Venture Capital for Startups and Small Companies

An experienced entrepreneur and businessman from Colorado, John McKowen is the former founder and chairman of Two Rivers Water and Farming. He is currently the CEO of VetaNova, where he provides clients with greenhouse facilities. John McKowen also has experience in venture capital investments.

Venture capital is a type of private equity investment which investors typically offer small or startup companies. With this investment, investors look to help companies with great potential grow and develop as they can provide above-average returns. Venture capital can come from various sources such as investment banks, financial institutions, and private investors. What is excellent about venture capital is that startups that cannot obtain capital markets or bank loans can access it and improve their services. That can help smaller companies raise funds easier and continue their growth and evolution.

All those benefits have contributed to the growing popularity of venture capital among startups and small firms. Venture capital can also be provided in the form of services and professional expertise. Investors typically get equity in exchange for their investment.

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Building a Public Company from Ground Up

Venture capitalist John McKowen provided start-up capital to an internet development company in 1997 that grew from its initial conceptual stage to a billion-dollar market Cap on The NASDAQ National Market. In 2006, Mr. McKowen provided the start-up capital for an oil & gas exploration company operating in Peru. The company grew from concept to a billion dollar market cap on the NYSE.

An alumnus of the Metropolitan State University of Denver, John McKowen is currently the CEO of VetaNova, Inc. The company is in the business of building and operating solar powered, carbon negative, AI controlled greenhouses that grow farm-fresh fruits and vegetables for local delivery to grocery stores and restaurants along the Front Range of Colorado.

Aside from being pollution-free, solar power require little maintenance as solar panels can last for as long as two decades. Contrary to general belief, solar panels are not entirely useless in colder climates. Modern solar panels can still generate solar power in areas with lesser exposure to sunlight. Therefore, anywhere there is daylight, solar panels will work.

preLaw Recognizes the Sturm College of Law in Its 2020 Rankings

John McKowen, a Colorado businessman, is CEO of VetaNova Inc, also based in Denver. Before he began his career in business, John McKowen recognized the importance of law in business and attended business classes at night for two years at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.

Last year, the Sturm College of Law was given a number of accolades by the ranking service in the magazine preLaw. The publication recognizes stellar law programs that have demonstrated that they provide students with exemplary course offerings and programs, and 2020 was a year when the law program consistently performed well in eight areas.

In the Fall 2020 edition of preLaw, the Sturm College of Law earned an A+ grade for their Business Law program. John McKowen credits the Sturm College of Law night school program for giving him a head start in a very critical part of a business education.

The Importance of Early-Stage Startup Funding

An experienced senior executive and venture capitalist, John McKowen has coordinated early-stage funding for a number of startup companies that have gone public and appeared on stock market listings. Earlier in his career, John McKowen supplied startup capital to the oil and gas company BPZ Energy, which had a $1 billion valuation on the NYSE.

Typically, entrepreneurs seek funding from venture capitalists, accelerators, and angel investors for startups that are in their early stages. The following are some key areas in which early-stage funding can prove crucial:

1. Product development

In the early stages, companies are generally finalizing their products. Funding can help them to prepare for a product launch.

2. Creation of a team

Early-stage funding can prove crucial in enabling companies to hire the right employees. In particular, they may seek employees who share their brand’s vision, maintain a strong work ethic, and possess experience in working with customers.

3. Strategize Ways to Acquire Customers

Companies want to ensure that their products align with customers’ needs and expectations. Funding can support their efforts to gather market data. As a result, they will be able to better market their products.