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[VC Lab] 5 Steps to Launch a Successful Accelerator - Mar 06, 2024

Are you thinking of launching your own Accelerator, but don't know where to start? VC Lab is hosting an interactive event that will go through the 5 main steps to start, form and launch an Accelerator program. Join us to learn up-to-date best practices, checklists and other guidance and learn how to effectively leverage your current career trajectory and network. After the presentation, we will answer any of your questions on this topic. Who should Attend? • Aspiring venture capitalists and general partners • Leaders in the venture capital ecosystem • Invited VIPs by VC Lab

Top answer:

Register for event here

 -  Zander Buteux
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[VC Lab] Venture Flows 2024: An Inside Look from VCs, LPs, and Founders - Feb 28, 2024

Curious about the current state of venture capital? At VC Lab, we had over $85 million in Limited Partner commitments in January. Join us for "Venture Flows 2024", where experienced venture capitalists, limited partners, and founders will share their unique insights and firsthand experiences with today's market dynamics. Whether you're a founder, venture capitalist, or limited partner, this discussion will provide you with a holistic view of the current venture capital landscape. Who should Attend? • Aspiring Venture Capitalists • Emerging Managers interested in VC Lab • Limited Partners interested in Venture • Invited VIPs by VC Lab

Top answer:

Register for event here

 -  Zander Buteux
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[VC Lab] Cohort 14 Information Session - Feb 27, 2024

VC Lab is hosting an exclusive event for managers applying for Cohort 14. Do you want to learn what our admission process looks like and get tips for a successful application to the world's leading venture capital accelerator program? We are constantly improving our program and are excited to announce our new AI track and other exciting initiatives that will set this Cohort apart from previous editions. Join us to be the first to hear. Who should Attend? • General Partners that applied to VC Lab Cohort X • Anyone thinking to launch a venture capital firm • VIPs invited by VC Lab

Top answer:

Register for the event here

 -  Zander Buteux
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Unable to import bulk LP contacts using CSV file

Error with Please submit a valid csv file. - Invalid byte sequence in UTF-8 in line 57.

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This error may be due to an issue with the formatting or content of your CSV file. Try opening the file in Google Sheets and then downloading it as a CSV file again. This process can often resolve any hidden formatting issues. If the pro...

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Can I use my own Law Firm and work with Decile Partners?

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We have migrated several firms on custom legal agreements to Decile Partners. However, the bar for admissions is significantly higher.  Due to the nature of migrations, the Decile Partners team will need to undergo thorough diligence of...

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What is the LP institute curriculum?

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Sprint 1 – OrientationFebruary 21st, 2024 – Introduce LPs to each other, familiarize them with the investment process, and grant access to necessary systems. Mentor: @Adeo Ressi February 23rd, 2024 – Working Group & Social Session Sprin...

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What is the LP institute?

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The LP Institute is an 8-week online program built to teach Limited Partners (LPs) the process of investing in top venture capital managers. The program focuses on sourcing, conducting due diligence, and successfully closing on at least ...

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What is the importance of a PPM for a new VC firm during fundraising?

Hi VC Lab, I'm in the process of establishing a new VC firm, New Light Ventures, focusing on innovative startups. I am considering the need for a Private Placement Memorandum (PPM) to facilitate our fundraising efforts and ensure compliance. Could you share insights on: - What is the importance of a PPM for a new VC firm during fundraising? - Any best practices or resources for drafting a PPM? Appreciate your guidance!

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PPMs are not common for small emerging manager funds. They are typically more common in very large funds >$50M. The legal cost is not often justified for small fund sizes. Small emerging firms typically do not manage enough money to wher...

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historically have pre-seed funds performed better by keeping resrvers for follow-on or by increasing the number of companies they invest in

Would love to find some aggregated data on historical performance for funds following the two different approaches.

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Most small funds can't have reserves. Reserves are viable around the $20m range. This is because, in many cases, just maintaining pro-rata in some of the winners can cost millions of dollars. So it's just not really viable for funds <$10...

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Fund setup in Cayman Islands

Looking forward to any referrals for parties/advisors for fund setup in Cayman Islands. 

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The Cayman Islands is an expensive and slow domicile, so it is not recommended to set up funds in the Caymans. A less expensive, less regulated, but also slow domicile is BVI, and Decile Partners can work to set a fund up there. Assume t...

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Is reporting to CB Insights or PitchBook worthwhile for a VC fund?

We get a stream of inquiries from these companies that want us to report on our investment activities. Presumably Signal will want this too. I would like to know what the pros and cons of participating in this busywork are. 

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It's not that valuable from a sourcing or fundraising perspective. There is little benefit from being featured in CB Insights & PitchBook. They need your data for reporting reasons. 

 -  Mike Suprovici
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Is SBIC funding a viable option for venture?

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If by funding you're referring to SBIC investing in your fund, then the answer is no. However, it can be an option for your portfolio companies. 

 -  Mike Suprovici
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How to create a Folder link to bypass authentication?

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In this Loom instruction video Travis demonstrates, step-by-step, how to grant a pipeline prospect direct access to a specific data room folder, bypassing the default authentication process that typically requires logging in. He begins b...

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What is the best procedure for offering deal flow directly to LPs? Not co-investments -- but good deals that don’t fit the fund thesis.

Decile Base’s answer goes into... set up an SPV, watch out for conflicts, be sure to offer to all LPs, use your LPAC. All good. But I’d like to know how to specifically avoid conflicts of interest while introducing LPs to a deal we passed on (no SPV, no LPAC yet). This will be a regular occurrence.

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Generally speaking, avoiding conflicts of interest when introducing LPs to a deal a Fund has passed on (and where such deal is not within the Fund's thesis), would be accomplished by following these best practices: • Set up the LPAC (thi...

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I'm getting several questions comparing the S&P index with the possible return of our fund, how should I answer it?

1) An ordinary bank fixed deposit doubles in 7.5 years or less with zero risk. 2) S&P 500 $100 invested in 2011= $444 in 2023, a return of 344%, 12.5% per year. If Adjusted for inflation, published fund returns will be even lower. I saw a similar report from an Indian fund as well touting 2.5x returns. What am I missing here?

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If have reached this point, you probably have lost this LP and are unlikely to be able to turn them around. That being said, here is what this LP is missing. Unlike the asset classes that this LP is citing, there is a MAJOR difference be...

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What was released for Decile Hub in the week ending February 2nd, 2024

First Iteration of Release Notes for the Decile Hub VC platform: Subscribe to this channel to be notified of all future release notes. Feel free to add a comment if you have any relevant questions.

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Updates to the platform v24.2.2:• [Pipelines] Your Pipelines in Decile Hub now have some great new advancements with regard to data of each prospect. • Adding a new data point to a prospect can now be enabled to show as a column for qu...

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Can an LP invest into my Fund out of a self-directed IRA?

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Question: My prospective LP wants to invest into my Fund out of a self-directed IRA. Can they do this? Yes - however, note that both the Fund and the LP must be set up with a Trust company (the same company!) that will act as Custodian...