"I’m dubious of entrepreneurs who key buyer value is highest price. Building a company is hard and the chances of success are low. I’m looking for entrepreneurs that recognize that supportive VCs who bring relationships, experience, perseverance, tolerance and who are unflappable in difficult times are worth their weight in gold. People who solely value highest price as the decision factor exhibit something about the…
Furthermore, assuming that one is unable to predict which VC will be most helpful, the valuation that VCs place on your business would be a natural indicator for how much potential they see in the company. Therefore it might just be smart to take the highest valuation, assuming there are no red flags.
The pre-money valuation is the company value before the investment, and thus cannot factor in the future investor contribution. It is simply an opinion on what the investor thinks the company is worth, and is thus independent of the future value the investor may (or may not) bring.