Dr. Sivapalan Vivekarajah
Entrepreneur, Investor, Coach
and Author
Entrepreneurs drive the change that improves our lives and livelihoods, gives us better quality of life with innovations in healthcare; better mobility with great new ideas from on demand transport to electric vehicles; better ways to produce food to ensure adequate food supplies for a growing global population and so much more.
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If we add in the impact of ESG - environmental, social and governance policies - as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), future entrepreneurs will also do more good.
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None of this would be possible without individuals wanting to change the world for the better through entrepreneurship, and investors wanting to fund this change. This change is hence not possible without funding and innovation - two key themes that have made all the difference in the world.
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Dr. Siva
Senior Partner & Co-Founder of ScaleUp Malaysia Accelerator,Mentor & Angel Investor
​I am passionate about entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial finance and innovation and have written 2 books to assist entrepreneurs build better businesses and make the change they want in this world.
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The latest of these is 'Supercharge your Startup Valuation', to help entrepreneurs and investors to better value startups so that more deals are done at fair and equitable valuations so that all parties benefit equally.
Books
One of the biggest decisions an entrepreneur needs to make is accepting an investment from an Angel investor or Venture Capitalist or selling their company to an acquirer. Ultimately this decision will be dependent on the valuation of the deal and that's where the problem lies.
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Startup Valuation
USD
19.90
The biggest cause of failure in Angel Investment and Venture Capital deal closure or an Acquisition is disagreements on valuation. The primary reason for this failure is the lack of understanding by entrepreneurs and some angels on how to value the business.
This book aims to close the gap in valuation negotiations between entrepreneurs and investors, by helping both parties understand the key elements and methods of valuation. The ultimate objective is to reduce the number of deals that fail because both parties cannot agree on a valuation.​
Supercharge Your Startup Valuation explains in simple but clear language how both entrepreneurs and investors can value startups. It clarifies this complex subject with easy-to-understand methods and provides readers with ideas on how to enhance their valuation. Whether you’re a startup entrepreneur wanting to determine the true value of your company, or an investor keen to set an acceptable valuation for a deal, this is an ideal book for you.
Bio
Dr. Sivapalan Vivekarajah
Dr. Siva has extensive experience in entrepreneurship and making investments, having coached more than 2,000 entrepreneurs and investors over a more than 20-year career in the startup ecosystem. Companies he has worked with, or invested in, have raised almost USD200 million in funding from angel and venture capital investors.
He was the founding President of the Malaysian Business Angel Network, and has invested personally in 16 startups, and through Malaysia’s most successful late stage accelerator, ScaleUp Malaysia, he has already made 30 investments and plans to have 50 investments by 2023.
He was appointed Chairman of a Ministerial Task Force to restructure the funding ecosystem in Malaysia, and his recommendations have had a significant impact on the angel investment and venture capital industry in Malaysia. Dr.Siva has a Ph.D in Venture Capital from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, and is a sought after speaker, panellist, and writer.
LEARN MORE ABOUT MY BUSINESSES
In The News
Sivapalan advises angels to invest in the founders of start-ups rather than the early technology trends alone. “There is no telling which technologies will be winners in the long run. But a strong founder is a great starting point for any angel investor,” he says.
The Edge Malaysia
We need to “do a China” for our companies. If we select between 5 to 10 well managed, innovative companies and “back them all the way” then we will be able to create unicorns.
Digital News Asia
Dr Siva walks us through his experience of having coached over 700 companies over the years and we discuss the macro and micro elements that are necessary in order to build a unicorn.
Biztech Asia
Resources
Here are resources and documents for entrepreneurs and investors. You can download and use these documents but please note that they are only generic samples. Please get proper financial and/or legal advise if you intend to use any of these documents.
SAFE NOTE
Y-Combinator has the best resources for the SAFE note (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) since it was their invention.
TERM SHEET
TEMPLATE
This is only a sample, please get proper legal advise if you are going to use a Term Sheet for investments.
CONVERTIBLE
NOTE TEMPLATE
This is only a sample, please get proper legal advise if you are going to use Convertible Notes for investment purposes.
DUE DILIGENCE
CHECKLIST
This is only a sample, please get proper legal advise if you are going to perform a due diligence on any investment.
Get in Touch
For any media or training inquiries, please contact me at: vivekarajah@gmail.com
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