Flow Of Time

Patient money

The problem from the inventor's point of view is how to harvest the maximum potential out of a drastic technology during the patent protection time period. Seldom one is taking this long perspective but in a few really drastic innovations this is relevant. The usual VC model is typically exploiting the inventions in a manner that is fast and easy without considering too much of the optimal total potential. After all a VC has more than one lottery cards and there will always be more deal flow material (provided that that the performance record remains good).

For example one could sell machines capable of providing the drastic benefits or keep the technology in the first phase and sell the offerings only as a service. The difference between these in the long term market (and profit) potential can be in magnitudes of 10 or 100 fold.

Patient money is something that an institutional VC does not have. His investment life cycle is usually 7-10 years where the investments should be made during the first 3-5 years. This leaves relatively short periods of time for the development and exit. Therefore the investment is not optimised from the overall company development perspective but from the investment fund's life-cycle targets and objectives. It is a no-brainer to realise the implicit conflicts of interest and short sighted optimisations. To make life more complicated fund's own investors usually have the own requirements and economical cycles. Sometimes one just simply needs to get their money back or withdraw from the investment commitments (e.g. after the dot bomb). Also the VC fund managers need to consider their longevity - they need to raise a new fund and hence positive results are required prior the new fund raising.

The above might sound a bit sarcastic or negative but that's not the point. It's the reality and one has to accept it if one is inviting the VC money in to the venture. But one should notice that VC concept is not omnipotent. There are other sources and structures for funding than pure traditional closed VC funding. They just might be more hard to find or they require more competence from the fund raiser. After all it's about the appeal of your case. Real drastic inventions should also have the special attraction to enable unconventional financing solutions.