Funding & Finance

Sick and tired of venture capitalists slamming their heavy, oak doors in your mush? Heck, even a cash injection of 50 grand would get your bright idea to the next stage, right? Fear not. Help is at hand.

Value, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. While experienced investors use a range of tools to calculate the worth of a start-up or early stage company, some also believe that valuation is more art than science. So what is this 'black art' and how do experienced investors make their decisions?

I had a fascinating exchange with a venture capitalist the other day. I made the mistake of having a private conversation about the industrial relations reforms (yes, I know, religion and politics), which he overheard. I was delighted when he exploded next to me - "I can't stand listening to this socialist crap any longer!" Readers, I am not now, and have never been, until last week, accused of being a socialist.

Over $500 million in venture capital was earmarked for China in the first half of 2005 alone. With a shortage of deals and management talent, opportunities abound for both investors and investee companies from abroad. In the third instalment of this four-part series, Paul Waide pulls back the curtain to reveal the complex machinations of China's vibrant private equity market.

Has it really been six years since the world's first wave of internet entrepreneurs fell through that plump cloud they'd conjured in the sky, taking with them the turgid hopes of our fledgling new economy? It's been six years peppered with hard luck stories, investor reluctance and, lately, cautious hope rekindled. Australian internet startups were in the thick of it back then. The survivors emerged with slightly bloodied noses and wisdom far beyond their years.

You don’t have to speak to very many entrepreneurs to hear a lot of negativity about the Australian VC industry. Use of the term...

Achieving your first sale can literally make or break a start-up. Many investors will delay committing significant funds until you can identify a customer...

Early stage venture capitalists are entrepreneurs, too! They’re switched on, chased up and brimming with ideas on how to breathe life into commercial opportunities....

The Australian superannuation industry is capital rich but reluctant to invest in emerging technology industries, such as biotechnology. Brad Howarth goes searching for solutions...

In the final days of September 2005, Anthill editor Paul Ryan caught up with five of Australia's leading early-stage venture capitalists. The meeting turned into a feature story. The feature story turned into a networking event, which we offered as a fly-on-the-wall audio CD. Now you can download/listen to it as a full podcast, which includes the previously unreleased Q&A session.

In the final days of September 2005, Anthill editor Paul Ryan caught up with five of Australia's leading early-stage venture capitalists. The meeting turned into a feature story. The feature story turned into a networking event, which we offered as a fly-on-the-wall audio CD. Now you can download/listen to it as a full podcast, which includes the previously unreleased Q&A session.

What makes a venture capitalist tick? Su-Ming Wong knows. He should. Wong lives and breaths risk and reward. From his early days with the pioneering private equity...

For ambitious businesses seeking investment dollars for expansion, the high seas of capital raising are as turbulent as they are vast. With so many...

The man who brought us e-finance Belgians are famous for exporting delightful, frivolous products like beer and chocolate. However, leading Belgian entrepreneur Michel Akkermans is...

Is there anywhere angels fear to tread? To be an angel investor, you need personal wealth, a sense of adventure, a pretty strong stomach,...

Venture capital financing is a complex transaction and involves significant commercial risks for all parties. Many founders simply sign the term sheet presented to...

The statistics are disturbing. A typical venture capital (VC) firm receives around 1,000 business plans a year, and quickly rejects 90% without a detailed...

A meeting of minds or clash of heads? It is little wonder that only a small proportion of investment proposals ever successfully attract venture capital....

It's now four years since the 'tech-wreck' of April 2000. Four years!!! Can you believe it? Yet, it's so hard to move on. We continue...

Business people love to use jargon, but what exactly does it mean to do a "flip-up"? Not to be confused with "two-up", our national...