Financing and Growth Strategies for Cyprus Start-ups
Navigator Consulting provided a one-day training session and follow-on coaching services for selected start-ups within the framework of a wider project managed by the Research Foundation of Cyprus and the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
Navigator Consulting provided a one-day training session and follow-on coaching services for selected start-ups within the framework of a wider project managed by the Research Foundation of Cyprus and the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
The objective of the training was to understand common industry practice for (a) attracting external financing of start-ups and (b) modelling and preparing for growth. These two issues are closely related, as investors want to understand how a start-up will evolve and what chances of success exist for a return on investment.
The training curriculum included the following subjects:
1. Financing Options and Methods for Start-ups and Scale-ups
- Understanding the growth cycle: pre-launch; pre-revenue; growth
- Review of different investor types: FFF; angels; VC; PE; banks; EU funding; IPOs
- Investment criteria and expectations by investor type
2. Business Modelling and Financial Planning
- Developing a dynamic financial and operating model
- Assumptions; Workings; Profit/Loss; Capital Expenditure; Valuation Models
- Sales and revenue modelling; sales funnel optimization; non-revenue growth
- Expenditure modelling
- Capital expenditure and use of funds by start-ups
- Profit/loss model
- Key financial indicators, including NPV, IRR, start-up valuation
- Key operating indicators, including cash burn rate, runway, customer acquisition costs, active users, churn, etc.
3. Pitching and Term Sheets
- Know what to ask for: Use of funds; Fund release and disbursement mechanisms
- Preparing for and implementing investor due diligence
- Structuring a term sheet: common investors requests and terms
- Pre- and post-money valuation
- Dealing with equity dilution in the first and subsequent funding rounds
- Structuring a board of directors and start-up governance post-investment
4. Achieving Product Market Fit
- Development and launch cycles
- Customer feedback: UX / UI / CEM
- Service delivery and fulfilment issues
- Achieving customer share, customer engagement, segment/market share
- Pricing models and methods
5. Scaling up and Growth
- Selling methods and contracting, focusing on B2B and B2C
- Growth hacking and online growth methods
- Users and user management
- Revenue and conversion models
- Sales funnel optimisation
- Marketing, Selling & Public Relations
- Scaling up: Engineering, Orga, Customer Service, Contracting, Staffing
The training session was attended by 13 start-ups in Cyprus spanning a range of industries and sectors. The training was co-organised by the Research Promotion Foundation of Cyprus, the Enterprise Europe Network and the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
For further information on start-up support, please contact us.
Client:
Research Promotion Foundation
Date of Engagement:
October 2018
Countries of Operation:
Cyprus
Business Function:
Business Incubation
Business Sector:
Start-ups