Before all of this digital stuff, businesses kept their most valuable documents in a safe room. As a result, potential buyers could easily access such data as part of their due diligence. Storing this data required the use of a room with the highest security levels possible. This was a document or VDR back then.
The name is still used today, but there is no longer a physical space that can be called a room. An investor VDR is now digital. Is it necessary for your startup? The answer may be contentious. So, in this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know about a VDR for investors.
What Exactly Is an Investor VDR?
A contributor VDR is a digital or physical storage space where companies keep data relevant to due diligence. It can also store other important data. When an enterprise wants to buy a company, for example, this data helps contributors ensure that everything is in order.
Most of the questions that contributors may have are answered in this VDR. So, from this standpoint, having one makes sense. Furthermore, a good VDR can highlight the startup’s knowledge for a positive image with contributors. Furthermore, digital VDRs can facilitate communication. This is due to the startup and potential contributors sharing permissions.
As we stated in the introduction, a contributor VDR can be contentious. This is because some contributors may question the validity and significance, but this should not be the case. Still, we understand if you’re wondering if you should have a contributor VDR. So, in the following section, we’ll go over this and a lot more.
Do You Need a Contributor VDR?
This is a common concern among startup founders, and it’s understandable. There is a lot of added value behind a contributor VDR, but it does come at a cost. This has sparked much discussion among VCs and founders, and we’ll explain why.
Some venture capitalists and founders believe that a VDR will slow down the process. Indeed, some argue that the VDR serves as an excellent excuse for contributors to postpone making a decision. Furthermore, because there is so much data, reviewing it may slow down decision-making.
Another disadvantage of a contributor VDR is that it takes time. There are no other options. Gathering all of this data can be a time-consuming process that is not ideal for expending all of the founder’s energy.
It is critical to note that the purpose of a VDR should not be to delay the contributor’s decision. It should instead be brief and to the point. So, further down the article, we’ll discuss how the VDR should be designed to be as efficient as possible.
Aside from the skeptics, there are benefits to using a contributor VDR. For starters, a VDR can provide answers to many potential contributors’ questions. (In reality, it can answer all of them, but we don’t want to oversell it.)
Keep in mind that a contributor VDR isn’t just for fundraising. From start to finish, it’s all about your company. Furthermore, the VDR tells a complete story, from technical reviews to competitor research. In that sense, having one is preferable to not having one.
To be sure, not all contributors will look at your VDR, which is fine. Let’s hope your startup has a long line of contributors eager to put their money down, but this doesn’t always happen. As a result, you want to be as prepared as possible by creating a comprehensive contributor VDR. Now that we’ve covered why you should have a VDR, let’s move on to another critical point.