Raising Capital (1): What’s it Really All About?

This is part of my Series on Venture Capital.

‘Raising Capital’ for one’s start-up is perhaps one of the most talked-about and important aspects of early-stage entrepreneurship there is.  And despite the amount of attention and discussion the topic receives, I also think it is perhaps the most misunderstood of all.

At some point, all start-ups, (whether they be university spin-offs, services/consulting companies and/or technology companies), that aspire to some conventional measure of growth and success will require operating capital of some kind.   As someone who over the past sixteen years has raised millions of dollars in capital both for my own start-ups and for several dozen university spin-offs, I’ve definitely developed a feel for what I believe works and for what doesn’t work.

In this series we explore the challenges, myths and rules of thumb that apply to this process and of course welcome your input.