Convertible Notes: A Form of Early-Stage Financing

Description

Convertible notes are often used to raise early-stage financing for start-up companies, frequently due to their advantages related to delayed valuation, greater speed, and lower cost of completion compared to venture capital financing. As a result, there has been a large increase in the number of early-stage companies raising capital through convertible notes over the past decade. Investors have made this form of financing more available, believing that small amounts of money can significantly advance the development of young companies. Entrepreneurs often find that convertible notes are easier to raise than a first round of venture capital. The ease of convertible note financing, however, sometimes belies the hidden risks and costs associated with its use. This technical note discusses the most frequently used terms and arrangements of early-stage convertible notes, the estimation of the noteholder's equity ownership from delayed valuation, and the costs and risks of this form of financing to both entrepreneurs and investors. The case "MedMetric, LLC: Seed-Round Convertible Note Financing" (UVA-F-1924) can be assigned with the note as an application of this form of financing.

Keywords

convertible notes early-stage Entrepreneurship Fundraising Venture capital