OpenVC Blog

How to value a startup: 9 best methods for 2025

This guide will answer your questions about startup valuation. Learn how to determine a valuation that makes sense for you and your future investors, including a step-by-step method and 16 valuation benchmarks.

Posted by Stéphane Nasser | October 28, 2024

Advisory Shares: A Guide for Startup Founders

In the tech startup sphere, advisory shares are a double-edged sword. Let's venture into the realm of startup advisory shares, addressing the whys, whos, and how muchs.

Posted by Shaun Gold | October 27, 2024

How to Model a Venture Capital Fund

My goal from this post is for you to come away with a solid idea of what it means to create a financial model for a venture capital fund, complete with templates and examples that you can use for modeling your fund.

Posted by Taylor Davidson | October 26, 2024

12 Best Startup Financial Model Templates [Free & Paid]

Need a financial model for your startup? Fear not. I have extensively compared the top 12 templates, free and paid, so you don't have to do it.

Posted by Stéphane Nasser | October 22, 2024

How Much Should Startup Founders Pay Themselves [2024]

Founder compensation is a tricky topic. How much are you supposed to pay yourself? What will your investors think? And are you even allowed to compensate yourself when your team is subsisting on cold pizza and borrowing the Wi-Fi from the nearest office? This article breaks down the many dimensions of the "tech founder salary".

Posted by Shaun Gold | October 22, 2024

How to pick the right fundraising advisor

Should you use an external advisor to help raise funds for your startup? In this post, I want to give you the playbook on working with a fundraising advisor: is it a good idea for you, how to pick the right one, and what you should expect?

Posted by Jonathan Hollis | October 18, 2024

Why now is the time to invest in emerging markets

Emerging markets and developed markets have reached an inflection point like never before. And they’re heading in opposite directions. Now is the time for venture capitalists to invest in emerging markets.

Posted by Sahith Aula | October 14, 2024

Raising with SAFE

The Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) is a popular financial instrument for startups who want to raise funds. This post will teach you the specifics of a SAFE, which is more complex that the name suggests.

Posted by Côme Laffay | October 14, 2024

How to secure a lead investor for your startup?

Today, we cover three strategies you can use to secure your lead investor. But before that, let's understand what a lead investor exactly does, and why nobody wants to be one.

Posted by Stéphane Nasser | October 10, 2024