Want to exit as an early-stage founder? Yes, it is possible. But it requires a different approach to typical M&A dealmaking. A bit of context… I get 5-10 messages per week from relatively early-stage founders (traction, but not massively profitable yet) who are looking to exit. There are many reasons why - one of several projects, need more stable finances, tapped out and unsure what to do next. Etc. This also applies to relatively small businesses (sub-£5M revenue), owner-operated with a good team where the motivation may be a life-style change or retirement. Now. To be blunt and honest, in 90% of cases there isn’t an exit path - usually because of mis-match in expectations. (Eg: “We’re just one small investment away from building a $BN+ company”) But. Most of the time you can salvage a £1-10M outcome over a 12-36 month period. How? By treating it as an investment case to deliver an outcome for a specific target company. For example: You have a software product that helps insurance companies manage supply-chain risk. Let’s say the business does £500k revenue and covers costs. Your average M&A Advisory would try to sell the company based on the revenue/EBITDA and (after many months of false hope) fail to do so. They will get offers - but rarely ones you want to accept. My advice - and what I always recommend founders / owners do below 1M EBITDA - is to approach specific targets with an investment case to deliver outcomes. For example: Making / saving a target insurance company Z benefits over an agreed timescale with milestone payments. Becuase taking supply chain risk. This is a multi-million, even billion, sized problem that all wrestle with - and invest significant CapEx and OpEx into annually. If you can solve that - or deliver X saving … you get Y. Sounds fair, no? This is a very standard deal in enterprise consulting land. And beats shutting the venture down and feeling like you’ve failed. No. It’s not the all-cash deal from Google. Yes. It will require work to implement. Yes. It is a viable path for most owners / founders to realise a good return for creating value in a relatively de-risked way. See. What many founders / owners overlook is that the most valuable thing they have created isn’t IP … software … their service offering … etc … It’s actually their understanding of the problem, how to solve it, and a team who can solve it. So. If you are in this situation and looking for an exit. But aren’t really acquirable yet, why not give this a go? First step is putting together a short-list of targets who you might approach and are already investing in the problem (bigger is better). Hope useful. I wish someone had given me this advice on the dozens of early-stage ideas I walked away from over the years! #exitstrategy #founder #openequity
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If your startup has raised its first significant VC round, now is the time to take care of some important tasks. Perkins Coie LLP's StartupPercolator provides a checklist of insurance coverage, accounting needs, compliance requirements, and more to ensure your startup is on the right track. #Startups #VCfunding #StartupGrowth #Entrepreneurship #StartupPercolator
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If your startup has raised its first significant VC round, now is the time to take care of some important tasks. Perkins Coie LLP's StartupPercolator provides a checklist of insurance coverage, accounting needs, compliance requirements, and more to ensure your startup is on the right track. #Startups #VCfunding #StartupGrowth #Entrepreneurship #StartupPercolator
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Running a start-up is no easy feat, and getting insurance is probably dead last on your list of to-dos—especially if you’re trying to make your seed money stretch. But in an industry where things can change overnight, there are hundreds of exposures that could make or break your firm. And if you’re not adequately protected, you could lose everything you’ve worked so hard to build before you even have a chance to make your mark. Here are some key organizational risks every tech start-up should be worried about—and what you can do about it. #techfirms #techstartups #riskmanagement #insurance #commercialinsurance #keyorganizationalrisks #techstartup #insurancebroker #startupinsurance
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Startup life is all about taking calculated risks. But some risks shouldn't be left to chance. Protecting your business with the right insurance is a smart investment – not just a "nice to have". This comprehensive guide outlines the essential policies that can safeguard your hard work, and even help attract investors. Check it out and let us know which policy surprised you the most! #nextinsurance #startups #insurance #entrepreneurship #protectyourbusiness https://lnkd.in/giet_8nF
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Weekly Appreciation - Peter Goldstein Let’s celebrate the good in each other, one person at a time…. In 1999, I took a leap of faith and joined a fledgling startup. Coming from a $100 billion insurance company, the transition to startup life was both exhilarating and challenging. It ended up being the best and worst five years of my life. But this story isn’t about the success we achieved—it's about how it ended. We eventually sold the company to new private equity owners who had a different vision for the future. That vision included moving me from my operational leadership role to a niche position in claims—a demotion in my eyes. To make matters worse, they wanted me to relocate from Florida to Minnesota. And although I loved Minnesota, the people, the culture, the weather not so much. It was not very enticing especially since I had just earned the largest payday of my life through an equity award, meaning my future was no longer tied to a "job." After some back-and-forth, the acting CEO made the decision to terminate my employment, framing it as a positive step to push me toward greater things. I felt jilted —but in the end, he was right. The lesson I took from it was valuable, but that's not the focus of this story. The focus here is Peter Goldstein. Peter was one of the original founders and served as the executive head of sales and marketing. Although I reported to the COO, I got to know Peter well because we were a small company where everyone interacted closely. Peter was one of those people everyone liked—charismatic, like a town’s favorite mayor. After the CEO informed me about my exit, Peter called me to personally thank me for my contributions. He offered some general career advice and, before hanging up, left me with, "If you ever need anything, just give me a call." I appreciated the gesture, but I wasn’t sure if it was sincere or just a professional courtesy. Over the next two years, I explored new ventures, focusing on real estate investment. By 2006, I sensed a shift in the market and, though I didn’t anticipate the full crash that followed, I knew it was time to pivot. I decided to return to the insurance industry and was quickly recruited by a major corporation—largely because of my experience at the LTC startup. I knew this was a huge opportunity, and I wanted a strong reference to back me up. Peter’s offer echoed in my mind. True to his word, when I reached out, he gladly took my call, gave me advice, and became a key reference for the role. His support was instrumental, and that new role turned out to be a life-changing experience. Peter’s kindness and follow-through helped me open the next chapter of my career, and his example has since become a model for how I aim to conduct myself as both a professional and a leader. For that, I will always be grateful.
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Feeling neglected by your insurance broker? 🤔 When was the last time they asked… - Where is your business heading? - Have you secured any recent investments? - Is your existing cover still fit for purpose? If you can’t remember, it might be time to make the switch! Discover how easy switching can be. See more info below 👇 #startups #scaleups #underinsurance #nextlevelthinking #highgrowth
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