seize of the investment • Risk • Time horizon • Negotiation skills • Valuations in UK/US are much higher.
  • 12. Since your financial projections will be wrong, focus on a length of time you want to fund your company to get to the next meaningful milestone. HOW MUCH MONEY SHOULD YOU RAISE?
  • 13. Types of investments • Capital increase • Money into the company • Convertible lone agreement (CLA) • Debt that can be converted to equity • Capital increase + CLA • Capital increase + Buyout • Buyout (not for BA/VC, more for PE) • Money to the shareholders who are selling
  • 14. Exits • Management buyout (MBO) • Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) • Technology • Customers and market share • EBIDTA • Initial public offering (IPO) • Company goes public on stock exchange • Partial exit through secondary market investors • Bankruptcy/liquidation of the company
  • 16. Many VCs are experts in negotiating strategies. They know how to distract you from the main show. A great lawyer can keep entrepreneur from falling into traps.
  • 17. Term Sheet • Summary of Terms for Equity Investment • Deal Structure • Agreed Terms for: • Control • Valuation • Liquidity / Exit Strategy • Risk / Down-Side protection Economics
  • 18. What is term sheet? • An indication of two parties wanting to try to come to an agreement sometime in the future Goals: • Articulate the basic provisions and terms of a potential deal that can be used to draft the actual definitive legal agreements • Sometimes lock down the negotiations between the Company and Investors for a period of time Legal documents based on term sheet • Articles of Association • Shareholders Agreement • Investment contract • Employment contracts
  • 19. Term Sheet – General 1/2 • The Company and Involved Parties • Series: Seed, A, B, C … K • Price per share & Shareholder structure (N of shares/price, %) • Before/After the investment • Securities (type of stocks): Common (founders) /Preferred stock (investors) • Investment size • Pre-money valuation • Post-money valuation (pre money + investment size) • Purpose of the investment (why company needs money) • Use of proceeds (how money will be spend) • Disbursement schedule (how money will be transferred)
  • 20. Term Sheet – General 2/2 • Investors • Lead investor • Co investors • Key milestones (not common) • Business plan • Financial plan • Representations and warranties (for presented data,…) • Confidentiality (and penalties) • Exclusivity (yes or no) / No-Shop Agreement • Binding (yes or no) • Expenses • Due diligence: Investor • Legal costs: Company after the investment • Expiration of the term sheet • Proposed closing date
  • 21. Term Sheet - Management • Management of the Company • Non competing clause / 100% devotion to the Company • Key Personnel Insurance • Vesting schedule / Reverse vesting / The Cliff • If you quit/get fired the company can buy back for pennies percentage of entrepreneurs share • Good leaver • Bad leaver • Lock-up/Negative covenants • Option pool (10 – 20%) • Reservation of the stock for future hires
  • 22. Term Sheet - Control • Voting rights • Same/different than shareholder structure (CEE) • Board Structure and Members • Usually 5 members with voting rights (mature board 7 or 9) • Executive and non-executive members • Founder, CEO, VC, VC, outside board member • Clerk/Procutrator (CEE) • Usually the lead investor • Protective provisions • For transactions higher than x€ • Transferring intellectual property • Taking debt • Etc.
  • 23. Term Sheet – IP/Information • Due diligence (costs) • Technical, Legal, Financial • Intellectual property Ownership • Information right • All important company information must be provided to the BOD and select investors • CFO/Accounting firm • Right to appoint • Reporting • Monthly reports • Quarterly reports • Yearly reports and plans
  • 24. Term Sheet – ROI 1/2 • Pre-emptive rights/Rights on first refusal • Current shareholders can always buy before others • Dividends • Dividend policy – reinvested, payed out etc. • Anti dilution • Protection in event of down round, additional financing at the lower price – full/weighted ratchet • Liquidation preferences • Investor gets x100% of original money back before founders gets anything • Pay to play • Investor must keep participating proratably in future financings
  • 25. Term Sheet – ROI 2/2 • Tag along / Co sale agreement • Investors follow founder sale on pro rata basis • Drag along • Effect is to force the non-investors’ to sell the company when the investor thinks there is a good deal on the table • Mandatory exit route • Investors have the right to force all SH to sell the company after some period of time • Redemption rights • Redemption rights provide a mechanism for an investor to get money back if the company has excess cash and is not pursuing an IPO/M&A. • Put/Call Options • IPO / Registration rights
  • 27. Negotiations 1/3 Entrepreneurs’ point of view • Build the successful business • Raise enough money to brig vision to life • Keep as much control over the company as possible • Keep as much value over the company as possible • Share risk and reward with other investors
  • 28. Negotiations 2/3 Investors’ point of view • Maximizing IRR • Wise spending of money • Not to get diluted • Exit (achieving liquidity event) • Reputation
  • 29. Negotiations 3/3 SPLIT OF FINANCIAL RETURNS • Investor gets reward for the high risk and added value • Incentive for founders to maximize value and stay in the company CONTROL RIGHTS • Founders want to have more control if thing go as planned • Investors want to have more control if things do not turn out well
  • 30. After the investment • Professional relation • Investor is not daily active in the company • Filling the information asymmetry gap • Regular reporting • Activating the investor • Being proactive in the relation and socializing • Calling the investor when help is needed • Informing them about the unexpected problems