How should you respond to the first term sheet you receive?
The term sheet is a contract between a start-up founder and an investor that has been written following a pitch meeting or a preliminary corporate meeting of ideas regarding the proposed deal. The main terms and conditions of the funding are contained in the document exchanged between the parties (start-up founders and angel investors/venture capital investors). As a first step toward finalising the deal agreements and completing the time-consuming due diligence, the term sheet identifies the essential aspects of the agreements and sorts out any discrepancies. Memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and letters of intent (LOIs) are other names for term sheets. It serves as a template for both in-house and external legal teams to use when drafting final agreements as it merely reflects the important and broad areas of agreement between the parties as a foundation on which the investment will be made. It also serves as a non-binding term sheet which can be used as a basis for fi...