Seed, Venture and Growth Financings

For founders and other first-timers, forming a company and getting financing can be scary. Getting it right means the difference between a company that lives and one that dies.

World-class experience — literally. Inspired innovators rely on Gunderson Dettmer to provide strategic business solutions at this most critical stage in their development — help with formation, pre-seed, and seed financing — because we have more experience helping such companies than any firm in the world. We know the VC finance market better than anybody because we were instrumental in creating it — our lawyers helped define the universe of seed-stage securities in use today.

Partnering with you. We are not just technical lawyers who recite the law, we are business partners to our clients. We understand the high stakes which early-stage companies face, we know the business and operational issues which can impede necessary growth, and we bring decades of experience advising thousands of companies to help founders and other first-timers get their companies to the next level.

For an early-stage company, the company founder has control of the board and the company. As companies mature, the founder’s role can remain the same or shift in significant ways. Our lawyers have worked with thousands of maturing companies in both situations.

Seeing pathways for growth. Our deep experience allows us to see a range of possible pathways for growth, develop optimal financing options, and guide founders, boards, and senior managers in both strategic decision-making and practical, day-to-day operational advice.

Managing investor expectations. Also, as new investors become involved, the dynamics of financing a business — including its strategic direction and operational path — are likely to change. Having counseled thousands of venture-backed companies, we understand these dynamics and can provide legal and business advice to help your company reach its next milestone.

Growth equity financings are an increasingly important source of capital as companies choose to remain private longer. Also, a late-stage financing may be the right choice to bolster a company’s financials in advance of an IPO.

Although every deal is unique, our market knowledge and extensive experience helps us tailor growth-stage financing structures to a client’s long-term aspirations. We provide seasoned advice for those companies ready to take that next bold step, helping our clients to realize (and sometimes push) the boundaries of their vision.

With 12 offices in key markets across the world, we have the footprint to support your global ambitions.

We have extensive expertise in structuring and negotiating cross border investments at all stages and are deeply familiar with the tax, regulatory and comparative law aspects of these transactions. We leverage a deep network of local law firms around the world to help our clients stay on the right side of the law. We have the experience and reach to support you wherever investment opportunities are available.