Sahil Bloom

Why Buying Your First Business is the hardest & Financing The Fear is Being seen as too risky by lenders and investors. The Solution: Prepare a solid business plan with detailed financial projections. Work with a financial advisor to enhance your credibility. Consider alternative financing options like SBA loans or seller financing.

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The Trends I’m Seeing in VC and PE-Backed Companies as a Fractional Advisor. One big shift I’ve noticed is earlier involvement in mentoring pre-seed and scale-ups. Previously, I’d typically step in at Series A or later. But now, I’m being asked to guide companies at much earlier stages. The market is so competitive that founders want to lay solid foundations well before investment lands. It’s a smart move - preparing for growth and scaling in today’s challenging environment requires clear strategies and strong operational frameworks from the start. Catch the full episode: https://lnkd.in/e_JfxnzS #FractionalAdvisor #VC #PE #Startups #ScalingUp

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I recently saw this metric from Carta’s 1Q24 VC Fund Report, which is very concerning. DPI... is nowhere to be found in earlier vintages that probably should start showing DPI. Funding early-stage projects is great, but ultimately, these venture dollars need to exit their investments and pay back their limited partners. That’s where the metric Distributed to Paid-In Capital (DPI) comes in. While managing a fund, we get interim measures during the life of the fund (e.g. IRR, MOIC), but ultimately, “you can’t eat IRR.” If you want to build a lasting venture capital organization, you need to start showing DPI for your fund. Keep in mind that this is traditional VC data from Carta, and is not strictly crypto venture. Crypto venture tends to get liquidity earlier (tokens) and things tend to go parabolic sooner (faster, more unicorns) - but I’d wager that the data here is somewhat similar for Crypto VCs… Not as much DPI as there should be from these earlier vintages. Read the full article, as well as a recap of all the crypto fundraising rounds for August, here: https://lnkd.in/g3eVJ-iF

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🌱 For founders taking on venture debt, covenants are the fine print you cannot afford to ignore. 📃 They set the boundaries for how you can operate and manage your company’s finances. If you don’t play by these rules, the consequences can be pretty dire. It’s all about negotiating terms that align with your startup’s financial health. Be sure to read the original post by Kruze Consulting to get the full breakdown. Link in the 1st comment. 👇 #StartupFinance

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Lexington Books managed to release my book Disagreeing despite the Data before the election. It argues the belief segregation underway in the US may be irreversible. Today's battles over climate change, disease mitigation, and election results run deep -- they're cognitive, not just strategic. Here's the gist of it. 20th-century revolutions in the philosophy of mind, meaning, and matter uncover three surprising requirements for widespread factual agreement. Critical thinking and community building have the potential to reverse two of them -- the growing refusal to test assumptions and individual isolation. Factual agreement between groups is impossible without the third one, though -- shared projects or other meaningful interaction. And a large part of American society has insulated itself from the rest. Without shared projects, communities gradually lose the ability to tell whether they agree or not regardless of the words they use. Belief segregation with similar roots has led several developing countries to the brink of failure. We'd better watch out. The attached flyer gives a discount code that makes the book -- priced in this initial run for academic libraries -- a little more affordable. Please feel free to forward it and, if you're connected to any libraries or book stores, pass it on!

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🧱BRICS+ ACCELERATE 'THE UNIT' CHALLENGER TO KING 💵 🅰️ ARCADIA ECONOMICS (C. Marcus) interviews Eagle Forge (EF) Matt Riley about "BRICS-buck" aka "THE UNIT", long awaited (+ overdue!) challenger. 🇷🇺 🇨🇳SEEK TO REVALUE GOLD, create a parallel SWIFT-like system. "UNIT" a payments settlement ccy with a 40% gold backing. Not 100% (many BRICS members lack required Au reserves.) 6️⃣ 0️⃣ % REMAINDER TO BE backed by a pairing of strongest world trade fiats within the group. Smaller nations (e.g. Ethiopia) do fear being "drowned" by the majors, simply giving up one problematic system for another. 🌀STRATEGY TAKING SHAPE; anchored by resources (30-40% world oil supply), sheer number of BRICS humans (1.4 billion); three pillars: 1) DECOUPLE USD-PRICED Au and Ag from the new parallel system 2) RENDER "WESTERN" FIATS irrelevant by imposing "DIPLOMATIC, INFO, MILITARY and ECONOMIC" ("DIME") power-playbook 3) LEAVE ROOM FOR credit expansion, hence < 100% Au backing 🌎 POLITICS DRIVES FX vals, the "will" to transform the system. 🇮🇳🇨🇳🇷🇺 , front-running is the "everyone for themselves" factor; could scupper a unified "UNIT" front. Requires herculean geopolitical coordination to pull it off. 🇺🇸 COULD PRE-EMPT and revalue Au reserves first. Then, weaponize their "Strategic BTC Reserve". Matt thinks the latter is mere pandering (hodler votes). 📣 BOTTOM LINE, BRICS lack asymmetric warfare (comms force) to shift the narrative. Comms majors are all G7-based (FT, X, Reuters, NewsCorp etc) ‼️INTERESTINGLY, MATT RAISES the prospect of big bullion dealers being bought out by one or more BRICS/ proxies. Miles Franklin cited as one option. Informative Miles Franklin review from LinkedIn here: https://lnkd.in/gw5pKdsN #ArcadiaEconomics #BRICS+ #MattRiley #EFBullion #USD #TheUnit #monetary #commodities #gold #silver #MilesFranklin

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As we approach year-end, here's a helpful guide for General Partners and Limited Partners explaining: - What gets taxed? - What isn't taxed? - Scheduling K-1s - How venture fund earnings are taxed - VC fund write-offs - How Carta can help Check it out below (it's a quick read)!

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My colleagues at BIP Capital work hard to meet the private market investing needs of HNWIs and the RIAs who serve them. The potential for compounding returns is a critical consideration, so we've put together a short, straightforward explanation of what they are and how they work. We also want to help our clients understand how evergreen funds like the BIP Ventures Evergreen BDC encourage compounding returns. Because they offer patient capital and reinvestment opportunities, evergreen funds can move high-performing portfolio startups to optimal outcomes. That's good for investors who are willing to take a longer view. If you want to get the inside knowledge on this important topic, check out our "Expert Guide to Compounding Returns with Evergreen Funds." https://lnkd.in/efXAbibV BONUS: If you're an RIA, join us for a brief informational session tomorrow (June 11th) at 2:00 pm EST. You'll get useful information from some of the most seasoned, intelligent authorities in private market investing. Mark Flickinger Phil Davidson #CompoundingReturns #EvergreenFunds #WealthManagement #LongTermInvestment #PrivateEquity #HNWIs #FamilyOffices #RIAs #BIPCapital #BIPVentures 📣 BTW, webinar seats close EOD today, so grab yours now. (Shhhhh.... if you miss it, DM me and I'll be glad to help you out.) https://hubs.ly/Q02B7zL40

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We are starting to see some encouraging signs for emerging managers per PitchBook. From the article: "On the heels of one of the most challenging private market fundraising environments seen in a decade, emerging managers closed 15 funds in 2023 with a total $12.7 billion in committed capital, according to the report. Last quarter embodied a swift reversal of the decadelong, steady decline of emerging managers’ share of capital allocations from LPs in the US." Emerging managers play a crucial role in the funding ecosystem. In many cases it is these funds that are willing to push new boundaries and fund companies that larger 'established' funds may pass on. In other words, there is a lot of cutting edge innovation being funded by emerging managers. The last few years have been brutal for newer managers. I suspect that this Pitchbook article only focuses on a small segment of the market. My guess is that the numbers are actually even more optimistic. If this sector continues to open up, it would be great news for the entire private markets landscape. Endeavor Colorado Zeb King Kathryn Dickson Tegan Stanbach #privateequity #venturecapital #investing #innovation #entrepreneurship #founders #startups https://lnkd.in/gPXevKSx

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💰 Women-Led VC Funds: Navigating 2024 Fundraising Landscape 💰 According to Venture Capital Journal, despite a strong start, women-led VC funds are feeling the impact of the industry-wide fundraising slowdown. As of November 30, 2024, women-led VC funds have raised $2.54 billion, which represents a 25% decrease from 2023's total of $3.43 billion. In comparison, global venture fundraising is down 13% YoY. While the numbers reflect challenges, there's still potential for growth: • Several funds typically file updates in December • These late submissions could help narrow the gap Let's continue supporting diversity in VC and monitor these trends as we approach year-end. #VentureCapital #WomenInVC #FundingTrends2024 La Creme de la STEM ™ - female founders support system Noshin Ahmed Lori Rodriguez Emilie Vallauri Craig Zapatka

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Great Sponsor-led secondary case study written in collaboration between my partner, Mike Blume and Derek Minno of Point Capital. Derek, a veteran in the VC/PE world, has been chronicling (on SecondaryLink) the GP-led VC and now PE sector. The case study provides a detailed perspective into a sponsor-led secondary and Tail End Capital Partners' approach to these investments. The case study documents Tail End's first investment, made in August, 2021 and also Tail End's first full exit in early 2024. Tail End has actually returned 97% of capital across our first three (of eight) investments proving out the velocity of capital in the Sponsor-led secondary market. Shout out to Sebastien Burdel for the introduction to Namakor Holdings the GP in Gelpac (the investment)! And, of course, thanks to Namakor for being great partners in this transaction! Article Link: https://lnkd.in/dUftFXdz Point Capital: https://lnkd.in/dAx_j8wP #sponsorledsecondary #gpledsecondary #secondary #secondarymarket #secondaries #independentsponsor #cv #continuationvehicle #liquidity #pe #privateequity #lmm #lowermiddlemarket #gp #generalpartner

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What makes a good Venture Capital Associate? Notes from my catching up with my mentor Derren Burrell of Veteran Ventures Capital today 1) Be willingly to "eat the frog" which means doing all of those adhoc but necessary task to keep a evergreen fund operator (the task Partners dread doing as well) such as: - Financial reporting - Trial balances and fund management - Investor relations and LP reporting - Compliance based task 2) Networking "The Best deal flow comes from other VC firms" 3) Investor relations and attractive new partners to the firm 4) Platform operations and improving portfolio companies. Rinse and repeat #veteran #vc #venturecapital #startups #fundoperations

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The VC landscape of New York is full of industry giants. Love seeing resources like this to help founders discover the right investors for them and for those seeking to break into VC, find the right firm! VC maps like this demystify the startup ecosystem, providing transparency on who’s who in the VC world. For founders, this means knowing where to turn when you’re ready to scale, understanding who aligns with your vision, and finding investors that get your industry. (Or, you might discover you don't need to be a venture-backed business and bootstrap instead - which I personally love to see - hot take.) For VCs, it’s about building relationships with the best and brightest, ensuring we’re accessible to the entrepreneurs who need us the most, and knowing which metrics mean the most to the startup world. Having visibility into the ecosystem breaks down barriers, makes room for more inclusive, diverse investments, and ultimately, leads to more impactful innovation. Would love to learn more about similar resources that level the playing field and empower more entrepreneurs to succeed. Venture Capital Firms in NYC Map: https://lnkd.in/ez2i4D4r #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #startups

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Want to stand out in a VC screening call? Ask thoughtful questions. Why it matters: 1. Shows you've done your research 2. Demonstrates genuine interest 3. Helps you understand if they're a good fit Go beyond "What's your check size?" Get specific to that fund and even the person you’re talking to. Remember, it's not just about us evaluating you - you're evaluating us too. What's the best question you've asked (or been asked) in a VC meeting?

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I'm always asked about the ROI on building community. Sometimes, we feel that we need to justify all the time / energy we spend on cultivating and engaging ours. But here's the thing, it's really the lifeblood of our fund. Here's why: ✔ Dealflow. The vast majority of the founders we interact with come directly from our community. This includes introductions of course but also our events as well as the organizations we partnered with. ✔ Diligence. Since we are super active, we involve our community in our vetting and DD process. We have experts in every vertical, located across the world and we tap into them. ✔ Support. We would not be able to manage such a large portfolio (250+) without our venture partners, founder LPs and portfolio founders - they help form the flywheel of support that we've built over the years. Building community is hard, engaging community is even harder. We've made mistakes and tried things that didn't work. But we truly believe that it's the foundation of our thesis so we continue to iterate and persevere!

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Wonderful article about Emily Knight and the whole The Engine Accelerator team on the amazing work their doing changing the world with #ToughTech!

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It's been a busy week for emerging managers. As we start paying more attention to emerging funds in VC, I'm making it my mission to keep track. Want a more detailed analysis? Click on the link at the bottom of the post. I'll be posting every week. Did I miss your fund launch or close? Comment FEATURE in the comment box and send me a invitation request. 🚀 🇫🇷 & 🇬🇧 Noteus Partners Fund I- launching Former Eurazeo partners Yann du Rusquec and Nathalie Kornoff Brüls have announced they are launching Noteus Partners a EUR 600M pan-European Tech Growth fund. 🚀🇫🇷 Deepbright Ventures Fund I (aka Hello Tomorrow)- launching  The France-founded global #deeptech ecosystem is preparing to launch it’s own venture fund. The fund will focus on early-stage deeptech startups, scouting from it’s own deep network of 5,000+ startups 🎉 🇭🇺 Impact Ventures Fund III- closed European Investment Fund (EIF) and Hungary’s state-backed National Capital Holding (NCH) invested EUR 40M into Impact Fund III. This latest fund is 10x in size from it’s previous 2018 vintage (EUR 4M). 🎉🇪🇸 Acurio Ventures Fund III- closed Bilbao-based Acurio Ventures has not only rebranded from All Iron Ventures, but just closed a EUR 150M continuation fund. The fund will invest across 50 follow-on deals in EU-based seed and Series A tech startups, taking between 3%-10% stakes. 🔊🇪🇪 Estonia Defense Fund- extended In May 2024, the government of Estonia announced a EUR 50 million fund that will invest in defense-related or dual-use technologies, managed by SmartCap. It announced yesterday it would double the fund size to EUR 100M. 🎉 🇺🇸 Cerulean Ventures Fund I- closed This USD 10M climate-focused micro-fund founded by Jahed Momand and Matthew Stotts 🌐 has just announced it’s final close. The fund will invest in approximately 40 pre-seed software startups devoted to reducing the human impact on climate change. 🎉 🇺🇸 Avid Ventures Fund II- closed Avid Ventures led by Addie Lerner, a former Principal at General Catalyst has just announced a USD 87M close for it’s second Fund.  Fund II has already completed 5 investments and will back Seed through Series A software and fintech plays, with check sizes starting from USD 500K to USD 2M- with double-down follow-on for select Series B portfolio companies. #venturecapital #emergingmanagers #investmentmanagent #technology Adam Sah Dan Engel Kim Pochon Bob Mason Mohammed AhmedAbduljabar Totonji Myrto Lalacos VC Lab

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💰 Founders, are you wasting time and resources pitching to the wrong investors? 💰 In this podcast excerpt, David Forsberg, CFA from Ascent Energy Ventures shares a crucial piece of advice: Make sure your startup is truly venture-backable before you start seeking funding. 🎯 I've advised hundreds of startups that have raised billions in VC and venture debt funding, and I've seen firsthand the pressures founders face when growing their companies. 🌱 Listen to the full podcast for more game-changing insights. Link in the original Kruze Consulting post. 🎧 #startups #venturecapital #funding #entrepreneurship

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