John D Evans

By John D. Evans, CFA, Founder & General Manager at SEIML Most early-stage startups don’t prepare a proper investor data room until investors ask for it. By then, the fundraising process has already slowed down. One of the fastest ways for a Founder to build credibility with investors is a well-organised data room. Yet many early-stage companies overlook it until the fundraising process is already underway. That usually creates unnecessary friction. A well-prepared data room serves three...

By John D. Evans, CFA, Founder & General Manager at SEIML For many Founders, the first commercial lease feels like a milestone. It says: we are real, we have an office, we are building something. But inside that lease there is often a hidden risk that does not get enough attention: The deposit In Hong Kong, a commercial lease deposit can often be three months’ rent. In Central, that can be a very large amount of cash for an early-stage company. And for a Founder, cash trapped in a lease...

By John D. Evans, CFA, Founder & General Manager at SEIML That may sound like a soft topic for a July corporate finance post. But it is not. Founders work long hours. They carry pressure from investors, customers, employees, suppliers and often family as well. The work is exciting, but it can also be physically and mentally exhausting. A hobby is not a distraction from building a company. It can be part of staying able to build the company. It gives your mind somewhere else to go. It reminds...