A cloud computing service category which provides a foundation upon which customers can develop, operate and manage multiple app functionalities without the need to develop the underlying infrastructure.⁶

A highly attractive offering used to entice a specific, targeted audience.⁶

A closely held business corporation which has the ability to make an election to pass corporate income, deductions and losses to shareholders for federal income tax purposes.  S Corporations may not have more than 100 shareholders, a shareholder who is not an individual, (special exemptions may apply) or more than one class of stock.  As a result, they are not generally viewed as good structures for entrepreneurs seeking to finance their companies with  funding from angels, angel groups or venture capital firms.⁶

A process utilized by individual investors, angel groups and VC funds to determine their interest in investment opportunities.  The screening may be informal or formal in nature and typically includes an assessment of the opportunity against the investors previously determined criteria for investment.⁶

The percentage defining the level of shareholders that must approve significant company actions such as borrowing money, or acquiring or merging with another business; typically defined in the 60.0% to 66.67% range.⁶

A  timetable and methodology under which a startup releases shares to employees, management, founders, advisors, board members and other company stakeholders.⁶

The percentage defining the level of shareholders that must approve significant company actions such as borrowing money, or acquiring or merging with another business; typically defined to be  50.1% or greater.⁶

A provision, typically found in Investors Rights Agreements which requires startup companies to provide board updates and financial information to minority shareholders on a periodic, (such as quarterly or yearly) basis.⁶

The framework of a deal between investors and a startup company which is typically outlined in a term sheet and defined in detail in Purchase Agreements and related documentation, providing the rights and obligations of the parties.⁶

A legal structure, preferred by investors and many entrepreneurs of startup companies seeking funding.  Like Limited Liability Companies, (LLCs) and S-Corporations, C-Corporations protect shareholders from liability in the event of a legal issue or bankruptcy.  Unlike LLCs and S-Corporations, C-Corporations may not make an election to pass corporate income, deductions and losses to shareholders for federal tax purposes.  However, C-Corporations have no limits on the number of shareholders which may own their shares. Entrepreneurs and investors typically prefer that their startup’s C-Corporation be registered  in Delaware. However, Nevada and Wyoming are becoming increasingly popular. Additionally, many entrepreneurs chose to register as a C-corporation in their own state.⁶