State of the Venture Capital Industry in 2019 (with Infographic)
Over the past decade, venture capital funding has risen by 17% annually to a figure $254 billion. What factors have contributed to this surge and what do they mean for the industry going forward?
Toptal Talent Network Experts
What Is a Down Round and How to Avoid One
Anyone vaguely familiar with the venture capital industry knows that down rounds are bad news. But what exactly are they, and why do they occur? What alternatives do founders have to avoid a down round?
Natasha Ketabchi
What’s Next for Equity Crowdfunding?
Toptal Finance Expert Bechara Kara runs through the crowdfunding market’s recent milestones, highlighting some of the shortcomings that can potentially threaten crowdfunding as a tool for democratizing finance, concluding with suggestions for a balanced approach in promoting its evolution.
Bechara Kara
Revenue-based Financing in VC: A Study on Playing Averages Over Home Runs
Revenue-based financing allows an entrepreneur to repay an investment over time, to retake ownership of their business, and give a capped return to investors. With founders increasingly rejecting the scale-at-all-costs mentality, this article investigates the math of revenue-based investing and whether in VC it is possible to play averages over home runs.
Toptal Talent Network Experts
Aligned for Success: A Guide to What Investors Look for in a Startup
Startup investors are not benevolent creatures, they’re looking for certain signals that help to persuade them to part with their money. This guide, written from an investor’s perspective, intends to help startups understand the key areas to focus on and emphasize when raising money.
David Bradshaw
AI Investment Primer: A Practical Guide to Appraising Artificial Intelligence Dealflow (Part II)
In part I of this two-part series, Toptal Finance Expert Carolyn Deng provided an overview of the world of AI aimed at investors, with a focus on understanding what factors make for a great AI company. In this follow-up post, she outlines five practical steps investors should follow when diligencing a potential AI investment.
Carolyn Deng, CFA
AI Investment Primer: Laying the Groundwork (Part I)
Over the last few years, the world has witnessed an explosion of interest surrounding Artificial Intelligence. Nevertheless, there still exists a significant gap in understanding and knowledge about AI applications, particularly amongst the investor community. This article, the first of a two-part series on the topic, is a collection of thoughts and advice by Toptal Finance Expert Carolyn Deng, based on her experience having founded an AI startup as well as having worked as VC Investor.
Carolyn Deng, CFA
Effective Startup Boards: What They Are and How to Build Them
Depending on your perspective, type, and motivation, the idea of building a board of directors either excites or intimidates you, complete with all associated imagery of aged oak rooms, brief-case wielding titans, and expensive cigars.
This article, by Toptal Finance Expert Orinola Gbadebo-Smith, sets out to debunk a few myths. It sheds light on boards as a construct, their workings, dealings, and nuances, and explores some battle-tested strategies for recruiting, building, and managing effective boards.
Orinola Gbadebo-Smith
Fundraising Consultants vs. Broker-dealers
Fundraising is hard to get right, which is why companies of all sorts often turn to fundraising experts for help and advice regarding the fundraising process. There is a multitude of different professional figures that help companies raise capital, but for startups and growth companies, the two figures most often encountered are fundraising consultants and broker-dealers. Who is right for which endeavor?
Aleksey N. Krylov, CFA
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