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3 metrics that matter when evaluating early-stage SaaS startups

2018 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years ever for venture capital, with over US$84 billion already invested with a full quarter yet to go. News reports of US$100 million venture rounds are seemingly commonplace.

Yet, data indicates that a large percentage of early-stage startups raising money this year will ultimately fail. And most of the remaining ones will pivot in order to survive and hopefully thrive.

This begs the question: What exactly are investors and lenders looking at when determining which companies are “financeable?”

https://www.techinasia.com/talk/3-metrics-evaluating-early-stage-saas-startups

 

 

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Going from Series A to B: What tech founders need to know

VC FUNDING / THU 4 OCT 2018

As most tech entrepreneurs will know, fundraising can help you secure market share, grow your business and build a killer product, but it can also be extremely daunting and time consuming.

According to UKTN’s Investment tracker, UK founded technology businesses raised more than £4bn in 2017, with the same data showing that companies in the space have already surpassed the £2bn mark so far this year.

Raising from the right investors, at the right time, on the right terms is key for business success. So, bearing in mind that companies are operating in an extremely competitive market, we partnered with professional services firm Smith & Williamson, to host a panel discussion in a bid to demystify what the fundraising process entails for both founders and investors.

https://www.uktech.news/guest-posts/funding/vc-funding/70652-20181004

 

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How to decide what type of investment is right for your tech startup

Salvatore Minetti, CEO and founder, Prospex.ai on how to decide what type of funding is best for your tech business.

The UK has established itself as one of the best countries in the world to start and grow a business. In fact, between 2012 and 2017 approximately 3.5 million new companies were founded across Britain.

There are several reasons for this boom in entrepreneurialism, but financial support has proven demonstrably important. Specifically, a combination of private sector investment coupled with public sector initiatives have helped nurture an environment where early stage businesses can secure vital capital to enable them to grow.

Entrepreneurs in the UK are fortunate to have a plethora of places to turn when looking to secure finance for their fledgling company. Yet despite all these options – or perhaps because of the vast number of choices now available – the task of raising investment can be daunting for a startup.

 

https://www.uktech.news/news/70647-20181002

 

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Consider These 3 Variables Before Expanding Your Business Internationally

Despite the fact that it has never been easier, a company’s international expansion still retains an exotic allure today. Wells Fargo’s International Business Indicator recently found that 60% of U.S. companies expect to increase international business development planning. It remains a goal, and then a milestone, for fast-growing successful businesses to expand beyond their native market and move into international territory.

Whether it’s San Francisco or Spain, launching in another location is one of the most challenging benchmarks an entrepreneur can experience. In the past year, we grew our company globally and we now have offices in London, New York, Barcelona, Dubai, and Santiago de Chile. Companies with truly global ambitions have probably seen a good degree of success at home, but I’ve observed a tendency among these organizations to lose control of their senses when moving overseas. Too often, companies seem to simply stick a pin in the map in order to locate their first international move or target the market du jour.

 

https://www.alleywatch.com/2018/10/consider-these-3-variables-before-expanding-your-business-internationally/

 

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Four Steps to Take Before Scaling Sales Hiring

Growth at All Costs is Perilous – This is How to Scale Sales Sustainably

Earlier in her career, Karen Rhorer was rising through the sales ops leadership ranks and working with her team to come up with an aggressive hiring plan, trying to reverse engineer the sales team capable of delivering the equally aggressive bookings numbers that their startup had set.

At the time, this move seemed in-line with conventional thinking, which was steeped in hypergrowth and the triple triple double double double mantra that drove startups to sell more, faster. But that pressure to hit those top-line growth numbers created blinders that left one side of the equation out entirely: sustainability. Like many other companies, Rhorer’s startup didn’t realize early enough that the math wasn’t supporting the sheer amount of cash they were burning in a quest for growth. And just a few years later, it all came home to roost — and nearly 40% of the staff had to be laid off.

http://firstround.com/review/growth-at-all-costs-is-perilous-this-is-how-to-scale-sales-sustainably/?utm_campaign=new_article&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter