NEW VENTURE VIDEO SERIES
Choosing the Right Entity for Your Startup
One of the first decisions a founder makes, what type of entity to form, can shape the company’s path to funding. In a new video kicking off our Formation Series, Julia Parker, a managing associate in Thompson Hine’s New Ventures practice, breaks down the two most common choices: LLCs and C corporations. She explains why founders who plan to raise venture capital are often best served by forming a C corporation from the start. She also covers why Delaware remains the leading state for incorporation, from its well-established business law to the investor-friendly flexibility that VC firms expect. Watch now to make sure your company is set up for success from day one.
SPONSORSHIP SPOTLIGHT
Thompson Hine Serves as Presenting Sponsor of JumpStart Ohio VC Fest
Last month, Thompson Hine was proud to serve as presenting sponsor of JumpStart Ohio VC Fest, one of the Midwest’s largest gatherings of founders, investors, and innovation leaders.
More than 800 attendees, including 300+ tech founders and 150+ venture investors, came together at Cleveland’s Huntington Convention Center. Over two days, one thing was clear: Ohio’s startup ecosystem is building real momentum. Thank you to JumpStart Inc. for bringing this community together, and to everyone who connected with our team. We’re committed to helping founders and investors start, scale, and grow in Ohio, and we’re already looking forward to next year.
Tackling Term Sheets at StartupCincy
Lindsay Karas Stencel recently led a lunchtime session, “Tackling Term Sheets,” at StartupCincy Week. Borrowing from a classic hip-hop track, “Money, Power & Respect,” she walked a packed room through the key essentials of any deal:
- money (economic terms)
- power (voting and control terms)
- respect (knowing what’s worth negotiating and recognizing deal fatigue)
The session drew plenty of questions and a few good laughs. Thanks to Cintrifuse for organizing the week, and we look forward to next year.
THOMPSON HINE’S ECOSYSTEM PRESENCE
Chicago Venture Summit: Future of Health
Aisling O’Laoire recently attended the Chicago Venture Summit: Future of Health on behalf of Thompson Hine. Hosted by World Business Chicago, the summit has grown into the Midwest’s marquee gathering for venture capital, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Following last year’s Future of Food edition, the 2026 summit was the first to focus on health, a theme tied to Chicago2050, World Business Chicago’s regional economic development plan. The day convened founders, investors, health systems, researchers, corporate leaders, and policymakers to explore how emerging technologies and new business models are reshaping patient care, health outcomes, and the future of medicine. Attendees also had access to a curated Startup Portfolio of companies seeking growth capital, corporate investors, and strategic partners. Events like this reflect Thompson Hine’s commitment to connecting with the founders and investors driving innovation across the Midwest. We look forward to continuing those conversations.
9th Annual State of Venture in Ohio® at Innovate New Albany
Earlier this month, Lindsay Karas Stencel drew a stellar turnout for her 9th Annual State of Venture in Ohio talk at Innovate New Albany. She profiled Ohio’s venture funds and what they do and don’t invest in. She also noted several trends:
- Venture dollars are up nationwide but heavily concentrated in Silicon Valley, which drew 69.8% of all dollars invested through Q3 2026.
- Ohio venture investing is down from prior years.
- The shift toward mega funds is leaving emerging managers struggling coast to coast.
Venture Atlanta 2026
Lindsay Karas Stencel and Jake Denham attended Venture Atlanta, the Southeast’s premier venture capital conference, held October 14–15. The two-day event draws more than 1,600 attendees and 450+ investment funds. This year’s lineup featured 99 selected startups from 14 states and D.C., with a strong emphasis on DeepTech and DefenseTech alongside a robust slate of health and bio companies. Between live startup pitches, expert panel discussions, and curated networking, Lindsay and Jake connected with founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders from across the region. Venture Atlanta remains a key gathering for Thompson Hine’s work supporting emerging companies and the investors who back them. We’re already looking ahead to next year’s 20th anniversary conference.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Incorporation/Organization Day at the Polsky Exchange
On November 13, Aisling O’Laoire will participate in the sixth annual Incorporation/Organization Day at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Exchange. The event connects South Side community entrepreneurs and UChicago students and researchers with attorneys who help them officially launch their businesses by forming legal entities in Illinois or Delaware. From 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., Aisling will work one-on-one with founders to prepare and file their paperwork with the Illinois Secretary of State or the Delaware Division of Corporations. The goal is to give early-stage ventures a solid legal foundation from day one.
Raising Capital with Confidence: A Founder’s Guide to Term Sheets
Thompson Hine and WEI Atlanta are teaming up for a complimentary virtual seminar on Thursday, November 19, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. ET. Raising capital is a major milestone, but the fine print in a term sheet can shape a company’s future as much as the check itself. This focused one-hour session will:
- walk founders through key terms such as valuation, liquidation preferences, board seats, and vesting
- flag provisions that often catch first-time founders off guard
- share practical tips for telling true negotiation priorities apart from standard investor protections
- show how to evaluate an offer beyond the headline valuation.
RSVP by November 18.
Thompson Hine Sponsors Rev1 Ventures’ Fall 2026 Investor Startup Showcase
Thompson Hine is proud to be a Premier Sponsor of Rev1 Ventures’ Fall 2026 Customer to Capital Accelerator Investor Startup Showcase & Community Celebration on November 19, from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. The showcase caps Rev1’s 14-week, no-equity accelerator. The program helps pre-seed and seed-stage Ohio startups in software, advanced technology, medical devices, and life sciences gain customers, build traction, and prepare to raise capital. The afternoon will feature live pitches from the fall cohort to investors. A community celebration follows, which in past years has drawn hundreds of participants from across Central Ohio’s innovation ecosystem. We’re excited to support this next class of founders as they take the stage.
MARKET INSIGHTS
Carta: State of Startup Compensation 2026 – APAC & MEA
Carta’s latest compensation report, published October 13, examines startup hiring and equity trends across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa, with U.S. comparisons throughout. The headline: the region’s startup job market is rebounding. In the first half of 2026, startups made roughly 2.5 hires for every departure, nearly double the 2024 low.
Equity is also playing a growing role:
- Median initial grant sizes are up 39% from 2022 after dipping through 2024.
- Employees are exercising in-the-money vested options at a 43% rate, up from about 27% in 2024.
Gaps within the U.S. remain:
- Early hires in the region receive noticeably smaller equity stakes than their U.S. peers. A first hire’s median stake is about 0.5%,versus roughly 0.73% in the U.S.
- APAC & MEA companies run larger teams at every stage from seed onward. At Series C and beyond, the median is nearly 120 employees, compared with 43 in the U.S.
For founders and investors building cross-border teams, the report is a useful benchmark. Read the full report.
QuickLaunch: Experienced Guidance for Startups and Investors
Our QuickLaunch program is tailored to entrepreneurs, startups and investors, providing guidance on growth and funding cycles and offering cost-effective counsel on day-to-day legal matters from formation to funding to exits. Our seasoned team helps navigate the confusing waters of growth, funding, expansion and those tricky legal issues that can arise, often at fixed or budgeted pricing by using our firmwide proprietary SmartPaTH Plus™ tool. To learn more about our tailored, value-enhancing solutions, please visit our site.