Venture Forward aims to help companies evolve. Typical venture-backed companies and other high growth startups progress through many lifecycle stages. Though every company is different, the lifecycle of a typical venture-backed company may proceed as follows:
| Stage | Key Activities |
|---|---|
| Seed | Refinement of business model and product development. Working prototype or limited launch. Expenses are typically borne by founder and/or friends and family. |
| Initial Funding | Search for capital to meet objectives including hiring, product development, and/or early commercial launch. Frequently an all-consuming process that requires intense focus of the management team for a period of months. |
| Development & Maturation | Execute on activities agreed upon with investors. A new level of accountability and scrutiny. Decision making process involves consensus-building with the Board. Must have clear objectives and means to measure progress. |
| Commercial Expansion | Establish broad sales and marketing infrastructure. Objectives transition from milestone achievement to revenue and profitability metrics. Requires broad commercial, operational, and financial expertise. Must implement professional policies and procedures to manage complexity. |
| Liquidity Event | Typically a sale of the company or an IPO. Must have very good financial visibility and sustainable growth. Must have sufficiently mitigated key risks to buyer or public market investor including IP, regulatory, and legal/financial liabilities. |
As successful companies progress, they must continue to add organizational competencies at each stage of development. Venture Forward helps develop and implement strategies for flawless execution across all stages of the company’s development.