Week 8: Financial Projections & Exit Strategy

Preparing financial projections for an early-stage cleantech startup is as much an art as a science. It can be extremely difficult to project costs and revenue this early in the startup process. The goal is to project realistic financials that make sense, are achievable and are defensible.

This session will outline how to forecast financial projections for your startup, along with tools and resources available to help. You’ll learn what a financial projection all entails, including the balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement and documented assumptions.

The focus is creating realistic, credible financial statements to help guide business and funding decisions. The session will also dive into ins and outs associated with setting and exceeding investor expectations, as well as potential exit strategies.

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Week 8 Requirements

Prerequisites

• Financial Projections
  • Watch Video
  • View Slide Deck

Live Panel Session: July 31

Financial Projections & Exit Strategy
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
5:00 pm to 6:30 pm PDT

Click here to view the recorded webinar.

Additional Tools & Resources

• Finance Checklist
• Financial Forecast Template
• Financial Forecast Template Overview Video
• Federal Grant Video Curriculum
• Funding Pathways Video Curriculum
• Funding Pathways Presentation Slide Deck
• Pitch Deck Template

Homework & Deliverables

• Continue conducting your customer discovery interviews (at least three per week).
• Deliverable: Update your business model canvas as you learn from the customer discovery interviews.
• Over the next two weeks, create the first 12 months of your financial forecast, thinking through:
  • Start with what you will do each month to create awareness and sales (revenue).
  • What costs those activities will incur each month?
  • What funding you assume you’ll receive and when based on the cash flow projection?

• Deliverable: Create your 12-month revenue forecast.
• Deliverable: Using the Pitch Deck Template, based on what you know today, prepare a draft of the exit strategy slide.

Mentor Activities & Assistance

• Discuss your initial financial forecast and projections with your mentor, as well as thoughts on potential exit strategies.
• Review your customer discovery interview progress with your mentors.
• Review this week’s deliverables with your mentors.