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Cap table modeling is vital to successfully negotiating and achieving your cap table. You don’t want to be left out by your competitors. It is imperative that you have a cap table modeling strategy in place. If not, you are leaving yourself out to dry.

The first step to cap table modeling is to thoroughly review and understand the existing valuation of your company’s stock. Most companies go through several rounds of financial valuation that include a Bid Request, a First Review and a Second Review. During the Bid Request, investors request bids from companies in hopes of securing investment in your company. They may request information such as financial statements, market data, company management charts, balance sheets and other financial documents. As a company, you must have a thorough understanding of all documents requested. Your existing investors may also be requesting information from you regarding the current health of your company.

Once you have reviewed and understood the current valuation, you will begin the next step of cap table modeling, which is the Bid Acceptance Phase. In the Bids Acceptance Phase, the potential investors, banks, VCCs or other funding sources provide you with a bid for your company. In many cases, they will make their bid based on a percentage of the total market cap. If you have an established business, you may have already received offers from multiple investors. You will then evaluate the bids to determine if they are in line with your existing company’s terms, and if they are a good fit for your company.

Next, you will work with the current investors to determine if they are in fact interested in purchasing your company under the terms you have outlined during the Bid Acceptance Phase. During the Twelfth Round of financing, you will once again review the bids received during the Bids Acceptance Phase. In most cap table modeling scenarios, the Thirteenth Round is the round where the founders decide if they want to move forward with the deal. In this scenario, it is likely that you will continue negotiations between the founders and the potential funding sources to come to a conclusion.

When the founders eventually decide to move forward, the process of choosing the financing source and selecting a vendor are typically handled by the Cap Table Mapping Company. The company then creates a customized cap table model that provides the founder with a number of options for each round of financing. In addition, the organization will work with you to develop the funding package using the options-and-stakeholder model provided through the cap table modeling process. In most startup companies, these additional stakeholder resources can help you acquire additional seats at the table faster.

If you choose to utilize option grants to raise additional stakeholder capital, the company will work with you to determine which options are best for your business depending on whether you have a dedicated creative team, or you are seeking to raise seed rounds and venture investment funding. You will be provided with a detailed proposal that includes a number of documents outlining the company’s product or service. These documents should include a mission statement, executive summary, management team, executive bios, and more. Your goal is to provide the Securities and Exchange Commission with sufficient information to allow them to determine if you meet the requirements necessary to qualify for their accredited investor program.

The third option in cap table modeling is to engage the services of a concierge service. In many startup companies, there is only so much expertise that can be carried out internally. If you need assistance with securing investment, it may be wise to contact a professional concierge service. They will be able to assist you with obtaining seed rounds, Series A financing, and other high-end financing opportunities.

While most new investors focus mainly on raising capital, convertible notes and cap table modeling is an important tool to help entrepreneurs focus on growing their business instead. It provides startup s with an in-depth understanding of the requirements required to qualify for institutional investors and a detailed method for how they can go about doing so. By taking the time to properly prepare and implement this plan, entrepreneurs can help create new opportunities and increase their profitability while avoiding issues with navigating the funding space.