Seraf Investor Compass

Speaking Truth to Power: Advisory Board Basics

Advisory boards are not always that well understood, but they can be a huge driver of success for start ups. Advisory boards can provide a company with experience, connections, perspective, and legitimacy. And there are times when they can provide encouragement to...

Investing in The London Theatre: An Old Alternative Asset Class, Made New – Webinar

Join Seraf for a fun and in-depth conversation on The London Theatre as an alternative asset class.

Timing Is Everything: Angel Investing Success

Ask a great investor what factors are most critical in his/her success in selecting investments and you will probably hear some variation on the following list: Great Team, Great Idea, Huge Market Opportunity, and Innovative Business Model. But there is one other...

Good To Go: When You Have Enough to Move Forward

There are a million reasons not to invest in any given startup. Even in the best case, there will be unanswered questions, missing pieces, missing team members, projected losses and uncertainty all around. The diligence process tends to document all of the warts in...

Deep Dive Mini Series: Coaching on How to Survive A Deep Dive Meeting

As most investors know, the next step after an initial pitch is usually a longer format “deep dive” type of meeting. In Prepping an Entrepreneur for a Deep Dive Meeting with Investors, we talked about what a deep dive meeting is, and, more importantly, how to help...

Fine Print: Understanding Key Deal Terms and How They Can Affect Your Returns

It’s exciting news! The CEO of one of your investments tells you that a buyer expressed serious interest in acquiring her company for $30M. Since the company has struggled to find huge growth, you are relieved and do a quick mental “back of the envelope” calculation...

Staging Capital: Angel Follow-on Theory

Most startup companies have a continuous need for funds to help grow the business. You will hear the term “Follow-on” as a frequent catchphrase for this type of investing. For example, it’s common to hear one investor say to another, are you planning on “following-on”...

Why Early Exits Are So Critical to an Angel Portfolio

It all comes down to making money… Early exits are an important part of the financial reward needed to turn a very risky portfolio of angel investments into an asset that provides an excellent risk/reward profile for you, the investor. Not all companies are primed for...

Part 3: Bringing Fund Admin In-House: Finance and Operational Considerations

In this article, we will highlight the responsibilities in the Finance and Operations realm required for a private fund.

Trust But Verify: The Importance of Reference Checking

There is an old proverb that was adopted by Ronald Reagan during the later part of the Cold War and which became a signature phrase of Reagan’s in the mid-1980s. When talking about the Cold War adversaries, Reagan always liked to say we should “Trust, but Verify.” It...

Who Owns What – Understanding Early Stage Capitalization Tables [Part I]

Jul 3, 2024 | Seraf Investor

Several years ago, I was speaking to a colleague of mine. He was trying to decide between two great job offers, and was having a difficult time making a final decision. I started asking about his compensation package. For salary and bonus, the two companies were...

Seraf Toolbox: Impact Investing Due Diligence Report Template

Jul 2, 2024 | Seraf Investor

We’ve published a fair amount about due diligence and being a deal lead. In those articles we talk a lot about the importance of having a good diligence report template to ensure the final report is useful to the reader. Here, for your reference, is our Impact...