Most entrepreneurs spend the majority of their time building the business. Yet, when embarking on a funding campaign, they are ill-prepared for the inevitable question investors will pose - "what is your exit strategy and the expected timing?" Vague or approximate answers such as "within five years" will do little to enhance your credibility with accredited investors.
The panel will examine the merits and drawbacks of various exit strategies, including:
(1) Selling to a friendly buyer that you know, or to current managers & employees.
(2) Stepwise dilution of your holdings through successive rounds of funding.
(3) Being acquired by or merging with another company that is in the same industry.
(4) Undertaking an IPO and becoming a publicly listed company, with all of its requirements.
John Ason has been an angel investor for 20 years, specializing in early stage pre-revenue companies. He has made over 70 investments in the areas of e-commerce, technology, advertising, social media, and entertainment. 16 of John's companies are founded by women, and currently he has 25 active companies. He has been a guest lecturer at local universities and has spoken at 7 international conferences. His website is JohnAson.com.
Ben Boissevain is Founder of Bois Capital, an independent investment bank providing financial advice on mergers & acquisitions, spinoffs, as well as financings for public and private companies. Bois Capital has extensive experience and maintains senior level connections in the technology sector, with an emphasis on subsectors cloud, software, IT services, digital media, wireless, big data, and healthcare. Its website is BoisCapital.com.
William Reinisch runs the New York office of Paladin Capital, a multi-stage private equity firm that invests in growing companies. Its Paladin III fund invests in small to mid-sized technology firms which are market leaders in their industry segments. Bill is an Adjunct Professor at Stevens Institute of Technology, and teaches entrepreneurial courses at Columbia and NYU. Previously, he was V.P. of Strategy and Technology at Motorola.
To RSVP: Please click on the registration link below, then input basic data on the next screen. If you have difficulty, please register by email: Events@AngenAdvisors.com.
Cost: There is a nominal fee of $20 to attend, payable at the door. Regrets but we are unable to accept credit cards.
Directions: Entrances to the Helmsley Building at 230 Park Avenue are on 45th and 46th Streets. Please use elevator bank '3C to 34' for the most direct access to the 6th Floor.
Cancellations: If you register but need to cancel for whatever reason, kindly notify us at: Events@AngenAdvisors.com.
This event sponsor is Columbia Business School Alumni Club of New York. The Club maintains an ongoing calendar of events covering a wide range of topics, and meetings are open to the public. To learn more, please go to the Club's website at CBSACNY.org