by Ian Smith | Feb 9, 2023 | Acquisitions
Acquisitions are often a graveyard of failed dreams. It’s not the fact they didn’t close. Sure, you got the deal done but so what. I’m talking about the deals that close but never deliver the value forecasted in the business case. Here is a little comparison to think...
by Ian Smith | Feb 28, 2013 | Scaling, VC industry
Source youreconomy.com In 2012 the venture capital industry invested $26Bn in the US market, in 3698 firms at an average investment of $7m (NVCA). These were directed at start up companies. Approximately 40% of these firms will fail so it’s not an investment...
by Ian Smith | Nov 2, 2012 | Angel Investing, How to Raise Private Equity, How to Raise Venture Capital
The odds are stacked against you. You knew that. Even for serial entrepreneurs like Dharmesh Shah (founder of HubPpot) who despite compelling evidence struggled to raise angel money after his fist big hit. At a recent Founder Dialogues event he explained that he had...
by Ian Smith | Dec 29, 2009 | Buy-outs, Strategy, VC industry
Let’s face it the Private Equity (PE) Industry has had an atrocious run of bad PR over the last few years. Of course some players have been rightly “called out” for excessive leverage, over generous fees, weak commercial judgement including some pretty huge losses...