Essential Business MOOCs For December

New Venture Finance: Startup Funding for Entrepreneurs

School: University of Maryland

Platform: Coursera

Registration Link: New Venture Finance: Startup Funding for Entrepreneurs

Start Date: December 1, 2014 (4 Weeks Long)

Workload: 3-5 Hours Per Week

Instructor: Michael Pratt

Credentials: A serial entrepreneur, Pratt has spent over 35 years in startup ownership, executive leadership, and finance. During his career, he has launched eleven startups and raised over $100 million dollars in capital. Aside from teaching at the University of Maryland’s Entrepreneurship program, he also serves as managing Partner of Select Venture Partners, an early stage investment management firm. Prior to this venture, he co-founded and operated SpydrSafe Mobile Security, a platform that was recently acquired by Okta. Another of his firms, Trust Digital, was purchased by McAfee. He holds an MS in Marketing from Johns Hopkins University.

Graded: This course does not offer a Statement of Accomplishment. By completing this course, students can count it towards a Signature Track.

Description: This course covers investment from “idea to exit,” teaching students the language, process, and intricacies of generating funding for new ventures. Early on, the course reviews basics like balance, income, and cash flow statements, along with sharing the criteria used by investors to evaluate opportunities. From there, students learn how to identify investors and determine the best time for pursuing capital. In addition, the course will cover how to pinpoint their company’s worth and establish investment tools like stocks. As a final project, students will create a pitch for their company, along with learning strategies for closing funding deals. The course will consist of weekly video lectures and assignments, with performance evaluated through quizzes.

Review: No reviews.

Additional Note: Pratt suggests that students complete Coursera’s “Developing Innovative Ideas for New Companies: The First Step in Entrepreneurship” before enrolling in this course.