Category: Latest News

Are you looking to make an R&D Tax Credit claim but are unsure how to go about this? We are running a FREE event at Wizu Workspaces in Leeds to help you do just that. Not only will we give you a brief overview of R&D Tax Credits, but we will also help you complete your R&D Tax Credit Application on the day. 

To find out if you are eligible please CLICK HERE to view our Eventbrite Invitation, and if you are – then why not register?! You have nothing to lose and absolutely everything to gain. 

We recently released some pitching tips from our Angels which we hope you found useful! There’s a few more that we wanted to share with you, here are some extra tips:

• Define any unique selling point or point of difference 
• Have clear financials and be able to support them 
• Explain the business history to date 
• Decide on what you want the outcome of your pitch to be and focus on delivering that message
• Ask yourself “If I was an Investor, what would I want to know about the business or offer?”, then be sure to cover this 
• Be realistic with your deal offer  
• Spend as much time engaging with your audience as possible 
• Be prepared for challenging questions. These are not asked to trip you up, but to better understand your business/the deal offer

If you would like to find out more about pitching and how we can help you secure the funding and support you are looking for, then just get in touch.

We asked some of our Angels what they are looking for when considering Investment opportunities, here is what they said:

• A clear exit strategy – remember though, an Investor’s exit strategy doesn’t have to be your exit strategy!
• Founders who are credible that the Angels can and want to work with. Angels invest in the people behind the business, people who they think can make a business, any business, a success.
• A return – whilst it might only be a forecast, tell the Angel Investor what you believe to be a realistic return and what the expected timeline to achieve this is.
• Tax efficient Investments. 80% of Angel Investments in the UK are made under SEIS/EIS, so make sure you know if your business qualifies.
• A business idea with growth potential, a large target market and the potential to scale easily.

The most common answer from the Angels though (which might surprise you) is that they want to Invest in a business where they can add real value and make a difference. Angels get a great deal of satisfaction from sharing their wisdom, making connections and helping a business succeed in a sector that they are passionate and experienced in.

If you are ready to start your Investment journey, then just GET IN TOUCH. With pitching sessions most weeks there are even more opportunities to secure the funding and support you’re looking for. 

Looking at the second half of this year’s calendar it’s quite obvious where we are spending most of our time, and that is running pitching sessions! We have pitching sessions most weeks, so there’s even more opportunities to secure the funding and support you are looking for. Just get in touch if you are interested in starting your funding journey

• Lay out ALL the skeletons! There are not many businesses out there that are perfect, and the likelihood is that an Angel Investor has heard it all before. If you’re honest and upfront from the start not only will you be saving both yourself and the Investor a lot of time (because it will all come out in the due diligence stage) but you will increase the chance of a positive outcome if you’ve shown integrity. Building trust with an Investor is so important. 
• Get to understand what the Angel is looking for and what they can offer you. It’s a two way street. As much as an Investor is getting to know you and your business it’s also important for you to get to know them. Ask yourself the questions: Could I work with them? What value could they bring to the table? Do they know your industry? Do they fill some of the gaps in your team’s skillset? 
• Show an understanding of your customers and how to reach them. Even if an Angel Investor knows your sector and route to market well they want to know that you do. Know the size of your market opportunity and demonstrate your knowledge of your customer base.

• Don’t overvalue your business. In terms of the financial of brand equity be realistic. 
• Don’t Just target investors for their money alone. Always seek out Angels that can add more value to the business than just capital. People you can work with, learn from and open up wider networks for your products/services. 
• Don’t pretend to be someone that you’re not. People invest in people. It’s important to be yourself and lay all the cards on the table. Our Investors always invest in a grade A team with a grade B product and never the other way around. People at are the centre of all Investment opportunities that come through our door, so let them get to know you!  

We are currently pulling together syndicates for 10 of the businesses we have had pitch over the past few months. Syndicates are common for Angel Investments and have huge advantages for both the business and the Investors. For the businesses this means more Angels, which in turn means more expertise and skills around the table. For the Angels this means sharing in both the risks and the rewards associated in Equity funding. Our experience shows that more deals are completed when a syndicate comes together. We’re really excited to be supporting these businesses along their funding journeys, and look forward to seeing their growth potential realised once the deals are completed.

We find that a lot of the businesses that come to us looking for funding have pitched before. The reason they have been unsuccessful in securing Angel Investment is not because their business isn’t good enough. We find it’s because they haven’t known how best to position themselves to Investors, therefore the Angels didn’t understand the proposition so therefore didn’t invest.

We don’t put a business in to one of  our pitching sessions without first making sure they are Investor ready. Investor readiness is such an important step in the funding journey. After all, you wouldn’t run a race without the correct equipment and training, so you have to be prepared to put in some hard work to have the best possible chance in securing the funding and support you’re looking for. 

When working with a business to make them Investor ready, we cover the following:

• Language – we always say that business speak French while Angels speak German. We work as an interpreter between the two to help you communicate effectively. 
• The numbers 
• The business plan 
• The company’s current position 
• The risks 
• The timing of funding 
• The most appropriate funding route 
• Who is your ideal Angel – who would add the most value 
• The pitch – preparation and delivery  
• SEIS/EIS 
• Existing share agreements 
• Intellectual Property 

If you would like to find out more about Investor readiness and how this could help your business, just get in touch.