Program agenda:
- What do VCs and corporate venture arms look for when making investment decisions?
- What special concerns do investors have when the venture is based on a university spinout?
- What are return expectations from venture investments?
- How do these expectations change with stage of investment?
- How is the trend of “staying private longer” impacting the venture industry and university spinout investments in particular?
- How do VC return expectations change with stage of investment?
- How can universities best position their start-ups for VCs and corporate venture arms?
- What are the biggest mistakes to avoid when seeking venture funding?
One of the toughest hurdles facing university start-ups is funding — specifically catching the attention of venture capitalists. This is a particular issue for later-stage ventures in which universities hold relatively passive equity shares, and it’s becoming more critical given the trend to pursue internal development longer in order to de-risk, and remain private longer to ultimately increase the size of returns for investors
That’s why we’ve secured a team of VC execs for an eye-opening webinar that will provide tech transfer professionals an exclusive “insiders’ view” of the venture capital industry’s perspective on university start-ups. You’ll learn how venture firms and corporate venture arms decide where to invest, how these funds work to deliver the returns that their investors expect from this asset class, and understand the VCs’ unique concerns that impact diligence and investment decisions for university spinouts.
This one-hour session will also focus on the impact of follow-on funding on university equity and highlight trends in the venture industry and their impact on return expectations for university equity holdings.
With panelists representing both venture investors and corporate venture arms, the program will focus on later stage investing, revealing how investment decisions are made in the growth and late stages — and how return expectations and deal structures change. Finally, the panel will discuss the impact on venture economics of the growing trend to raise large sums money that allow start-ups to stay private longer before exiting.
