TRACK - Tailored Support for VC Investors

As the name suggests, MarDev TRACK services are designed to help keep VC invested companies on the right track, starting with the original investment decisions, progressing through investment milestones, and ultimately achieving goals, exit and realisation aspirations.

Every venture is different. Some require highly specialised technical knowledge, some require in-depth understanding of IT infrastructure, some require support and change management to commercialise a technical idea, some need strong IP strategies to lock-in exit value, others may simply need clear global go-to-market and corporate development strategies.

We work closely with our VC clients to understand (and help identify) the key success factors of companies in their portfolios, and then provide detailed market research and consultancy to guide growth and maximise exit potential.

Setting measurable targets, clarity of strategy and achieving investment milestones is key to the success and ultimate exit potential of every venture.

Yet, it is amazing how few companies approach VCs for funding having considered the possible end-game(s). Assessing prior track record, strengths and weaknesses of the management teams, competitive standing together with a full understanding of the market's growth potential are all key to delivering P&L success. However, IP development and creating other knowledge-based intangibles support higher returns on investment in today's markets. Growth strategies that balance sales and reinvestment in R&D remain key to both retaining leadership and also sustaining intrinsic value in today's fast moving technology markets.

We work with our VC clients and the companies they invest in to execute post-investment tactical processes that drive success.

These may include simple tasks such as deploying CRM and industry-tailored sales pipeline processes, through to more involved processes such as developing Patent and other IP strategies.

The best business ideas can be worthless if poorly executed, so we provide key-man HR support identifying the right people, understanding team dynamics, addressing skill shortfalls and helping to build successful management teams. We understand that great technology needs an equally great executive team driving the business forwards and that this can dramatically improve success rates and maximise potential returns on investments.

Never mind Plan B, what is plan C,D,E.....?!

Every VC investor knows that any venture has inherent risks arising from loss of key people, a shifting marketplace, competitive factors, technology development hurdles and adoption barriers.

The first issue is to understand these factors and their potential impact on the investment or exit time-frame and mitigate where possible. Assuming no "show-stoppers" it is then equally important to have contingency strategies and a sense of what these could cost in time and money. This type of scenario planning is important in all sizes of company, but particularly critical to highly dynamic early-stage ventures who often face unexpected obstacles on the road to commercialisation with limited resource to adapt. Part of developing confidence in an investment is understanding that the core concept is sound, but also understanding that if Plan A backfires, other realistic options are already on the table.

Valuable knowledge takes many forms in the VC world. The P&L and Balance sheet rarely provide much information in early-stage or high-growth potential companies. External factors not considered in the company business plans often take investments off-track.

• Can the VC work with the company CEO?
• Is the management team concealing something?
• Is industry-wide commercial hype leading to over estimation of the real market opportunity?
• Are key people being sufficiently incentivised?
• Has the market consolidated leaving little appetite for future acquisitions, limiting exit options?
• Is the market being swamped by low-price overseas imports?
• Is technology delivery feasible within the investment time-frame / budget?
• Does the company need to meet approved supplier certification to trade and is this achievable within reasonable timelines?
• Does brand reputation, safety, track record, availability of second source, etc, ring-fence the market for bigger established companies?