HEC Business school Lecture / introduction to Venture Capital, entrepreneurial finance and technology companies
Professor Olivier Younes EXPEN / guest speaker christophe raynaud ISAI
Part II is about venture capital investment thesis and part III is about how ISAI (early investor in BlaBlaCar) source and screen potential deals
2. WHO AM I TO SPEAK ?
HEC graduate (last millenium)
Entrepreneur…
- Chateauonline
- Netboussole
- Samaris
…Turned VC (dark side of the force)
- Saeed Amidi (Amidzad partner / plug&play tech center)
- Paris Business Angels
- ISAI
CONTACT : r a y n a u d @ i s a i . Fr / @chraynaud
3. WHAT WILL I BE TALKING ABOUT ?
What is Venture Capital History ?
What is an investment thesis ? What’s ISAI’s ?
How do VC/ISAI source/screen opportunities ?
What makes a great founder ?
7. PEOPLE vs IDEA INVESTMENT CHOICE
ARTHUR ROCK
« WHAT I AM INTERESTED IN IS INVESTING IN PEOPLE »
> BET ON THE JOCKEY NOT THE HORSE
EUGENE KLEINER
« MAKE SURE THE DOG EATS THE DOG FOOD »
« IN A HIGH WIND, EVEN TURKEYS CAN FLY »
> BET ON HUGE MARKET AND PROVEN TRACTION
T
E
A
M
M
A
R
K
E
T
12. WHAT’S THE MANDATE LPs GAVE GPs?
WHAT IS YOUR STRATEGY TO PROVIDE RETURNS TO LPs
- SECTOR
- STAGE
- GEOGRAPHY
- PORTFOLIO SIZE / DEAL SIZE
- NUMBER OF DEALS / PARTNERS
- VALUE ADDED / BOARD SEATS
- FAILURE RATE / MULTIPLE TARGETED
- WHY IS THIS COMPELLING ? WHAT SECRET INGREDIENT ?
(Cycles ? Differientiators ?)
13. WHAT VCs DO TO SPOT A DEAL ?
> RISK / REWARD ANALYSIS
14. BUSINESS PLAN TOPIC COVERAGE 1/3
1. The Business:
- Company’s business
- Strategy
- Mission statement
2. The Market:
- Historic and projected sizes in
dollars
- Market trends
3. Product Offering:
- Product description
- Development schedule and
launch date(s)
- Product differentiation
15. 4. Distribution:
- Key customers
- Customer acquisition strategy
- Sales channels /Partnerships
5. Competition:
- Key competitors
- Competitive advantages
- Barrier to entry
6. Management Team:
- Roles and responsibilities
- Background of team members
- Board composition
BUSINESS PLAN TOPIC COVERAGE 2/3
16. 7. Financials:
- Revenue model, margin analysis
- Historic and forecasted P&L (first two years by quarters)
- Projected cash flow (first two years by quarters)
- Current balance sheet
- Projected head count by functional area (G&A, sales, marketing, product
development)
- Capitalization schedule
8. The Deal:
- Amount to be raised
- Anticipated valuation
- Use of proceeds
- Options plan
BUSINESS PLAN TOPIC COVERAGE 3/3
17. WHAT ELSE THAN BP DO VCs LOOK AT ?
INVESTMENT STRATEGY COMPATIBILITY
- AMOUNT / STAGE / GEOGRAPHY / SECTOR
PORTFOLIO COMPATIBILITY
QUALITY OF THE SOURCE
SHOPPED DEAL / AUCTION
CO-INVESTORS (FIT/QUALITY)
QUALITY OF LEGAL COUNSEL / INVESTMENT READINESS
PERSONAL FIT
19. ISAI
[isaj] n.f. (jap. name: different, remarkable)
Acronym : Internet Savvy Active Investors
VISION: RECYCLE $/EXP. OF SUCCESSFUL FOUNDERS
FOUNDERS WHO HAVE MADE IT
HELP OTHER FOUNDERS
TO MAKE IT
20. WHO ARE WE ?
AN ENTREPRENEURS’ FUND
- 130 ENTREPRENEURS
- €150M UNDER MANAGEMENT
INTERNET SECTOR SPECIALIZED
(MARKETPLACES/SAAS/MOBILE/ADTECH)
EARLY STAGE FOCUSED
(SEED/POST SEED/SERIES A)
FRANCE BASED
(OR ABROAD WITH FRENCH ANGLE)
> BORN 6 YEARS AGO
21. WHO ARE WE ?
OUR TEAM
OUR COFOUNDERS
OUR PORTFOLIO
22. OUR ENTREPRENEURS’ FUND MODEL
OUR LPs ENTREPRENEURS HELP US SOURCE DEALS
- GLOBALLY
- HIDDEN MARKET
OUR LPs ENTREPRENEURS HELP US SCREEN DEALS
OUR LPs ENTREPRENEURS ADD VALUE TO BOARD
MEETINGS
24. WHAT’S OUR (INITIAL) INVESTMENT THESIS ?
TARGET USUAL SUSPECTS
TEAM/PRODUCT/MARKET/COMPETITIVE ADV.
SELECT THOSE WITH ISAI CRITERIA
- CAPITAL EFFICIENCY
- PROVEN TRACTION
- PROGRESSIVE AMBITION
- VALUATION < 3/5M
- ETC…
> BUILD A WHITE PONEY IN 3/5 YEARS
EXIT > 15/30M€
25. WHERE’S THE TRICK IN OUR THESIS ?
WE OPERATE ‘AVENUE DE LA GRANDE ARMEE’
…NOT ON ‘SAND HILL ROAD’
- IPO (FR) = DEAD END
- SMALL M&A MARKET
- EXITS > $80M ARE VERY RARE
WHITE PONEY CAN TURN INTO :
- CENTAURS (> $100m)
- UNICORNS (> $1Bn)
> FROM 2X (LOW FAILURE RATE) UP TO 4X (1/3 WINNERS)
26. ISAI’S « MAGNIFICENT SEVEN »
1. Oustanding TEAM
2. Proven Traction / Velocity
3. Low Capital Intensity
4. Defensible Position
5. Progressive Ambition
6. Fair Valuation
7. Value Added Board Position(s)
28. TRADITIONAL DEAL FLOW SOURCING
INBOUND
- BRAND / BLOG POST / PRESS / SOCIAL PRESENCE / WHITE PAPER
INCUBATORS
29. TRADITIONAL DEAL FLOW SOURCING
INBOUND
- BRAND / BLOG POST / PRESS / SOCIAL PRESENCE / WHITE PAPER
INCUBATORS
ACCELERATORS
30. TRADITIONAL DEAL FLOW SOURCING
INBOUND
- BRAND / BLOG POST / PRESS / SOCIAL PRESENCE / WHITE PAPER
INCUBATORS
ACCELERATORS
BOUTIQUES
31. TRADITIONAL DEAL FLOW SOURCING
INBOUND
- BRAND / BLOG POST / PRESS / SOCIAL PRESENCE / WHITE PAPER
INCUBATORS
ACCELERATORS
BOUTIQUES
STARTUPS STUDIO
32. TRADITIONAL DEAL FLOW SOURCING
INBOUND
- BRAND / BLOG POST / PRESS / SOCIAL PRESENCE / WHITE PAPER
INCUBATORS
ACCELERATORS
BOUTIQUES
STARTUPS STUDIO ANGEL GROUPS / SEED FUND
LPs + ECOSYSTEM REFERALS
OTHER PRO-ACTIVE RESEARCH
- SPECIALIZED MEDIA / COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS / TECH EVENTS / STARTUP JURY