Applications
You may submit your application at any time.

 

Once you are ready to proceed, we suggest you either:

 

1. Request via email  /download the applcation.forms 

2. Schedule a time for an initial consultation with one of our consultants 

3. Provide us your business plan or executive summary for review 

4  Provide us a summary of the project and or service your would like for us to provide

5  Call us to set up a consultation or provide us your contact nformation to forward out application forms (call us: (424.245.52208 )

 

 

Applications are immediately available to GWF’s internal and institutional investors. Our investor board will review & rate new submissions based on their views on the opportunity. The division managers will then provide you with feedback and next steps based on those reviews.

The online application draws from an executive summary to highlight the most important details about the business in a straightforward manner. Entrepreneurs must be able to forward additional supporting documents such as an executive summary or short business plan. They may revise and add documents at any time during the review and due diligence process. Useful documents include, but are not limited to: the full business plan, a financial plan, investor and customer presentations, term sheets, investment subscription docs, company updates, customer letters, and anything else that may aid GWF members in their due diligence.

Applications remain with GWF for 12-months or more for investors to refer to.

 

Investment Terms
When GWF leads an investment round, it typically offers terms based on its standard equity term sheet. Entrepreneurs are encouraged and expected to review these terms at the time of application so they know what to expect.

If an applying company already has a lead outside investor and open funding round, GWF will evaluate the investment terms as part of its overall evaluation of the investment opportunity.

Pre-investment valuation is negotiated between the company and GWF before an investment recommendation is made.

 

Screening
GWF funding board members meet regularly (about every two weeks) to review and discuss recently submitted project opportunities. Applying companies are ranked anonymously and typically 4-5 businesses are selected to present at the next GWF meeting. Diligence begins immediately on those applicants invited to present, and potentially on additional companies if there is sufficient interest by the funding board.

 

Due Diligence
GWF managers select one of its internal investor to lead the diligence effort – typically the investor best suited to help the company as a board member if GWF becomes an investor. The lead coordinates and facilitates the diligence process and is the primary liaison with the company. The diligence team leader meets with the company’s management team, reviews the application, business plan, and supporting documents, and identifies key issues that require deeper investigation. The team then researches the management team, the company’s products, the market in which the company operates, and the financial plan to evaluate risks and the potential for growth and return on investment.

 

Diligence teams are supported by the GWF fund managers and typically spend 100 to 300 total person-hours researching the applying business over a maximum 2 week period before recommending an investment vote.

 

Diligence team members who are conflicted (have a financial interest in, or a personal or professional relationship with, a company being researched) are expected to fully disclose their conflicts to the GWF management and investors. While they may not participate on the diligence team for that company, they may serve as a valuable resource for the diligence team and they may vote on the investment.

 

GWF fund managers and diligence leads are committed to providing constructive feedback to each applying company throughout the diligence process. A best effort is made to help applying companies understand where they are in the process and any next steps, as well as any key issues that GWF investors may have concerns or uncertainty about.

 

Presentations
Typically, 1-2 companies are invited to present at a GWF investor meeting. The format is a 10-minute presentation followed by 10 minutes of Q&A. Presenting company leaders typically stay through the reception following the meeting for one-on-one and small group discussions with investors.

GWF investors vote on whether to continue due diligence on each presenting company, as well as any others in the diligence process. These votes provide insight so that the group, the fund managers, and the company gain confidence that additional diligence effort will be worthwhile and could lead to an investment recommendation.

 

Investment Decisions
When a diligence team completes its work, it makes a recommendation: “invest,” “defer” until a milestone is reached, or “pass” on the opportunity. When an investment is recommended, GWF investors review due diligence findings and vote; a 67% super-majority vote of voting members is required to approve an investment. The entire process from application to investment decision can take as little as 2-4 weeks. Feedback from due diligence and GWF meetings is privately shared with applying entrepreneurs throughout the process.

 

Post Funding
After an investment is made, GWF portfolio companies enjoy access to a network of value-added contacts and experienced business professionals within GWF who can provide critical guidance for the growth and success of the venture. Typically, a GWF investor - often the due diligence lead - will play an active role with the company and serve as a board member, at least until the next financing round. GWF members often help with raising additional capital, recruiting employees, making customer and partner introductions, and assisting with business planning. Roughly 85% of GWF investors have successfully founded or led a business and many are passionate about supporting the next generation of local entrepreneurs and growth companies.

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