University:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Course:
15.501/516 | Accounting
Academic year:

2023
Views:

231

Pages:

36
Author:

lalejavaomm

Early Stage Capital: Term Sheets 101 1 Term Sheets 101 Today’s Goal: • Get everyone to a low common denominator re term sheet jargon and VC practice Definitions Questions and Discussion Team Sign Up Team formation • list of members • team name Scheduling on Sloan class server: • lawyer rounds • VC rounds bid for 3 slots for each round Deadline: 8:00 pm TONIGHT Term Sheet Definitions “Term Sheet” guts of the business deal NOT a “legal” document short (~5-8 pages) VC offers its template Term Sheet Definitions “Preferred Stock” what VCs get “preferred” because it’s got better rights and protections than common stock exact definition of preferences is key focus of negotiation (and this course) Term Sheet Definitions “Common Stock” what Founders and Employees get has voting rights but not much else options and restricted stock Term Sheet Definitions “Valuation” “Pre-money”: value before financing “Post-money”: pre-money plus financing Term Sheet Definitions “Valuation” VC stake stated as percentage of postmoney: “4 on 6” = $6M pre-money with $4M round = $10M post-money; VCs own 40% of the company Valuation Jargon “5 on 10” = $____ M pre with $ __ M round = $____ M post; VCs own ____% Valuation Jargon “5 on 10” = $10 Million pre-money valuation with $5 Million of investment = $15 Million post-money valuation; VCs own 33% (5/15) Control, Ownership & Economic Power 5 Key Terms to Negotiate: Board of Directors Vesting Option Pool Participating Preferred Stock Anti-Dilution Protection Board of Directors Governing group of company Approves major strategic decisions Does not have operating role Shareholders elect, often by class vote Board of Directors (continued) Not subject to public company regulations Pre-money--usually consists of employees only Post-money--a mix of VCs, employees, outsiders Board of Directors: Term Sheet Issue Composition post-money: • Will investors have majority? • % VC ownership highly indicative • 4-6 members post A Round • Aim for “2-2-1”? Vesting You don’t really own the shares you thought you did Legal mechanism: if you quit/get fired, the Company can buy back, at your cost basis (pennies), some percentage of your stock Typically, stock vests with the passage of time, but big events may accelerate vesting schedule Vesting (continued) Vesting is artificially imposed by a separate contract, and typically is heavily negotiated in first rounds “Vested” stock is yours to keep, forever; Company’s buyback right is only for “unvested” stock Vesting: Term Sheet Issues Term: ~3-4 years; varies by sector and region Schedule: “cliff”; quarterly; monthly “Upfront”: getting credit for work previously done “Acceleration”: extra credit when big things happen: change of control or getting booted if you “don’t work out” Option Pool Percentage of company’s total stock postmoney that will be reserved for future hires VC’s preferred stock is added into calculation on “as-converted” basis (1:1) initially Option Pool Irrelevant whether options have already been issued Typical A round: 15-25% Pool always comes out of founders’, not VC’s share How complete is your team? Option Pool Typical “Cap Table” post-money: Series A Preferred: VC 1 35% VC 2 15% total: 50% Common: Founders 30% Option Pool 20% total: 50% Option Pool Typical “Cap Table” post-money: Series A Preferred: VC 1 35% VC 2 15% total: 50% Common: Founders 30% Option Pool 20% total: 50% Option Pool: Term Sheet Issues Have you already lost effective control? (“The unborn vote only in Chicago”) Can you wait for a “recharge”--when dilution affects VCs as well-- and argue for smaller pool now? Pool is necessity; don’t cheap out. What’s the right percentage for your stage? Participating Preferred Description of certain rights that VC’s stock gets upon “liquidation” 1. “Liquidation preference”: VCs get 100% of original money back before Common gets one penny 2. Then, VCs “participate in” (take) pro rata share of leftovers with Common Participating Preferred “Multiple liquidation preference”: almost gone? Various aspects imprecisely referred to as “double dipping” Irrelevant in grand slam; matters only in middling outcome (thus, very important in 2003) Participating Preferred VCs never give up their right to participate in upside VCs will always have alternative forms of payout, guaranteeing them (at least) the better of: • a straight liquidation preference or • pro rata share on as-converted basis Participating Preferred Example Co. raises $40 on $60. VC takes standard participating preferred. Co. is acquired for $160 two years later. Participating Preferred Co. has $60 pre-money valuation VC puts in $40 Co. has $100 post-money VC owns 40% (4/10) 2 years later, Co. sold for $160... Participating Preferred $160 proceeds VC gets: $40 back right off the top (investment returned), plus $48 = 40% of $120 (VC’s percentage ownership of leftover assets) $88 total (55% of Co. value) Participating Preferred $160 proceeds Common gets: $72 = $160 - $40 - $48 $40 = “VC’s preference” $48 = “VC’s participation” $72 total 45% of Co. value, despite 60% of Co. ownership MLP Assume same facts, with VC 3X MLP $160 proceeds VC gets: $120 (VC’s preference: 3X original investment of $40) $16 (VC’s participation: 40% of leftover $40) $136 = total return MLP Assume same facts, with VC 3X MLP $160 proceeds Common gets: $24 ($160 - $120 - $16) = 15% of Co. value, despite 60% of Co. ownership Participating Preferred Term Sheet Issues: Can you “push back on” the participating and get it out altogether? Can you get out the MLP? Can you get a cap on the participation feature? Anti-Dilution Protection VC’s protection in event of “down round” so that A Round investors’ “conversion ratio” is equal to subsequent investors’. Anti-Dilution Protection 2 flavors: “full ratchet” and “weighted average.” Full Ratchet: draconian; “if only one new share is issued” in B round, all A round investors entitled to B round’s conversion ratio. Anti-Dilution Protection Weighted Average: Less harsh; takes into account the true dilutive effect of the subsequent down round. • broad-based (founder friendly) • narrow-based (almost like full ratchet) Anti-Dilution Protection Term Sheet Issues: Can you get VC to agree to broadbased, weighted average anti-dilution?