Debt
vs Equity?
by
Silicon Valley Bank
-
You
need both. Do not substitute one for the other.
-
Use
each component in the right way:
-
Equity
should be used in early rounds for R&D and product development
and in later rounds, for ramp-ups in sales and marketing and
acceleration purposes.
-
Debt
should be used for working capital and to build the
infrastructure.
-
Debt
usually follows equity.
-
Debt
is cheaper than equity but always keep in mind that the equity
investors take greater risk, hence the potential for reward should be
greater.
-
The
sooner you establish a banking relationship, the better. It increases
credibility and also creates a relationship for credit reference
purposes.
What
kind of banking relationship is appropriate at what stage?
|
Types
of Venture Finance
The
funding package may contain various forms of finance. The three main
types are ordinary shares ("equity"), preference shares, and
loans.
Ordinary
shares are proprietor's capital, and they normally carry full
voting rights. They also carry the greatest risk and potentially the
greatest reward, for two reasons. The first is that they are rewarded
in the form of dividends after all other costs have been met. The
second is that they are entitled to any surplus that remains after all
other claims to capital have been met if the company is wound up.
Certain classes of ordinary shares may carry deferred or preferred
rights in certain respects.
Preference
shares give their holders certain rights in priority to the ordinary
shareholders, especially as regards entitlement to dividends and
entitlement to repayment of capital if the company is wound up. They are
normally rewarded at a fixed rate or dividend but may have rights to
participate in profits by way of further dividend. Except in special
circumstances, they do not normally carry voting rights. Sometimes,
preference shares carry conversion and/or redemption rights enabling the
holders either to convert their investment into ordinary shares or to
realize it at a some future date.
Loans
may be secured on the company's assets. In addition, they may be converted
later into ordinary shares. They rank ahead of shares for the repayment of
capital. The interest is at a fixed rate irrespective of the company's
profits or losses and may be subject to periodic review. There
are variations within each of these classes, and there may also be other
elements in the financing package.
Timing
your Financing Most
popular strategy is staged financing. This is a process of timing each
stage of financing to coincide with the achievement of a significant
milestone. |