When an entrepreneur or an investor evaluates an opportunity for a high-growth startup company, two primary criterions must be considered: return on investment and mitigation of risk. A major factor affecting return on investment and reduction of risk is how fast a new organization is able to organize, focus on, and execute the right combination of tasks necessary for success. We work with our partnerships to put winning programs and systems in place.

Key areas of support that eFund provides:

Strategic Relationships

Considering the many established and startup companies vying for position in every sector of the technology market, it is the rare enterprise that can reach its ambitious goals by itself. Strategic partnerships, in the form of the sale or acquisition of minority equity interests, licensing agreements, or joint marketing arrangements, are critical to the success of companies in assuming and retaining industry leadership positions. Through our contacts and direct experience, we can guide you through the process of identifying areas for partnering, selecting partner candidates, and negotiating agreements that yield optimal long-term benefits to rapidly growing companies.

operational support

We bring to our partnerships direct experience managing and growing national and international companies which range in size from two to over one thousand employees. Sharing this knowledge allows them to safely navigate through the labyrinth of business and avoid traps that others (possibly their competitors) fall into. In addition, we offer our partnerships support, ideas, a wealth of resources, collective contacts and the comfort of knowing they have someone who has “been there.” This ensures they find the right people to augment their own skill sets and experience. In short, we offer solutions to the challenges of rapid growth in today’s highly competitive, fast-paced world.

business planning

Business planning is the process of producing a roadmap for an enterprise. Whether you have an extensive or concise business plan, one key to success is a unified vision, with all eyes looking towards a common goal. We believe that business planning is the process of clearly defining the vision and mission of a company. Equally important is the process of making sure you have all the pieces of the puzzle and that you fit them together in the right order.

We have spent significant time within our own companies developing comprehensive business plans. Our expertise lies in examining and assembling core technologies and teams. We work with our partnerships to determine the optimal way to take a product or service to the consumer or business markets, with just the right positioning of the enterprise to ensure maximum financial return.

network

Critical to the success of a high-tech investment is the ability to network with other professionals and venture groups. Our Principals are investors or advisors in several successful venture funds on the West Coast (a subset of investments made through these companies is listed below). This involvement, with a diversity of funds, enables us to understand in depth the different facets of the industry, and to leverage that expertise in affiliate funds for support and additional funding to our present and future partnerships.

In addition, we have long standing relationships with top East and West coast investment banking and brokerage firms. Our Partnerships can take advantage of these contacts and relationships to optimize their value as they pursue later-stage financing rounds and, eventually, successful exits through acquisition or IPO.

finance

Our team has extensive experience in financing companies of various sizes. We have collectively raised over $100 million in private debt and equity. Through this experience, our team has developed strength in positioning companies at all stages of development. We have financed in multiple private rounds from seed to mezzanine, and have positioned companies for initial public offerings, secondary offerings and high-yield debt. With combined experience of 48 years of investment banking and sell-side stock research, we help develop an effective investor relations program to attract the highest institutional interest to create perceived value.

management / hr

In our view, the quality and capability of the management team is more important to a company's success than the business idea or the core technology. The ability to recruit the right executives with the right experience at the right time to complement the founders' skill set is a critical factor in determining a company's long-term prospects. The shortage of proven executives (particularly with Internet or telecom experience) and the rapidly growing roster of well-funded startups presents a daunting challenge to young enterprises seeking to populate their org-charts. Through our network of successful senior technology managers, many of whom we have worked with before, and our close relationships with top executive search firms, we are a resource which can help you locate talented management and then gain their commitment to join your team.

technical support

"Internet time" and an intense competitive environment leave little margin for error in scheduling the launch of a product or service, and planning for growth and scalability. Recruiting a proven development team and working with the best technology partners makes the difference between becoming a leader, a follower or worse. eFund maintains formal and informal relationships with a network of premier software and Web development firms, with hosting facilities, and with telecommunications consultants, all of whom can help you in high-level system, design and platform selection, as well as in programming and site maintenance. In many cases, these firms are willing to accept equity in startup companies as compensation, which confirms their interest in becoming true partners in your long-term success.

marketing support

Offering the best product or service is insufficient to attain industry leadership. A company must also be perceived as being the best. As such, it is critical that management make the optimal choices in their promotion and positioning strategies, distribution channels, and marketing programs. Our collective experience in directing marketing and sales at a variety of technology enterprises can help you avoid common and costly mistakes and optimize the return on your marketing expenditures. Our relationships with PR and consulting firms as well as with key members of the pres can help your firm be heard above the noise.

legal support

We have been responsible for the legal affairs of a number of companies. Consequently, we have developed a thorough knowledge of corporate law. We can bring our extensive contacts within the legal community to bear quickly and efficiently to help in all areas, including corporate structure, employment, securities, contract and intellectual property law.

accounting support

Proper accounting is critical to a company’s ongoing performance, reporting and market credibility. We utilize the best professional resources to make sure our partnerships start off and stay on the right financial footing. We have a network of accountants, financial analysts and top-tier accounting firms we can bring into help as needed.