TWC Group :: Press Archive

Collegeville, PA (April 16, 2003) – T. Williams Consulting, Inc. (TWC) has announced the formation of NextStage Advisors, a subsidiary focused on helping entrepreneurs and executive management teams take their companies to the next level. A spin-off of TWC's Business Launch Services, the new company advises early-stage ventures on how to improve their market position and attract funding. More than 90 percent of companies approaching venture capitalists for funding are turned down, and often there are no second chances. NextStage's business methodologies focus on putting a company in the best possible position to ensure success.

Co-founders of the company are Terry Williams, founder and CEO of TWC, Dan McKinney, Managing Director of TWC's Business Launch Practice and venture capitalist at Safeguard Scientifics. Within the next quarter, NextStage is planning to add one or two additional senior venture capitalists as managing partners. The combined operational, venture capital and fundraising experience, plus a passion for helping entrepreneurs, will help propel first-time candidates toward needed funding as well as reposition companies to succeed in today's demanding market.

As part of NextStage Advisors' business launch service, clients are taken through a brief due diligence process to identify business efficiency gaps to funding. The scope of preparing a client for fundraising touches on all aspects of a client's business including new market identification, positioning, funding strategy, financial and cash flow management, operations, core capabilities, product launches and development roadmaps.

"NextStage will build upon the accomplishments of TWC's business launch services while leveraging the human capital capabilities that Terry Williams has built a successful business around for the past seven years," says Mr. McKinney. "Together, TWC and NextStage Advisors are truly a long-term, full service partner for entrepreneurs and business leaders."

TWC's Business Launch has successfully helped several companies establish the necessary building blocks to receive funding. An example of those building blocks is an engagement to help LScan Technologies identify new markets, determine new beachheads, and reposition their company in anticipation of talking with investors. NextStage Advisors will build upon a track record of companies it has already taken through the investment process that includes repositioning Aviom, Inc. to receive $2 million in funding from the Mid Atlantic Venture Fund; Octagon Research Solutions receiving $3.8 from Edison Venture Fund and Milestone Venture Partners; and assisting Quantiva with their first institutional financing. NextStage Advisors expects another funding event soon for a client that received a term sheet for a $3 - $4M first round from a top tier Mid-Atlantic VC firm.

Steve Goodman, Co-Chairman of the Global Technology Practice of Morgan Lewis, called TWC "an already-proven performer in helping to maximize the capacity of entrepreneurs to build their company, many of which have been nurtured by Morgan Lewis." He added, "Forming NextStage Advisors even further augments an already robust platform created by TWC to enable the region's most worthy emerging growth companies opportunities to succeed."

Jim Walker, President and CEO comments that, "TWC has the insight and resources we were searching for when faced with our business launch activities. They were able to facilitate our funding process through their various connections and capabilities in arguably one of the worst funding environments to date. They understand the various stages of new business launch and are a great asset for a young company to draw upon. TWC was one of the best decisions we ever made."

Founded in 2003, NextStage Advisors strengthens early stage companies by improving their value proposition and better positioning them to attract venture capital. Focused on advising growth stage companies and preparing them for and fundraising and long-term success, NextStage Advisor's expertise as veteran VCs and business operators includes identifying new market opportunities, modifying companies' business models, funding strategy, go-to-market strategy, and financials to take them to the next level.