Probably one of the things I have found that many of my fellow angel investors enjoy even less than analyzing the financial model of a company they are contemplating investing in (see my last post ) is diving into the Term Sheet. A term sheet is a document that lays out the key terms of a proposed investment. Once those key terms have been negotiated and the term sheet is executed by both parties, it serves as the basis for drafting the other documents which comprise the legal closing documents in a transaction.
At a recent meeting, one of colleagues made the comment that term sheets are like country western songs – you know those soulful ballads that bemoan the difficult breakup, the secrets never shared, the soulmate you trusted who walked away and left behind a pile of debt…… When you make an angel investment you are not only entering into a financial transaction, you are entering into a relationship with the CEO/founders/management team. If you have been investing in this sector for awhile, it is likely you have made at least one investment that did not turn out as planned! Another way to think about the term sheet is a kind of “pre-nup” for angel investing. Clearly if you don’t really believe that a particular investment has the potential to be a good partnership over time, you probably shouldn’t make the investment. Continue reading
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