In this course, we’ll look at the role of venture capitalists in funding early-stage companies including their position in the capital structure and potential benefits to the early-stage company beyond obtaining capital.

We’ll describe the different means by which corporations obtain funding in the public and private markets and the differences between offerings registered with the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) and transactions that are exempt from that requirement.

We’ll identify the primary steps from the filing of a registration statement with the SEC to distribution in an initial public offering (IPO) and discuss the most common types of debt offerings by large corporations, 144A offerings and Shelf registrations (Rule 415).

In this course, we’ll also discuss the factors that lead companies to pursue management buyouts (usually structured as leveraged buyouts and the trade-offs inherent in corporations making investments via M&A (mergers and acquisitions) or strategic partnerships versus de novo investments or organic growth of existing businesses.

This course is part 5 of the New York Institute of Finance’s Corporate Finance & Valuation Methods Professional Certificate.