ENTREPRENEURS Happy Ending

Mark Little’s startup Storyful delivered a happy ending for investors who backed the former news anchor’s idea. Not the least of Little’s achievements was limiting dilution of his stake through successive cash calls, writes JOHN KINSELLA

he best reward any entrepreneur can hope for is selling their venture for a handsome capital Tgain. Mark Little (45) did that in double quick time in December, when News Corporation bought his startup Storyful for €18m, less than four years after the business commenced trading. Little was 42 when Storyful, formerly called Crowdflash, got up and running in early 2010. Until then Little was a reporter and anchorman on RTE television. The initial idea was to aggregate current affairs- related social media content for people to browse. That changed pretty quickly to a new business model based on filtering, verifying and arranging clearance for newsworthy video clips posted on social media sites so that they can be used by news organisations. In addition Storyful now manages rights for user-generated content (UGC) content on YouTube, MSN, Yahoo and AOL, and curates YouTube video for breaking and daily news. Last year, verified user-generated videos managed by Storyful generated 750 million views for its partners. Little had one partner in the business, David Clinch, a Dubliner who worked for CNN for 20 years averaged around €90,000 per Mark Little: raised cash from patient before being tapped by Little. Clinch month. and savvy investors had pioneered the use of social media Mark Little definitely chose well in All told, around €3.4m was for international newsgathering at sourcing Ray Nolan as a charter invested in Storyful, with Little CNN and had good contacts in investor. Nolan, a serial entrepreneur investing €248,000. In that context, American newsrooms, the main who grossed upwards of $80m when not the least of Little’s achievements market for Storyful’s service. Hostelworld was sold to a private was limiting dilution of his stake to However, when he came on board in equity firm in 2009, invested in our best estimate of 33.1% at the time 2010, Clinch’s stake was limited to Storyful less than a year after the of the sale. From company filings it 8.2% and he didn’t become a director. company started and followed up would appear that at the time of the with four subsequent investments. News Corp transaction, Nolan owned Cash Burn Sean O’Donoghue’s SOS Ventures 21.6%, SOS Ventures 19.5%, AIB Storyful was a novel idea with an was another good backer to have, Startup Fund 11.3%, Enterprise unproven market, so the company ponying up for three cash calls after Ireland 7.2%, David Clinch 3.2%, and required investors with patience and with an initial investment in October an unidentified Davy client 1.6%. the resources to follow on their initial 2011. AIB’s Startup Accelerator Fund This last investor has seen their investment. From inception to the also stayed the course, though with €30,000 investment in February 2011 end of 2012, Storyful’s cash burn rate less enthusiasm as time went by. grow to €288,000, though Storyful

BUSINESS PLUS FEBRUARY 2014 14 ENTREPRENEURS

had an employee share option plan Little invests another €115,000 and 21 December 2012: Storyful taps which would have altered the stakes his stake is diluted to 91.8%. three main backers again, this time for outlined above. Ray Nolan and Sean December 2010: Crowdflash books €360,000. Ray Nolan invests O’Donoghue’s faith in Storyful was a loss of €364,000 for the year. €165,000, SOS Ventures invests rewarded with a tripling in the value February 2011: Crowdflash raises €170,000 and the AIB fund parts with of their investment. €315,000. Hostelworld millionaire €25,000. They drive a harder bargain Ray Nolan invests €135,000, paying than EI managed four months earlier, Earnout €3.72 per share. Enterprise Ireland with the shares sold at around €5.88 Storyful’s share sale transaction invests €150,000 and a Davy client per share. Little’s stake reduced to provides that the consideration €30,000. Little’s stake is diluted to 35.8%. payable to shareholders, other than 68.6%. 31 December 2012. Storyful books financial investors in the company, is October 2011: Crowdflash raises full-year trading loss of €1,830,000. payable in tranches, with some €700,000. Ray Nolan invests another After €3m equity invested, year-end upfront and the balance on earnout €100,000, paying €5.74 per share. net worth is €5,000. Little is on the linked to financial targets in 2014, Sean O’Donoghue’s SOS Ventures and hook with personal guarantee on 2015 and 2016. This would appear to the AIB Startup Fund each invest €20,000 bank loan. mean that though Nolan, €300,000. Little’s stake is diluted to August 2013: Storyful’s final O’Donoghue and the AIB fund have 50.4%. allotment raises €390,000. Average made a clean exit, Little and Clinch December 2011: Crowdflash books price of shares sold is €6.96. SOS will have to work a bit longer for their a trading loss of €832,000 for the answers call with €180,000, Ray financial reward. year. Nolan follows on with €160,000 (for a Another smart move by Little May 2012: Company changes total of €1,060,000) while the AIB from the off was hiring top law firm name to Storyful and raises fund digs deep for one final €50,000. Mason Hayes & Curran. Their €1,250,000 in fresh equity. Ray Little’s shareholding diluted to 33.1%. expertise came in handy as Storyful Nolan parts with another €500,000, News Corp says it plans to enhance engaged in its regular capital raise as does SOS Ventures. The AIB fund and expand Storyful’s video products exercises. Here’s the company’s limits its follow-on investment to and services for newsrooms, fundraising history: €250,000. Investors pay twice as advertising agencies and brands. May 2010: Mark Little seeds much per share ( €10.75) as they did Storyful remains headquartered in Crowdflash with €133,000 of his own the previous October ( €5.74). Little’s Dublin and additional business cash for 100% stake. stake is diluted to 40.8%. development and advertising sales October 2010: CNN veteran David August 2012: Enterprise Ireland staff will be hired and based in New Clinch, based in US, pays €22,000 ponies up another €250,000, paying York. Mark Little and David Clinch for an 8.2% stake in Crowdflash and €10.75 per share. Little’s will continue to oversee the takes up role as Executive Editor. shareholding is diluted to 39.3%. company’s operations.

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