Publication
What’s Next for Equity Crowdfunding?
https://www.toptal.com/finance/startup-funding-consultants/whats-next-for-equity-crowdfunding
Bechara is available for hire
Hire BecharaBechara Kara
Verified Expert in Finance
Finance Expert
Location
London, United Kingdom
Toptal Member Since
December 7, 2018
Bechara is a private equity professional with ESW Capital, a $5 billion software buyout fund, and a former investment banker at UBS, where he worked on $1+ billion in transactions. He has worked with executives on corporate finance initiatives and advised on due diligence for M&A and fundraising transactions. Experienced with firms of all sizes, Bechara freelances to utilize his financial insight and experience to enhance value for his clients.
Career Highlights
Investment Manager
Crowdcube Ventures
Associate
UBS Investment Bank
Education Highlights
Master's Degree
University of Warwick
Bachelor's Degree
American University of Beirut
Certification Highlights
Software Expertise
Other Expertise
Work Experience
Research Associate
2019 - PRESENT
Razorhorse Capital
- Researched B2B software and tech-enabled solutions focusing on key verticals and horizontals including but not limited to insurtech, fintech, retail, and ERP.
- Drafted extensive reports and presentations, quantifying the target markets for venture capital and private equity investors, identifying potential investment targets and highlighting key M&A and capital raising trends.
- Analyzed US-based venture capital funds' portfolios, contributing to the development of their investment thesis and its formulation.
- Developed the marketing strategy of US- and EMEA-based investment funds enabling them to communicate their investment rationale effectively online and offline essentially through presentations and newsletters.
- Engaged with CEOs and founders across the technology space, developing a network of C-level executives in EMEA and the US, both on the investor and investee sides.
Focus areas: B2B, Software, Fintech, Insurance Technology (Insurtech), Software as a Service (SaaS), Enterprise SaaS, SaaS, Venture Funding, Venture Capital, Market Research, Market Research & Analysis, Investment Memoranda, Financial Modeling, Investments, Interim CFO, CFO, Pricing Strategy, Pricing Models, Subscription Pricing, Forecasting, Dashboards, Financial Reporting Dashboards, Budgeting, Early-stage Funding, Startups, Finance, Investment Manager
Business Development and Investment Management
2018 - 2019
ESW Capital
- Identified M&A and strategic opportunities in the B2B software and financial technology spaces, developed relationships with C-level executives, and led negotiations from the issuance of an indication of interest to the execution of definitive documents.
- Researched market trends and conducted competitive analyses by analyzing and presenting information as part of internal and external market reports.
- Drove the market expansion and the implementation of the investment thesis by developing a sales and customer relationship management process using software including HubSpot and DealCloud.
- Managed the due diligence processes, created financial models, and determined the valuation based on critical software metrics including retention and customer lifetime value.
- Prepared investment recommendations for the ESW Investment Committee, including presentations and financial models, for the successful acquisitions of Olive Software, ResponseTek, and Knowledge Marketing.
Focus areas: Due Diligence, Financial Modeling, Transaction Modeling, Valuation Modeling, M&A Modeling, Investment Memoranda, Investment Thesis, Fintech, Finance Strategy, Business Planning, Financial Marketing, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Market Research, Market Research & Analysis, Investments, Interim CFO, CFO, Pricing Strategy, Pricing Models, Subscription Pricing, Forecasting, Dashboards, Financial Reporting Dashboards, Budgeting, Startups, Early-stage Funding, Investment Strategy, Finance, Investment Manager
Investment Manager
2014 - 2016
Crowdcube Ventures
- Conceptualized an innovative debt raising platform and managed the product development strategy from inception to execution by analyzing critical metrics such as website traffic and conversion rates as well as collaborating with the development team to introduce new features and testing their popularity.
- Designed financial models to assist the senior management of small and medium-sized UK companies with fundraising and to help optimize their capital raising strategies.
- Performed in-depth analysis of operating models, stress-testing the critical assumptions that drove a company's revenue and costs, helping to validate the performance outlook of the business for potential investors.
- Structured debt transactions with features including security, amortization, and inflation-linkage for companies in the technology, consumer, real estate and renewable industries.
- Conducted and closed crowdfunding campaigns across a wide range of sectors, raising as much as GBP 10 million in retail bonds, including a complex inflation-linked offering for a renewable energy business.
Focus areas: Due Diligence, Subordinated Debt, Debt Workouts, Venture Debt, Debt Capital Markets, Equity Crowdfunding, Equity Financing, Business Planning, Transaction Modeling, Transaction Structuring, Capital Structuring, Debt Structuring, Debt Raises, Equity Capital, Revenue & Expense Projections, Five-year Projections, Business Advisory, Financial Marketing, Fundraising, Investment Memoranda, Financial Modeling, Investments, Interim CFO, Pricing Strategy, Pricing Models, Subscription Pricing, Budgeting, Forecasting, Dashboards, Financial Reporting Dashboards, Early-stage Funding, Startups, Investment Strategy, Finance, Investment Manager
Investment Manager
2011 - 2013
QWin Capital
- Worked with the co-founders for the launch of a $500 million fund targeting primary and secondary investment opportunities in Asia and the Middle East, communicating with potential limited partners.
- Managed the fundraising process and met with a wide range of limited partners, securing $50 million in commitments from a family office located in the Middle East.
- Performed a fundamental fund analysis and selection, mapping and ranking general partners in relevant regions after meeting a wide range of private equity funds operating in Asia and the Middle East.
- Built a data room for the fund including documents for corporate governance, the investment thesis, and the marketing strategy as well as waterfall models replicating potential fund investments over the full lifecycle of the vehicle.
- Evaluated the acquisition of Chinese secondary portfolios as well as primary investments in Turkey and Citadel for Turkish and Egyptian general partners.
Focus areas: Due Diligence, Fund Governance, Fund Management, Private Equity Secondaries, Private Equity Valuation, Private Equity, Structuring of Funds, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Financial Marketing, Market Research & Analysis, Investment Memoranda, Investments, Budgeting, Investment Strategy, Finance, Banking & Finance, Leveraged Finance, Private Placements, Investment Banking
Associate
2007 - 2011
UBS Investment Bank
- Built leveraged buyout and M&A models for infrastructure and transport corporations including airports, ports and airline operators.
- Determined and executed capital structure optimization mandates advising on complex fundraising solutions such as rights issues, initial public offerings, as well as equity-linked and derivative products.
- Prepared presentations for capital raise and advisory meetings developing equity financing models for U.K. real estate and construction companies including British Land, Land Securities, and Derwent London that sought to recapitalize in the wake of the financial crisis.
- Worked as part of the syndicate team liaising with investors and marketing capital raises on behalf of issuers, aligning marketing with investment strategies of various fund managers.
- Built corporate finance transaction models for earnings estimates and to determine the sustainability of dividend payouts incorporating financial variables including estimated volatility and credit spread.
Focus areas: Due Diligence, Transaction Modeling, Leveraged Buyout Modeling, Valuation Modeling, M&A Modeling, Cash Flow Modeling, Debt Workouts, Subordinated Debt, Debt Restructuring, Debt Capital Markets, Convertible Equity, Convertible Debt, Derivatives, Equity, Equity Financing, Equity Offerings, Equity Valuation, Equity Research, Transaction Structuring, Capital Structuring, Debt Structuring, Financial Marketing, Fundraising, Debt Raises, Equity Capital, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Market Research & Analysis, Investment Memoranda, Investments, Investment Strategy, Finance, Banking & Finance, Leveraged Finance, Private Placements, Investment Banking
Financial Analyst
2006 - 2007
General Electric
- Managed the base costs for the integrated IT Solutions business unit P&L in Europe covering 300 employees and totaling $40 million in expenses.
- Contributed to the quarterly financial reporting by consolidating accounts and analyzing performance as the business unit grew by acquiring new entities.
- Worked on accounts reconciliation and the reorganization of cost and profit centers constituting the overall reporting structure.
- Developed detailed spreadsheets to analyze trends and forecasts contributing to the company's budget review and leading to the identification of legacy costs from acquisitions and ultimately increased margins.
- Created and delivered presentations to senior management of the European Healthcare division of General Electric.
Focus areas: Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Financial Management, Budgeting, Interim CFO, Finance
Other Experience
Education
2005 - 2008
Master of Business Administration (MBA) in General Management
ESSEC - Paris, France
2004 - 2005
Master's Degree in Political Science
University of Warwick - Warwick, UK
2000 - 2003
Bachelor's Degree in Economics
American University of Beirut - Beirut, Lebanon
Certifications
JANUARY 2018 - PRESENT
Chartered Accountant
CIMA