A vast number of the startups that explode into worldwide mega-success begin in the US, so it’s not unreasonable for a UK or European founder to consider imitating them. You might look at a classic US startup pitch–like the Airbnb seed deck, for example–and use it as a template for your pitch presentation, hoping the…
Crowdfunding is the second most popular way of raising investment for start-up and early stage businesses. In fact, crowdfunding platforms are only one step behind VCs as the most active type of equity investment. But how much do you know about crowdfunding? Read this to find out. What is crowdfunding? Crowdfunding harnesses the power of the crowd…
Too many founders are applying to VC Funds not knowing their expectations and then wondering why they are rejected. The problem is that they don’t understand the VC power law. It’s a different ball game than pitching to Angels. Angels are happy with the potential for a 10x return, for VCs, they have to see…
Salespeople are often considered ‘black sheep’ when it comes to selling a product or, with a founder raising investment, proving the saleability of your idea. At best, they’re a necessary evil; at worst, they’re a “colouring-in department.” But the truth is, to attract an investor, you’ve got to tick a lot of boxes. Two of those…
Many investable entrepreneurs dream of becoming a ‘unicorn’. The term was first coined by venture capitalist Aileen Lee back in 2013. At that time, there were only 39 unicorn startups in existence. Today, there are more than 900 unicorn startups around the world. What is a unicorn? A unicorn is when a startup reaches a…
This is another question that investable entrepreneurs frequently ask us, thinking there must be some ‘one size fits all’ answer. But the question has two parts, and it’s essential to get both those parts right if you’re going to land the investment you’re looking for. Part 1: How can you connect with investors? 1. Leverage…
Your pitch will get their attention. But showing an investor that you’ve done your homework and explored ways to minimise their financial risk and make investing in you even easier will push them closer towards taking action. It will also underline that you’re not just focused on the creative “look what an investable idea this…
The answer to that question is simple and straightforward, and it’s not the answer that a lot of founders expect. This is because investors have a unique mindset, and the term ‘traction’ can mean different things to an investor than it does it for a founder. When founders hear the word ‘traction,’ they think ‘customers’.…
When you’re an entrepreneur who’s focused on doing as much as you can to raise investment, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture – getting obsessed by the details at the expense of your success. For a while now, we’ve been wondering if one of those areas might be an under or over-reliance…
It doesn’t matter how compelling your pitch deck might be, it’s just a beautifully constructed paperweight if you don’t have a coherent fundraising strategy. You need to put a lot of serious, calculated thought into targeting the right type of investors and creating opportunities to get your pitch in front of them. You’ll also need to strategise how you’ll…
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