Thursday, November 9, 2006

Report: VCs Becoming Friendlier To Early Stage Firms

Dow Jones & Company and VentureOne are reporting today that venture capital deal terms are becoming more company friendly than they were four years ago. The firm, which just published the results in the VentureOne Deal Terms Report, said that new companies are getting better liquidation preferences and selling smaller percentages of ownership in this term sheets. The share of companies sold in Series A rounds has dropped to 40%, down from 50% last year, which the report attributed to smaller first rounds. 82% of U.S. companies reported negotating 1x liquidation preferences, versus 73% last year. The report also found full ratchet dilution protection has become much less common, and that most companies in second rounds of funding saw increases in their premoney valuation. However, the report found that older companies negotiating later rounds are still facing more onerous terms.