- Having a personal relationship with the investee company is the chief way SV curates its prospective investees.  This is a necessary approach to understand the investees' personalities, ethics and beliefs, even before we discuss investments. 

 

Our mantra: "first the match, then the business".

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- In 2013, SV started an Accounting outfit to provide Corporate Secretarial and Accounting services to small businesses.  Click here for website.  This grassroots-approach gained us invaluable insights into a magnitude of businesses and investment opportunities.  SV invested into the most viable ones.  The technical DD was conducted thereafter.  

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"The match --> the pitch --> the technical DD"

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- The technical DD is the audit of representations made by the prospective investee during the pitch.  It focuses on salient areas such as Branding, Human Resource, Law, Accounting & Finance.  If the investee does not make it through the DD phase, the investment may not materialise.

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- The investor relies on the DD to make the decision to invest.  The process can take anywhere from 1 to 3 months, longer if red flags are spotted.  Click here for FAQ and here for the Funding Roadmap.

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SEED Ventures looks at the following areas during its DD checks:

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- Marketing & branding

• Is there a marketing roadmap? 

• How is the advertising budget planned out?

• What is the company's corporate identity?

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- Human Resource

• Does SV have an existing relationship with the prospective investee?

• Are the employment contracts, Terms of Reference & KPIs for key appointment holders properly planned out?

• How is the morale amongst colleagues and shareholders currently?

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- Law

• Internal. Are the shareholder agreements in place?

• External. Are the service contracts with the clients properly written?

• Are there implied, foreseeable or existing lawsuits?

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- Accounting & Finance

• Compliance checks.  Is the company compliant to the authorities?

• Do the profitability numbers add up?  What does the balance sheet currently look like?

• How are the internal controls?

• Is there a financial roadmap?

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