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Venture Financing

Term Sheet

The mostly non-binding blueprint of a deal's key terms

What it is

A term sheet is a short, mostly non-binding document that lays out the key economic and control terms of an investment before the long legal contracts are drafted. It covers things like valuation, amount invested, liquidation preference, board seats, and investor protections. Once both sides sign it, lawyers turn it into the binding financing documents.

Why it matters

It is where the real negotiation happens; the final legal docs mostly just formalize it. Knowing how to read one tells you who controls the company and who gets paid first in an exit.

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