Investing in Startups and Market Analysis: Stocks, Bonds and Beyond
Most people approach startup investing the same way they approach a lottery ticket. This course is about doing the opposite.
What this masterclass actually covers
We go through the full picture of private and public market investing — from early-stage startup due diligence to reading equity research reports and understanding how bonds behave when interest rates shift. The goal is not to make you a fund manager overnight, but to give you a working mental model that holds up under real market conditions.
Startup investing gets a lot of attention, but most introductory content skips the hard parts: cap table mechanics, dilution across funding rounds, how liquidation preferences affect your actual payout, and what a term sheet clause can mean for minority investors three years down the line. We cover all of that with real examples from documented cases — not hypotheticals.
Stocks and fixed income in context
Alongside startup analysis, we spend serious time on public market instruments. Understanding how to read a balance sheet, assess a price-to-earnings ratio in context, and compare equity risk against government or corporate bond yields is not optional knowledge — it is the baseline for any sensible portfolio decision.
We also look at how these asset classes interact. A startup allocation sitting next to a bond ladder behaves very differently from one sitting next to a concentrated equity position. The course walks through several portfolio construction scenarios using actual allocation numbers and risk profiles.
Who put this together
The curriculum was developed by Fergal Noonan, a Dublin-based analyst with over a decade working in venture capital and asset management, and Oksana Bilyk, a former fixed-income strategist who now consults for family offices across Europe. Both bring classroom experience and a preference for showing the spreadsheet rather than just describing it.
There are no guaranteed outcomes here. Markets are unpredictable, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. What this course gives you is a framework for asking better questions before committing capital.
Programme
What's covered
Each stage is structured to build on the last — no gaps, no assumed knowledge.
Course Structure
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Module 1 — How startup funding actually works
Seed, Series A through C, bridge rounds. How valuations are set and what they mean for your stake. Reading a cap table without getting lost.
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Module 2 — Due diligence on early-stage companies
What to look for in a founding team, product-market fit signals, burn rate analysis, and runway calculations. Common red flags in pitch decks.
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Module 3 — Term sheets and investor rights
Pro-rata rights, anti-dilution clauses, liquidation preferences. How these terms play out in exit scenarios — acquisitions and IPOs included.
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Module 4 — Stock market analysis fundamentals
Reading financial statements, understanding P/E and EV/EBITDA ratios in sector context, and using analyst reports without being misled by them.
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Module 5 — Bonds and fixed-income instruments
Government versus corporate bonds, yield curves, duration risk, and how rising or falling rates affect bond prices in practice.
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Module 6 — Building a mixed portfolio
Allocation frameworks that include both illiquid startup positions and liquid market instruments. Risk tolerance, time horizons, and rebalancing logic.
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Module 7 — Live case studies and Q&A sessions
Two documented investment cases reviewed in detail. Weekly live sessions with Fergal and Oksana for questions on your specific situations.
Each module includes downloadable worksheets and model spreadsheets used during the lessons.
Full details
About this masterclass
Qygigoo has been building practical financial education for local communities since 2020.
One-time payment, lifetime access to all materials and future updates
VAT may apply depending on your country of residence. Payment plans available on request.
Most people approach startup investing the same way they approach a lottery ticket. This course is about doing the opposite.
What this masterclass actually covers
We go through the full picture of private and public market investing — from early-stage startup due diligence to reading equity research reports and understanding how bonds behave when interest rates shift. The goal is not to make you a fund manager overnight, but to give you a working mental model that holds up under real market conditions.
Startup investing gets a lot of attention, but most introductory content skips the hard parts: cap table mechanics, dilution across funding rounds, how liquidation preferences affect your actual payout, and what a term sheet clause can mean for minority investors three years down the line. We cover all of that with real examples from documented cases — not hypotheticals.
Stocks and fixed income in context
Alongside startup analysis, we spend serious time on public market instruments. Understanding how to read a balance sheet, assess a price-to-earnings ratio in context, and compare equity risk against government or corporate bond yields is not optional knowledge — it is the baseline for any sensible portfolio decision.
We also look at how these asset classes interact. A startup allocation sitting next to a bond ladder behaves very differently from one sitting next to a concentrated equity position. The course walks through several portfolio construction scenarios using actual allocation numbers and risk profiles.
Who put this together
The curriculum was developed by Fergal Noonan, a Dublin-based analyst with over a decade working in venture capital and asset management, and Oksana Bilyk, a former fixed-income strategist who now consults for family offices across Europe. Both bring classroom experience and a preference for showing the spreadsheet rather than just describing it.
There are no guaranteed outcomes here. Markets are unpredictable, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. What this course gives you is a framework for asking better questions before committing capital.
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