How to show the problem and solution slides in your pitch deck with a customer journey
Framing the issue – or societal/customer problem – that your startup is tackling, and how it solves that issue, acts as a hook to capture the attention of investors and get them nodding along in agreement with your pitch. The ‘Problem’ and ‘Solution’ slides are commonly used at the beginning of pitch decks to help […]
Female Founders: Redefining angel investment to inspire inclusion
Friday (8th March) marks International Women’s Day (IWD) with this year’s campaign theme being ‘InspireInclusion’. I can’t help but feel despondent though, last year I wrote about the inequalities female founders face when raising equity investment, and another year on I don’t feel much has changed. But – don’t despair – I’m also going to […]
What angel investors look for in start-ups
Angel investors play an important role in the growth and expansion of startups. According to the 2021 Scale-Up Institute Annual Review on the State of UK Scale-ups, it revealed that 60% of scale-up businesses in the UK have received Angel Investment as an integral part of their funding towards their growth journey. It’s a mark […]
Pitch deck: How to include your go-to-market strategy
A ‘Go-to-market’ (GTM) strategy is a must-have in any pitch deck. It’s where founders showcase their approach for entering their market successfully, and the slides often cover a lot of ground, from market dynamics and target audience to distribution channels. Often founders find creating these slides challenging, as they need to strike the balance between […]
How to build confidence before pitching for investment
Presenting is often cited as most peoples’ “greatest fear”. It’s unsurprising then that founders often lack confidence when pitching, especially if pitching is new to them. Layered on a high-stakes environment where a great pitch could open up a wealth of funding and business opportunities, a group of strangers, and a handful of tricky questions […]
Master engagement marketing: and you’ll future-proof your startup
Investors expect a clear, well-targeted startup marketing strategy if you are going to attract their investment. But, pre-funding when you are still in “hustle mode”, and experimenting with various marketing channels, your startup marketing strategy may lack coherence. It can feel like having puzzle pieces that don’t quite fit together, leaving you with an incomplete […]
Networking with startup investors: 5 tips to network successfully
Raising equity investment becomes easier when you pitch to startup investors you have previously engaged with or spoken to, or have been introduced to. This is where networking comes into play.
Startup funding: A guide to navigating the funding journey
One of the most frequent questions we are asked is “What’s the best way to fund my startup?” Startup funding doesn’t have to mean equity funding. There are other options – but all too often they don’t get a look in. So many founders automatically assume angel investment or Venture Capital funding are the only […]
What being a finalist in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards has taught me
My weak spot is I don’t like talking about my achievements. I think it dates back to my childhood when I was told not to boost. I’ve taken that to mean it’s wrong to talk (even factually, not boastfully) about what we have achieved. In most cases this probably doesn’t matter. But, when you run […]