One of the decisions a company must consider while fund raising from potential venture capital partners is to look for a good standing placement agent. This is in order for a company not to spend too much of its own time seeking for seed capital, mezzanine capital, or growth capital funding for startups or various business expansions. A company can be better served using a placement agent that has a strong network of seed capital, venture capital and growth capital connections, allowing the company to focus more on their core competencies and other management issues rather than spending so much time seeking for investment partners.
Placement agent acts as an intermediary in the world of fundraising. Agents are sometimes individuals but more often a firm who assist entrepreneurs, private equity groups, or institutional investors who are willing and capable of investing. Their main function is to help connect those who are seeking to raise venture capital, and other various investors who are interested in investing capital into companies who are looking to raise funds.
It is a very challenging task for a placement agent to connect entrepreneurs with venture capital partners. Companies located along Sand Hill Road in Silicon Valley who can raise venture capital, growth equity, or mezzanine debt with reasonable ease will obviously not consider using an agent. But for companies located outside Silicon Valley in areas with less developed venture capital markets, an agent is a very reasonable option.
As companies search for venture capital partners or equity investors, it is important to seek out the partners who will offer favorable terms. Placement agents generally have legal backgrounds with representation from top Silicon Valley law firms and provide valuable legal counseling. Agents work to seek investors who have strong value propositions along with their financial investment through their experiences, expertise, and network of contacts.