What we look for

We offer the following as a useful guide for entrepreneurs about what we look for in our investment process.

Tell a Compelling Story - Tell a story about how your company is effectively building an outstanding team, leveraging technology to create a highly attractive product or service, and taking advantage of changes in market and/or public sector forces.

Be Early (Not Seed) Stage – Be a company that has already produced a product/service, reached or achieved visibility to at least $1 million in annual revenues, and demonstrated the ability to use capital efficiently. We actively track but do not invest in companies that are short of these milestones.

Target High Growth & Returns – Focus on scalable, capital efficient business models that can effectively utilize venture capital financing to generate high levels of growth and high returns to investors.

Leverage & Measure Mission – Leverage your mission to create competitive advantages for your company (recruitment, marketing, partnerships) and clearly measure the economic, social and environmental value generated through the improvements your core products/services create.

Investment Process Overview

1. Place & Stage

  • US based (but can focus on global markets/problems)
  • early stage
  • post product
  • post revenue & <$25mm valuation

2. Selection

  • Outstanding team
  • Clear mission
  • Big market undergoing changes
  • Technology leveraged with capital efficiency
  • Clear growth/exit (sale, IPO)

3. Investment

  • $1-2mm first investment;$4-6mm over multiple rounds
  • Syndicate (CLC can lead or follow)
  • Board representation (Member or Observer)
  • Compact/Side letter (defines the mission, metrics, accountability systems and reporting to turn mission into competitive advantage)

4. Support

  • Goals set for for CLC’s value add
  • Active business development (across For profit, Nonprofit and Government)
  • Marketing/Distribution: leverage our network and tell the story to reach a wider community
  • Leadership Development/Support:Community / network: online and in person, “Leadership Advisory Network”
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