The Relevance of IP For Acquiring/Securing Financing: Making Intangibles More Tangible
The Relevance of IP For Acquiring/Securing Financing: Making Intangibles More Tangible
The Relevance of IP For Acquiring/Securing Financing: Making Intangibles More Tangible
Acquiring/Securing Financing:
Making Intangibles More
Tangible
More in Tax
Federal State Startups Revenues
PEOPLE
Strategy
•Business model
•Resourcing
•Target investors
MARKET TECHNOLOGY
Capital Injection
Add value before raising capital
►Criticalnegotiating tools
►Justifies assumptions
►Forces in depth research
►Forces decision making
►Makes you strong and confident
SOURCES OF START-UP CAPITAL (USA)
OTHERS (3,9%)
FRIENDS (9,0%)
►Market Approach
►Cost Approach
►Income Approach
Market Approach
►What are others paying for a
similar IP? What is the market
value?
►Extensive knowledge of
comparable data required
Cost Approach
►Economic principle of
substitution
►Reproduction cost (Exact
replica)
►Replacement cost (Different
form or appearance)
Income Approach
Present value of future income
stream
►Future Income Stream (Economic
Income)
►Duration (Life: Legal, contractual,
judicial, physical, technological,
functional, analytical, economic)
►Risk (Uncertainty of receiving expected
income; interest rates and investment
climate)
IP Due Diligence
► In order to obtain financing whether
debt or equity those who are providing
the financing will need to be satisfied
as to whether the company is worthy
of it.
► Important to be “investor ready”.
That is show that you have taken all
possible steps to identify, protect and
manage your IP assets.
START-UP CAPITAL
►Banks
►Venture Capitalists have money
►Stock Exchange
this means:
► access to market = innovation
► profits
Source of High Risks Money
Which are today these sources ? we may regroup these in 3 major
groups:
Business Angels: we are basically talking here about rich private individuals who are
ready to invest much needed “seed capital” at a very early stage of development of a
company, i.e. for new and speculative projects. Their role is extremely important, when
we talk about raising money between USD 0.5 and 2 million.
Venture capital investors: these are usually private equity funds managed by
professionals. They seek to identify and finance the rapid growth of high potential young
firms that embrace innovative products, processes or technologies. This way, they
generate substantial rewards from successfully overtaking existing business paradigms.
Note that very often, traditional finance institutions do invest a small part of their funds into
alternative investments such as these V.C. funds.
Last but not least, Governments: The first computers, the first commercial jet planes
were built in the U.S.A. as funded by DoD contracts. The U.S.A and Europe have set up
specific programs to promote new science and technology businesses. These are key
tools in helping scientists to engage into new business ventures.
N.B: A business environment – laws, taxes, etc… – which encourages private and
commercial investors to invest into risk taking ventures is an absolute prerequisite.
Government First: U.S.A.
The U.S. example – the Small Business Innovation Research program
SBIR awards take the form of contracts for the development of technologies required
by agencies of the US Government. They provide 100% of the funding needed plus a
small profit element. The “norm” is USD 850 K for each project. Small business can win
and run multiple projects in parallel. The SBIR analysis below is done for the UK
Government in an attempt to copy and adapt it:
Government First: U.S.A.
The U.S. example – the Small Business Innovation Research program
Established in 1982, it is the World’s largest seed capital program for science and
technology business.
The law stipulates that 2.5% of all federal agencies’ external R&D research must be done
through SBIR. Furthermore, the US has established a very large set of policies to favor
small US businesses in government procurement.
Government First: The European Union
The first program in Europe: COST – an international framework for
European Co-operation in the field of Basic Scientific and Technical
Research ( www.cost.esf.org )
Established in 1971, COST allows the co-ordination of nationally funded research by
maximising European synergy and raising the level of scientific interaction at the scale of
Europe. Its budget for the period of 2002-2006 was of 1.5 Billion Euro.
Entrepreneur’s FFF
own resources Pre-seed Corporate Mezzanine VC IPO
Equity Business
and University spin off Venturing,
Angels
reinvestment Seed
capacities capital
- Banks - Factoring
Private - Guarantees - Micro-credits
funding - Leasing - Export credits
Prerequisites
Human capital:
Risk taking investors: Infrastructure: Intermediaries:
professional fund
private, public business angels advice, investment
managers, state
networks, incubators, etc. readiness, tutorship
aids experts
FFF : Family, Friends, Founders; BA : Business angels; VC : Venture capital; IPO : Initial Public Offering
Regions and Access to Finance
Case Study of the Rhône-Alpes (France)
L
TRAINING – ADVICE- SUPPORT FINANCING O
C
A
« Venture Capital » (National or International) L
Incubators CREALYS (Sudinnova, Siparex Venture, Banexi, Partech)
GRENOBLE F
PROJECTS €300,000 U
INNOEXPERT High-tech + N
(CCI Lyon) « Seed capital » - National (thematic) D
(strong potential) (I Source, Emertec, BioAm,…) I
- Regional N
BUSINESS ANVAR
(Amorçage Rhône Alpes) G
CENTRE BUSINESS INDUSTRY AND
(EM Lyon) INCUBATORS INDUSTRIAL SERVICES €300,000 R
Business E
Sup. de Co. Grenoble (NOVACITES (product- or process-based Angels to Q
FRAC CREATION) innovation) « Business development venture capital » U
Rhône-Alpes Création €45,000 I
Banque Pop., Crédit Agricole R
Rhône-Dauphiné Développement E
M
Business
€45,000 E
development and SMALL INDUSTRIES « Réseau Entreprendre »
N
reception service (CAPACITY SUBCONTRACTING) (Loans on trust + Sponsorship)
to T
(CCI)
« ARJE » (Regional repayable short-term S
SERVICES AND TRADE
€15,000
loans for new businesses—1-5 years)
S
(traditional, moderately innovative activities)
C
Sponsorship « Local platforms » A
Local platforms (Loans on trust) €15,000 L
Local initiative platform E
Entreprendre en France ADIE to
Banks + Comité Sofaris MICRO BUSINESSES TRADE
CCI + professionals CRAFTS « P.C.E. »
Chartered accountants (BDPME loans) €7,500
(ATEN)
« Mille et Un Talents »
(Regional grants)
The region of Wales (UK) re-organised all its financial services around
a single organisation called Finance Wales (www.financewales.co.uk
( )
to provide the following financial services and products:
Founders
Personal credit
Business angels
banks
Equity
Fed,State loans Venture Capital
Profit Corporations
Referral network
Accountants Investment banker
Attorneys
Successful entrepreneurs, etc
Financing Options as a Function of
Application & Resources Required
A lot
•Spin-off •Joint R&D
•Jointventure •Licensing
•Equity investment •Strategic alliance
•Equity investment $
REQUIRED
•Bootstrap •Partnerships
•Angel investment •Licensing
•Debt financing •Angel investment
A little
Few Many
APPLICATIONS
THE ENTERPRISE FINANCING PROCESS
Grow th
Financing High
needs Risk
MARKET
GAP
MARKET
GAP
Low
Risk
Financing stage
THE ENTERPRISE FINANCING PROCESS
Efforts made Cash flow
by financiers
Risk
Time
Replacement
Proof of Capital
Seed First Second Development
Type of Concept MBO / MBI
Funding Corn Round Round Capital
Funding Development
Capital
Public Sector
Corporate venturing
* “Angel Investing”
Angel market addresses the $500K
Osnabrugge & Robinson investment gap between love money
and serious money
VENTURE CAPITAL (Formal & Informal)
► Non-institutional operators
(informal venture capital)
► Business Angels
FORMAL AND INFORMAL EQUITY PROVIDERS
Business Angels Formal venture
capital
VC BA
– Easy to find via directories – Difficult to find
Technology Market
Technology development Marketing
Product development Sales
Process development PR
Product supply Competitors
Deliveries IPR
Organization Economy / Finance
Recruitment Cash forecast
Board Finance activities
Network of service suppliers Cost estimate
Office Budget
Angel Motivations
► Altruistic - willing to provide:
Advice - financial and management
Contacts - broad range to assist in development of venture
Hands-on Involvement - at basic level, if required
Governance - Board of Directors / Advisors
Credibility - sends good signals to customers, partners & investors
► Pragmatic
Will hand off involvement to next level of investors …
Therefore will use same criteria as VC to evaluate opportunity
57% of companies with angel investment achieve VC
funding
10% of companies with no angels achieve VC funding
Dr. Allan Riding, Carleton University research on Ottawa angels
Types of Business Angels
► Professional
Doctors, lawyers, accountants
► Micromanagement
Very hands on with lots of
experience, but may be toxic
► Enthusiast
Usually retired, investing is a
hobby, little value add
► Corporate
Retired senior managers
looking to support their
investments or create a new
senior job for themselves
“Millions of years of evolution, and ► Entrepreneurial
that’s the latest model?!?” Most active, successful
entrepreneurs looking to
diversify portfolio or expand
current business
Investing Approaches
Sprinkle and Sprout Heavy Lifting
Approach Approach