ScaleUp Group’s Post

🤝🏻 RAISING SERIES-A ROUNDTABLE - WEDNESDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER 🤝🏻 I'm very excited to be hosting my "Raising Series-A" roundtable. For this event, I'll be joined by an Shaun Scoon, Investment Director at ScaleUp Group, who specialises in Series-A fundraising (rounds of £3m - £10m), and Lisa P., an Exited Entrepreneur from the InsurTech space (and one of the 38 partners within ScaleUp Group). Topics of discussion will include: 👉🏻 The current investment market, valuations vs funding. 👉🏻 Strategies to achieve optimal valuations (e.g., turning 3x into 10x). 👉🏻 Market standards and propositioning your business for investment. 👉🏻 Term sheets: What makes a good valuation? 👉🏻 Funds: How does a fund view your business? This free-to-attend roundtable is specifically for Founders of B2B SaaS businesses (pre-seed+) who would benefit from discussing both the wider market, and their business specifically with an subject-matter-experts when it comes to fundraising and scaling 💸. Having recently met with the team today, I'm confident in the incredible amount of value that Founders who are looking to raise Series-A funding will gain from this event. Did you know, the average time to close a Series-A round in the UK is typically between 4-6 months? If you're a seed funded business with 12-18 months runway, this could be the perfect event for you. For more details, contact me directly: reece@wavetalent.co 👋 #fundraising #seriesa #startups #scaleup

Join us next month as we explore different structuring options and the limitations you need to be aware of as you prepare to raise or are in the process of raising capital. We continue to hear outrageous stories about how founders struggle with their cap tables as they approach Series A and B rounds and often being required to undergo expensive restructures. Solution: Lay the foundation from the start to ensure a smooth journey as your startup grows. #StartupGrowth #CapitalRaising #InvestmentStrategies #CapTableManagement #FundingOptions #StartupFunding #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital

Are you considering a pre-seed round? First, try asking this five times: why? 1. Why not avoid a pre-seed round? Maybe you don’t need it yet. Maybe you’re stronger without it. 2. Why might waiting make you stronger? It could keep you laser-focused on product-market fit. It could keep you free from external demands. 3. Why care about product-market fit that much? Without it, your pitch is weak. Without it, you’re left trading control for cash. 4. Why does giving up control matter so much? Because early-stage terms are ruthless. Because you cede control on someone else’s timeline. 5. Why cling to control? With it, you choose your path and partners. With it, you set yourself up for growth on better terms later. Raising pre-seed too soon? It could mean sacrificing equity, control, and momentum. First, prove you’re ready to scale. So investors don’t have to ask why. #startups #fundraising

Our fundraising accelerator programme has been a catalyst for founders at various stages of their entrepreneurial journey, helping them navigate the complexities of fundraising and scaling. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/e5aMTC2x Here's a glimpse into the kind of people who join our programme: ⚫ Second-Time Founders: We've welcomed founders who have previously bootstrapped their way to a successful exit. They come to us to learn how to raise external funding to scale their next ventures rapidly. ⚫ Experienced Bootstrappers: These founders have grown their businesses without external capital and are now ready to accelerate growth with strategic investment. They join us to understand how to raise funds and push their businesses to new heights. ⚫ First-Time Founders: We've also supported first-time founders who have already created fantastic traction. They seek guidance on how to raise external funding, develop a commercial strategy, and scale effectively. Through our fundraising accelerator, we've helped these founders make transformational choices for their business scale-up plans. 👉 If you're looking to work with an experienced CFO who has rapidly scaled several companies to exit, and you're specifically seeking angel or VC investment, we're the only dedicated fundraising accelerator in the Midlands. Sign up for our next cohort, which commences on 20th September! 📅 Apply now: https://lnkd.in/e5aMTC2x #Fundraising #Accelerator #Startups #AngelInvestment #VCFunding #Business

Fundraising is often presented as a straightforward endeavor — a compelling story, a meticulously crafted pitch deck, with the anticipation of investors coming in droves. In reality, though, it’s much more complex than that. Raising capital is a discipline that, when mastered, can fuel a startup’s potential and, when ignored, can doom a venture before it starts. Contrary to most of what a young entrepreneur reads, there is a method to the fundraising madness. And it involves a great deal more than a set of slides! Recently, Enjoy The Work partners Ruben Ortega and Sarah Schaaf had the pleasure of sharing Enjoy The Work’s fundraising frameworks with a group of inspirational founders through our collaboration with Innovation Works. Over the last decade, we have been imparting our methodology to founders, serving as the guiding force behind numerous successful funding rounds, collectively amassing more than $1.5 billion in raised capital. 🎉 Thanks to Jordan Marinkovich, MBA, and the Innovation Works team for graciously having us. We also extend our gratitude to all the founders who actively engaged, posed insightful questions, and will be joining us for follow-up office hours. Stay in the loop with all Enjoy The Work workshops and fundraising frameworks by following us here: https://bit.ly/3YwOQnZ! #venturecapital #startups #founders #entrepreneurship #companybuilding

Congratulations to all these brave entrepreneurs for being coachable, adaptable, and open to growth for the future of their companies!! #fundraising David F. Janine Aeroporos & Tyler Williams - Cerqular Courtney Presto - Presto Social Media Chris Nwakalo & Nneka Ihim - #SayHelloAfrica Jackie Peters - Blind Insight Ben Winston - Rotender Blake W. - BackpackVC Over the past few weeks, I've had the pleasure of working with some absolutely amazing founders on their Pre-Seed to Series A #fundraising pitch. I find so often that the translation of ideas from a founder's mind, into a story that investors will respond to, is one of the most difficult aspects of fundraising. There is no "one size fits" all playbook for this. At Seed Accel, we pride ourselves on extracting every ounce of incredible energy from Founders to translate their offering into a credible fundraising narrative. ***If you know any early stage tech or e-commerce company that are raising capital, I would absolutely love to see if we can assist. Tag a founder or friend in the comments for a 30 min consult.**** ---------- Seed Accel is growth fertilizer for startups. GTM, Growth, and Fundraising Coaching, for founders, by founder and ex-VC who have seen 1000s of pitches worldwide. Book a free 30 minute pitch consultation -----> http://seedaccel.co.nz

I think we focus on the 'amount raised' badge a bit too much. Navigating the tightrope between fundraising and customer acquisition is a dilemma we often face when leading our startups. Prioritising one often means sidelining the other, but both are crucial for growth. Fundraising can unlock new opportunities and resources, yet it's engaging with customers that truly drives a business forward, validating the product and securing its market fit. Striking a balance is key, ensuring that while seeking investment, the core mission of solving customer problems and delivering value remains front and centre. How do you manage this balancing act in your venture? #StartupChallenges #Fundraising #CustomerAcquisition #startuplife #Entrepreneurship

Are you considering a pre-seed round? First, try asking this five times: why? 1. Why not avoid a pre-seed round? Maybe you don’t need it yet. Maybe you’re stronger without it. 2. Why might waiting make you stronger? It could keep you laser-focused on product-market fit. It could keep you free from external demands. 3. Why care about product-market fit that much? Without it, your pitch is weak. Without it, you’re left trading control for cash. 4. Why does giving up control matter so much? Because early-stage terms are ruthless. Because you cede control on someone else’s timeline. 5. Why cling to control? With it, you choose your path and partners. With it, you set yourself up for growth on better terms later. Raising pre-seed too soon? It could mean sacrificing equity, control, and momentum. First, prove you’re ready to scale. So investors don’t have to ask why. #startups #fundraising

Founders: want to know what your company is worth? 📢 ➡️ Tomorrow torq.partners is giving a Valuation 101 workshop at Crossroads 2024 by Startup Utrecht Region at Dotslash Utrecht. At 13.00 at the Frontspace stage we will be giving founders (and other interested parties) a quick run through of how investors and acquirers value companies. So: 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝: 💰 Planning a fund raising round? 🤝 Thinking about your exit roadmap and curious what your company would be worth? 📈 Wanting to offer key personnel shares and in need of a market valuation for your business? We will provide you with a very practical "how to" and easy-to-apply valuation methods. So you can ensure that you will approach your fund raising round or exit well-informed and with confidence. Yori May Mitch Karsten torq.partners | Benelux #startup #fundraising #valuation #entrepreneurship #founders #venturecapital #capitalraise #exit #mergersandacquisitions

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 In the startup world, fundraising is often seen as a badge of honor. But as I discussed with investor Andrew Romans, it's crucial to approach fundraising with a balanced perspective. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 1. Model Your Fundraising: Use a spreadsheet to model different funding scenarios and understand the impact on your ownership and potential exit strategies. 2. Beware of Overfunding: Raising too much money can lead to overspending, unrealistic growth expectations, and ultimately, a down round or worse. 3. Prioritize Sustainable Growth: Focus on building a healthy business with strong unit economics. This gives you more control and flexibility in the long run. 4. Don't Get Caught Up in the Hype: It's easy to get swept up in the excitement of a big funding round, but remember that it's just one step in your journey. Fundraising is a powerful tool, but it's not a magic bullet. By approaching it strategically and prioritizing sustainable growth, you can set your startup up for long-term success. What are your thoughts on fundraising? Share your experiences and insights in the comments! #startups #fundraising #venturecapital #startupadvice