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Is It Suitable to Ask LPs About Their Investment Focus and First-Time Fund Involvement?

Is it appropriate - as a conversation starter e.g. at a conference in 1:1 conversation - to ask an LP (Corporate Corporate VC HNWI or Family office) what their investment focus is and if they only make direct investments or also invest in first time funds (without speaking about the fund thesis to avoid public solicitation)? If they ask us we can then lead the conversation over to what we work on?

Top answer:

You should try to build some rapport before you discuss the topic. Then, the questions should be something like this: 1. Do you invest in new mangers? 2. How many have in invested in last year?

 -  Mike Suprovici
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What are the Best Practices for Fund-Accelerator Partnerships and Retribution, Including Carried Interest and Management Fees?

Are there any best practices and/or industry standards on the relationship & retribution between a fund and its partnered accelerator - points of carried interest % of management fees especially?

Top answer:

There are none. Often you don't need to compensate the accelerator however. It's to their benefit if your fund invests in their companies

 -  Mike Suprovici
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Are management fees calculated on committed capital or on called capital? I'm calling 25%.

Are management fees calculated on committed capital or on called capital? I'm calling 25%.

Top answer:

It all depends on what is spelled out within the legal documents, but most times, management fees are calculated on committed capital.

 -  Rob Del Prete 0
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Is it Common to Disclose Investment Terms and Co-Investors for Warehoused Companies to Prospective LPs?

In discussions with prospective LPs re participation in fund is it common / ok to disclose investment terms for warehoused companies including other co-investors etc?

Top answer:

Yes you can disclose the terms. It’s usually not good practice to mention co-investors unless you have permission.

 -  Mike Suprovici
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Do You Recommend Attending Fundraising-Focused Meetups for Building a Network of Potential LPs?

While building our network of potential LPs do you recommend meetups that seem to be designed for fundraising?

Top answer:

You can not generally solicit interest from LPs and there are no “secret lists” that work. You need to use Connectors and mine your existing network to find LPs. If you are going to do an event, it needs to be a small private dinner or ...

 - 
Community Member
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How Can Small Fund I with Solo GP, Venture Partners, and Advisors Modify the Investment Process and Due Diligence for Efficiency?

For small Fund I with a Solo GP and a few Venture Partners and Advisors (tech & business) how should we modify the Investment Process especially the Due Diligence part and Investment Committee?

Top answer:

You don't necessarily need an IC. If you want it, you can build it however it's up to you how you build it. Some have only the GPs. Others have an LP and others have a set of key individuals that are uniquely qualified to do well. That...

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Does an LP's Inquiry About Sidecar Syndicates Imply Our Fund's Involvement in Organizing Them?

When an LP asks if there is room for sidecar syndicates does this imply that our fund would be helping organize the syndicate?

Top answer:

Offering the opportunity for your LPs to invest along side your fund (if there is additional room in the round) or in following rounds can provide additional value to both your LPs and portfolio companies. In these cases, you may want to...

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Is it advisable to include an Anchor in the Fund Overview Doc, despite it being considered old-fashioned?

Regarding the Fund Overview Doc it mentions an Anchor. I seem to remember it being considered a bit old fashioned. As it happens I’m hoping to be celebrating having one. Should I include it when it lands?

Top answer:

You can remove the Anchor section in your Fund Overview document if you don't plan to have one, which is common for new and emerging managers.

 -  Mike Suprovici
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Does a Portfolio Venture Partner's Selective Involvement Affect the Venture Partner Agreement?

If a 'portfolio' venture partner is to work on individual portfolio investments but not necessarily ALL of them does this change how the venture partner agreement is written?

Top answer:

No it does not. Venture Partners are part time and by definition have limited bandwidth, as a result. So in this case, they can only handle a limited number of companies.

 -  Mike Suprovici
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Which Background Check Services Do People Use for Founder DD, and Are There VC Lab Partnerships or Discounts?

Which background check service providers do people use when completing their DD on founders? Does VC lab partner with a certain group if so any discount codes we can use?

Top answer:

We use SumSub for AML and KYC purposes (though they are not true "background check" services"). We don't have a deal with these vendors for accelerator participants as of this message. 

 -  Mike Suprovici
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Do VCs Ever Sign Mutual NDAs with Startup Companies?

Are there situations where VCs sign a mutual NDA with a startup company or do VC firms generally not sign any NDAs at all?

Top answer:

VCs typically don't sign NDAs. Given how many deals they see, it's just not prudent to so usually. There are exceptions to all of this of course, but it's uncommon.

 -  Mike Suprovici
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Should We Provide a Local Investor with Delaware Fund Structure and Document Details for Review?

One of our prospective investor want to know about the domicile jurisdiction fund structure and review the LPA & other agreements before he sign the PACT he is local. shall we provide the Delaware structure and documents?

Top answer:

Tell them that the PACT is non-binding and that you will share your data room with them after the sign a pact. Providing more info will not close the deal. It’s usually the opposite.

 -  Mike Suprovici
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Rolling Fund vs Regular Fund: Which is Better for Raising <$10m with Different Capital Call Timings?

2 LPs have talked about rolling funds… considering one is likely to do capital calls at different points in time has anyone raising <$10m given more thought to rolling fund vs regular fund?

Top answer:

Rolling funds are great for part-time angel investors that want to add more structure to their practice. They are very sub-optimal for enduring venture capital firms. They are also very difficult to manage when you have a small fund beca...

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What is the recommended time frame to complete closing the entire Fund after achieving the first close of 10% of Target AUM?

What is the recommended time frame to complete closing the entire Fund after achieving the first close of 10% of Target AUM?

Top answer:

The recommended time frame is ASAP. Subsequent closings will depend on demand - however once you do a 1st close most LPAs specify that you have 18 months to close the rest of the fund (often called the Fundraising Period). Depending on t...

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Is it Reasonable to Require LATAM Startups to Register in the US for Tax Purposes When Investing in Both Regions?

I intend to invest in both LATAM (Colombia) and US (Florida) based companies. Given LP tax discussion today is it reasonable to require LATAM startups be registered in the US?

Top answer:

It’s reasonable for you to invest in companies that are incorporated in Delaware. A lot of companies in LATAM do this because it gives them access to international investors. That being said, it really depends on your strategy and deal f...

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Emerging Fund Managers: Balancing New Deals vs. Reserves for Follow-Ons in Startup Portfolios?

Is an emerging fund manager expected by LPs to have 1/3 initial investment 2/3 reserves for follow-ons for breakthrough portcos? Or is an emerging fund manager rather expected to build a platform by maximizing the number of startups (relevant to the thesis) in portfolio with very low reserves for follow-ons?

Top answer:

The allocation strategy between initial investments and reserving capital for follow-ons depends on the fund size and the strategy. Many, or even most, small Fund 1s don’t have reserves because due to their size. 

 -  Mike Suprovici
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Is Referencing a $1bn+ M&A Transaction Book Executed by a Venture Partner Beneficial in a Thesis?

If a venture partner has executed a large M &A transaction book ($1bn+) is that useful to reference in the thesis? Adeo Mike

Top answer:

No it's not because VPs are part-time members of the fund and LPs don't put much weight on their experience. 

 -  Mike Suprovici
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Can We Mention Our Prominent LP's Name to Attract More Investors in This Unique Situation?

We got one new LP that is the most respected name in our niche space. Multiple potential LPs have asked if he endorses us. He would allow us to use his name when fundraising with others. Is that an edge case where we can mention the LP's name to others?

Top answer:

No. First close them (money in the bank). Then, you may ask them for permission to use their name in future closes.

 -  Mike Suprovici
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