Building a Business > Finance > archive

Six steps to successful financing
May 2007
A serial entrepreneur provides his insights into the pitfalls you may face when seeking financing for your company and some key strategies to avoid them.

Planning your taxes in the UK
April 2007
Two of KPMG in the UK's tax consultants summarize basic tax principles to bear in mind when starting a life science venture.

Tapping into foundations
March 2007
Charitable foundations are increasingly looking to help promising drugs reach the market. Often the advice and networking opportunities they provide are as valuable as the funding.

How the EU can fund your company
November 2006
The path may not always be clear, but government money to support biotech startups is there for the asking. You just need to know where to look.

Big pharma wants you
September 2006
There's another kind of venture capitalist lurking in the corridors of capital.

Power dating: a guide to VC courtship
June 2006
Getting a second date with a venture capitalist requires good planning and an ability to read between the lines.

Trendspotting: betting strong but playing safe
May 2006
An analysis of recent trends in licensing and financing transactions that affect early to mid-stage life science companies and their investors.

The hermit crab solution
February 2006
Are reverse mergers the answer to biotech's capital crunch? This IPO alternative, in which a viable company goes public through a defunct 'shell' company that no longer has operations, is becoming increasingly popular. But it pays to understand the downside, too.

Keeping it real with investors
January 2006
Nanobiotech entrepreneurs learned the hard way that there is such a thing as pushing so-called exotic or emerging technologies too hard with investors. Biotech entrepreneurs could learn a thing or two from their experience.

The importance of angels in starting a US biotech venture
December 2004
An inventor looking for seed funding should take some time to understand the common attitudes and behaviors of angel investors.

Valuation—what you need to know
June 2004
The basics of determining valuation will help you to understand what criteria matter most for investors.

Term sheet trends in the venture capital market
December 2003
Biotechnology investors wary of repeating recent history are negotiating tougher term sheets, but are investors' protections adequately balanced with managements' incentives?

Proactive accounting: a key factor in the success of biotechnology startups
November 2003
Neglecting the proper management of accounting functions can jeopardize the trust between a biotech company and its stakeholders.

How the US government can fund your company
September 2003
Biotech firms can take advantage of many different US federal government programs set up to fund innovative research.

The term sheet tango
May 2003
By understanding the subtleties of term sheets, founders of companies receiving their first round of venture financing can avoid unwelcome surprises.

Convincing a venture capitalist to invest in your idea
May 2003
Bioentrepreneurs would do well to follow these basic tenets when preparing to ask venture capitalists for funding.

Filters for preparing to meet a venture capitalist
March 2003
Venture capitalists employ several criteria when considering whether to commit funds to a biotechnology startup.

Strategies for managing risk in equity
June 2002
Founders, senior executives, and venture capitalists often own restricted equity in startup companies, which they must manage proactively to minimize the risk and maximize value, says C. Mark Tang.

Syndication—value in numbers
June 2002
Killu Tougu Sanborn explains why venture capitalists prefer to invest as part of a syndicate, and what benefits this offers startups

Intellectual property as a foundation for funding
June 2002
Putting in place a sound strategy for protecting and maximizing a company's intellectual property can boost its future value, say Steven Meltzer, Michelle Marks, and James McCormick.

Inside a fund manager's mind
May 1999
A life sciences fund manager reveals his decision-making process for investing in biotech ventures.

Emerging company financing in global markets
May 1999
Orthovita was the first US company to complete its IPO on the EASDAQ, and its experience offers a lesson for other companies in need of funds.

Biotech finance: A family affair
February 1999
Financing your biotechnology company is a matter of building an extended family of committed individuals.

Rational financing
February 1999
In an otherwise crazy market, a successful strategy can be based on knowing when, how much, and from whom to raise cash.

Picking your VC
February 1999
Venture capitalists can make or break a startup. Here are some ways you can sort the gems from the pebbles.

How do you measure "success" in a biotechnology company?
May 1998
The impact of the institutional investor on a company's future is often overlooked.

Quantifying the dream: Valuation approaches in biotechnology
May 1998
Bioentrepreneurs should have a keen grasp of how Wall Street determines value in order to prepare their company for public markets.

When to access the capital markets
May 1998
Accessing capital in public equity markets is a tricky business. Here are a few do's and don'ts when planning an initial public offering.

Snaring a venture capital investment
May 1998
A field guide to biotechnology business plan writing.