Our investors typically expect an equity stake in return for their early-stage engagement. E8 welcomes companies with ‘chiseled-in-stone’ term sheets but is also experienced in leading early stage rounds, and also .

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E8 members are receptive to other investment vehicles under the correct circumstances.  We have accepted convertible note bridge rounds which offered reasonable discounts, caps, and a credible path for closing the qualifying financing round.

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Innovative revenue- and asset-backed lending opportunities may also be considered.  

 

For instance, E8 members have provided debt funding for the implementation of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and green building projects. These projects may not hold the promise of traditional angel level equity returns, but have strong revenue projections and a clear environmental impact.

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CRITERIA FOR SELECTION TO PRESENT

When evaluating which companies will be selected to present to E8, we consider the following attributes:

• proven management team with relevant successes

• credible and balanced business plan which includes key execution milestones that are realistically achievable with the proceeds from this round

• clear path to profitability. If your company will require additional financing rounds, we would want to see evidence that it will be attractive to subsequent funders based on achievement of the milestones funded in this round.

• differentiating technology, process or model that is in an advanced stage of development

• compelling customer value proposition. Customers should have an important problem that your company’s product or service solves at an affordable price.

• market(s) large enough for your company to generate a minimum of $20 to $30 million in annual revenues (based on a reasonable market share) within 3-5 years and a reasonable possibility of venture-scale returns for investors

• defendable competitive advantage, including registered patents and/or other barriers to competition

• clear and documented understanding of the competitive landscape

• reasonable valuation (generally $750K to $1.5M for seed stage companies, generally $1M – $5M for early-stage)

• net funding need for the current round that is typically in the $250K – $1M range, and does not exceed $3 Million

• realistic exit strategy for investors

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The members of E8 are value-added investors, providing both capital and expertise to help cleantech entrepreneurs succeed.  Our goal is to aid the companies in which we invest to become highly profitable for both management and investors.

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If your company is ready for our investment and our involvement, we welcome your application to present.