Lightspeed Business: Find It, Fund It, Build It, When There’s No Margin for Error

Product Description
NEW RULES FOR FINDING, BUILDING, AND INVESTING IN A NEW BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

“Lightspeed Business is an enlightening book for future leaders of start-ups. Provocative and useful, the authors clearly instruct today’s entrepreneurs on how to use their wisdom and experience to build successful enterprises.” Halsey Minor Chairman and CEO, 12 Entrepreneuring, Inc.

“A blueprint for constructing businesses of real, lasting value. Weintraut and Barr draw lessons from what was truly novel and valuable in the recent tech business boom while avoiding the hype and fadishness preached by most start-up gurus. Venture capitalists should require that the book be read by prospective portfolio company managers.” Michael Flaherman Investment Committee Chair, CalPERS The world’s largest private equity investor

BUY FROM AMAZON –> Lightspeed Business: Find It, Fund It, Build It, When There’s No Margin for Error

VC Portfolio Company M&A Strategies: Leading Lawyers on Developing Negotiation Strategies, Analyzing Deal Terms, and Getting Deals Done

Product Description
VC Portfolio Company M&A Strategies is an authoritative, insider’s perspective on best practices for successfully navigating mergers and acquisitions for venture capital portfolio companies. Featuring partners and chairs from some of the nation’s leading law firms, these experts guide the reader through establishing client goals and objectives, identifying important deal components, and evaluating industry regulations and licensing laws. From providing legal counsel and analysis to negotiating business and legal issues, these leaders offer strategies for conducting due diligence, negotiating contract terms, assessing risks, and analyzing deal killers. Additionally, these top lawyers give tips on evaluating a company by reviewing the business market, assets, liabilities, and intellectual property. The different niches represented and the breadth of perspectives presented enable readers to get inside some of the great legal minds of today, as these experienced lawyers offer up their thoughts around the keys to navigating an increasingly-enforced and ever-changing area of law.

Inside the Minds provides readers with proven business intelligence from C-Level executives (Chairman, CEO, CFO, CMO, Partner) from the world’s most respected companies nationwide, rather than third-party accounts from unknown authors and analysts. Each chapter is comparable to an essay/thought leadership piece and is a future-oriented look at where an industry, profession or topic is headed and the most important issues for the future. Through an exhaustive selection process, each author was hand-picked by the Inside the Minds editorial board to author a chapter for this book.

Chapters Include:

1. Roddy Bailey, Partner, Miller & Martin PLLC “Achieving the Client’s Goals in a VC Company M&A Event”

2. David H. Sands, Partner, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP “Strategies Leading to Successful Acquisitions”

3. John J. Sabl, Partner, Sidley Austin LLP “Successful M&A for Venture Portfolio Companies”

4. Brentley M. Bullock, Partner, Perkins Coie LLP “Achieving a Successful M&A Exit”

5. William N. Gerson, Attorney, Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP “Intellectual Property and Its Value in an M&A Transaction”

6. Susan C. Alker, Partner, Reed Smith LLP “Exploring Financing Options for M&A Deals”

7. Zack Z. Dong, Partner, Baker & Daniels LLP “Investing in China: Understanding Overseas Acquisition Strategies and Risks”

8. Lisa Read Blanco, Partner, King & Spalding LLP “Setting the Stage for a Successful M&A Exit Transaction”

9. Arthur Dudley II, Shareholder, Butzel Long “Strategies and Structures for Private Equity/Venture Capital M&A Deals”

Appendices Include:
Appendix A: Guidelines for Protecting Trade Secrets of California VC Portfolio Companies
Appendix B: Sample Term Sheet for Bank Financing
Appendix C: Checklist for an Acquisition Financing
Appendix D: Provisions on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors
Appendix E: Form Letter of Intent
Appendix F: Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of ABC Pharmaceuticals Company
Appendix G: ABC Pharmaceuticals Company Series A Preferred Sock Purchase Agreement

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Effects of relational capital and commitment on venture capitalists’ perception of portfolio company performance

Product Description
This digital document is a journal article from Journal of Business Venturing, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
In this study, we examine how relational capital and commitment affect a venture capital firm’s (i.e., VCFs) perception of the performance of its portfolio companies (i.e., PFCs). That is, we examine how perceived performance is affected by the social nature of the relationship between the VCF and PFC. The study’s hypotheses are tested by applying quantitative analyses to survey data collected from 298 U.S.-based venture capital firms. The data from the survey are complemented with additional information drawn from secondary data sources and interviews with several venture capitalists. We found that the amount of relational capital embedded in the VCF-PFC dyad and the extent to which the VCF is committed to the PFC are strongly related to perceived performance. We speculate that relational capital and commitment enhance learning, an effect that increases VCFs’ perceptions of performance. Further, these perceptions of performance will also be amplified by the positive affect generated by relational capital and commitment. We discuss the limitations and contributions of our findings and provide directions for future research.

BUY FROM AMAZON –> Effects of relational capital and commitment on venture capitalists’ perception of portfolio company performance

Advisory Council for Trakware Systems Proves Integral to Corporate Growth

Trakware Systems has been providing integration since 1995 and is a highly configurable, enterprise-wide business solution designed for the requirements of engineer-to-order manufacturing companies worldwide. Trakware combines ERP, MRP, and MES systems from estimation through to final installation in the field. Trakware leverages innovative technologies like XML and GPS-enabled mobile phone or smart phone.

According to Trakware’s CEO, Randy Richel, “Our Advisory Council is a critical part of the company’s success and ensures our ongoing growth.” The Advisory Council includes the following professionals:

• Bob Bozeman, retired partner of a Silicon Valley angel investment company and advisor to nearly 150 early stage companies. Bob has held high-tech positions of Chief Executive Officer, President, Managing Partner and General Manager in a variety of software, information technology/services and computer supplier industries including Vetronix Sales Corporation, MessagingDirect and Altos Computer Systems; Vice President of Wang Laboratories, a high growth Fortune 100 Corporation, where he contributed to growth in revenue from $50 million to $2.7 billion; Founder of two high-tech businesses; and, Board of Director roles.

• Don McCormick, semi-retired former President of MessagingDirect, successfully started three companies. As an Associate with a venture capital company, Mr. McCormick provided market diligence for venture capital investment opportunities, and served as Vice-President/COO of a portfolio company. Mr. McCormick joined MessagingDirect as Vice President, Sales in November 1998. He added responsibility for Marketing in April 1999 and was appointed Chief Operating Officer in January 2000. Don graduated from the University of Manitoba with an honors degree in business followed with corporate careers at both Xerox Canada and Oracle Corporation.

• Val Pohl, is a retired long time employee of Spartan Controls, founded in 1963 and is a representative VAR for leading manufacturers of process control systems and instrumentation for the oil and gas industry.

• Mary Cameron, Partner, WestLife Partners Inc. (a developer of adult communities) and a successful entrepreneur who has held multiple Chief Executive Officer board roles. Mary has received multiple awards, such as the Alberta Venture Most 50 Influential Albertans, ITV – Women of Vision, YWCA – Business Woman of 1991 and the Edmonton Ambassador Award.

• Patricia Glenn, President & Chief Executive Officer of Proactive Business Solutions was instrumental in the development of the Canadian Software Quality Alliance. She has been on the Trade Policy Task Force on The International Trade Advisory Council as well as the National Sector Team for Information Technology and Telecommunications for the Canadian Government. Patricia is an Information Systems Professional and a Certified Management Consultant with over 30 years of experience in the information technology industry.

Trakware Systems is the worldwide leader in manufacturing execution system (MES) solutions for engineer-to-order (ETO) and project-based manufacturers maximizing both profitability and productivity. Trakware specializes in lean business-critical functions such as estimating, advanced scheduling, job costing, production management and labor as well as material shop floor data collection. TRAKware software fully integrates with existing ERP systems, as well as major software providers for financials, engineering design, optimization, payroll and wireless interaction for mobile workers. Trakware recognizes ETO manufacturing as a process and includes a wide range of industry sectors including Architectural Woodworking, Cabinets, Store Fixtures, Doors and Windows, Furniture, Oil and Gas Fabrication, Solid Surface, Metal Fabrication, Yacht-building, and Custom Electronics.

Los Angeles Private Equity

Middle market companies are a means to make money for Riordan, Lewis & Haden. The private equity firm targets middle market businesses, building on proven business models. The firm typically invests between $5 million and $15 million per transaction into companies with sales ranging from $25 million to $150 million. Most of its portfolio companies are based in Southern California and represent multiple industries. Some of its investments include property and casualty insurance provider Financial Pacific, data security software provider Foundstone, and environmental and telecommunications consulting firm Tetra Tech. Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan founded the firm.

Riordan, Lewis & Haden is a leading private equity firm which invests in growing middle market enterprises which are primarily headquartered in California and adjacent states. The firm, with offices in Los Angeles and Orange County, provides capital and assists portfolio company management teams as they navigate the opportunities and challenges of growth. Working collaboratively with management, RLH provides expertise, contacts, and experience-based advice on important strategic issues. The firm currently manages over $400 million of capital and is actively seeking new portfolio companies.

Riordan, Lewis & Haden (RLH), a leading private equity firm focused on high-growth middle market enterprises, announced today the closing of its most recent fund, RLH Investors II, L.P., totaling $265 million of committed capital.

Founded 25 years ago by former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan and J. Christopher Lewis, RLH is well known for its long history of building successful businesses and creating value for its investors through close partnerships with proven CEO’s and leadership teams. Riordan, Lewis & Haden focuses on investments in growth companies with revenues between $20 million and $250 million, proven and profitable business models, and headquarters located primarily in California or adjacent states.

RLH industry interests include business services, healthcare, specialty distribution, high value-added manufacturing, and financial services. The firm’s equity capital facilitates corporate growth, as well as partial and complete ownership transitions. RLH’s investment appetite per transaction ranges from $10 million to $50 million, with larger amounts available through the firm’s co-investor relationships. The firm will continue to make both minority and control investments, adapting its investment structure to each portfolio company to best serve the capital needs of the enterprise and its management and owners.

RLH Investors II marks just the second time in the firm’s twenty-five year history that it has accepted outside investment. The roster of limited partners in this fund includes a diverse mix of public and private employee pension funds, endowments, foundations, global insurance carriers, national and regional banks, and high net worth individuals. Notably, almost all of the major investors from RLH’s prior institutional fund have chosen to participate in the new fund at a comparable or greater commitment level.
“We are honored to have the support of our limited partners,” said General Partner Patrick C. Haden. “For 25 years we have pursued a focused strategy of partnering with the management teams of high-growth businesses to build significant enterprises.

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