Simple. There’s always acquisition money around, even when start-up capital isn’t available. You might have the greatest start-up in the world, just gaining traction, and there’s a competitor or strategic alliance that might be the very thing to catapult your start-up to the stratosphere.
Go for it. Set out to acquire that company holding the key piece of IP, customer base, distribution system that you need, or would compliment your vision. The kind of companies that finance these types of acquisitions are looking for a) existing cash flow, b) rapid growth opportunity, c) strategic vision. And you frequently can use just their money for the deal.
While there exists all manners and sizes of funds for acquisitions, generally the easiest deal to do is one with about $20 mil in annual revenues with EBITDA in the $3- $7 range.
You’ve set out on a course to change the world with your ideas and passion. Now use somebody else’s money to set the plan in motion.