We will be continually engaged and an active resource.
There are three phases of interaction between Clearstone, entrepreneurs and their companies.
First is the introduction phase, when we first become aware of a company or an idea for one, and meet the people involved. At this point, we evaluate a company to determine whether it fits our investment preferences and warrants an in-depth assessment for investment by us. The company then enters the second phase of our interaction - extensive due diligence and syndicate-building. This phase, when successfully concluded, ends with funding of the company. The third phase of our interaction is involved guidance once a company is part of our investment portfolio.
We welcome seeing company proposals as early as possible, while they are still malleable. Our initial investigation to determine whether a company fits our investment preferences will be swift. For early stage pre-product, pre-revenue companies seeking their first round of funding, once we have determined we will spend time on an in-depth evaluation, Clearstone investment professionals will actively help entrepreneurs strengthen their business plans and establish a market position for the company that will serve as a foundation for scalable growth. We'll introduce entrepreneurs to other potential investors as part of building a syndicate for a financing. And we'll work in detail with companies to shape the scope and articulation of their presentations for maximum investor interest. Our due diligence will include interviews with sources who can validate the company's value proposition and its view of the market problem and solution the company is committing to. We'll also fully reference the management team and prior ventures the members have been associated with. There should be no anxiety about this. We value failure and what was learned as much or more as success.
More established companies with products and revenues that are seeking intermediate and late rounds of funding will find Clearstone to be an active partner, able and willing to contribute to optimize the company's operating effectiveness, team-building, management scalability, sales dynamics and market power.
Once a company becomes a member of our investment portfolio, we will be continually engaged and an active resource to the management team. We maintain open communications with all members of a company's executive team, and can directly contribute marketing, sales and technical expertise as well as refer external resources for projects in any functional area. We also make an effort to introduce our companies to prospective customers and improve market investigations by streamlining access to corporate technology buyers and executives. Typically, portfolio CEOs find their Clearstone director to be their most active board member, and our venture partners and associates will be dynamically engaged as opportunities to leverage their expertise arise.
