SimStar Manufacturing Co. needs $500,000 to fund its growth opportunities. The founder of the firm has approached Morningstar Ventures (a Phoenix-based venture capital firm), which has expressed an interest in providing the financing if acceptable terms can be worked out.

The venture capitalist asked SimStars CFO to provide an EBITDA forecast for the next five years. The forecast found below depicts the rapid growth opportunities the firm anticipates:

Year	EBITDA
1	- $350,000
2	200,000
3	340,000
4	1,050,000
5	1,500,000

If the VC provides the needed funds, she will plan on an exit after five years, at which time she believes that the firm can be sold for six times EBITDA. Moreover, based on pro forma financials and the above projections, the VC estimates that SimStar will have approximately $1.2 million in debt outstanding, including $1 million in interest-bearing debt, at the end of the planned five-year investment. Finally, SimStar expects that it will have $200,000 in cash at the end of five years.

The VC is considering three ways of structuring the financing:

1. Straight common stock, where the VC receives no dividends for a period of five years but wants 49% of the firms shares.
2. Convertible debt paying 10% interest. Given the change from common stock to debt, the VC wants only 30% of the firms equity upon conversion in five years.
3. Redeemable preferred stock with an 8% dividend rate plus warrants for 40% of

the firms equity in five years. Moreover, the exercise costs for the warrants total $100,000. Note that because this is redeemable preferred, the investor not only receives an 8% dividend for each of the next five years plus the face value of the preferred stock but can also purchase 40% of the firms equity for $100,000.

Which of the alternatives would you recommend that SimStars founder select? Explain your decision.