The CFO's role in a downturn
The first in a series of 'Conversations' on navigating the post-COVID recessionary period, this one exploring how to augment the now-critical CFO function and spotlighting unit economics.
The first in a series of 'Conversations' on navigating the post-COVID recessionary period, this one exploring how to augment the now-critical CFO function and spotlighting unit economics.
The first in a series of 'Conversations' on navigating the post-COVID recessionary period, this one exploring how to augment the now-critical CFO function and spotlighting unit economics.
Many of today's successful growth company CEO's have never had to raise larger (eg $30m+) rounds in a recession. Despite the deep pool of money available today, it is harder, and takes more preparation, to get a deal done.
In the wake of FTV’s £78m investment into Bought By Many, Stash’s $112m funding round, and our own work on the £60m Tandem Bank capitalization, we’ve had this question asked recently by prospects.
Investors are like sharks, but not the way you might first think. They have to keep moving to stay alive, raising new funds every few years, and more importantly investing and re-investing in the best growth companies available. COVID poses the question: how do rounds close when travel and proximity are risky? Let’s consider how VCs, and founders, can adapt.
African start-ups are finally coming of age. Last year, nearly 100 companies raised $1m+ , and activity is up 300%+ in the 4 years to 2018, according to Partech Ventures.
Software’s transition to SaaS has ramped M&A valuations of fast-growing SaaS businesses for some years now. By now, ordinarily prices would gradually drift down as ‘new’ becomes ‘normal,’ as we’ve seen recently in analytics, AI, and areas of fintech.
The Global Startup Scene is expanding to Africa. Nigeria, in particular, has become a hub for fintech startups, where there was $360 million invested in Nigerian-focused payment ventures in November alone. Victor Basta, the Managing Partner of Magister Advisors, joined Cheddar to discuss.
Africa receives $50b of aid each year, to address humanitarian, health, and education problems across Africa. Aid does life-changing work, from HIV treatment to construction, and plugs major gaps in continental governments’ ability to serve their 1.2b population.
Scale-Up Sessions are workshops curated by Endeavor Nigeria for high-impact companies and their founders. This session was run by Victor Basta (Founder & Managing Partner, Magister Advisors).