Jonny Clark

Are you looking for investors? At foundercentre we have a FREE interactive directory of over 240 UK INVESTORS! https://lnkd.in/ekYQBPZF Filter through which investor best suits your startup needs, and simply start sending applications out. Create a startup profile, and showcase it now! We use specific, targeted questions during the signup stage to ensure that all profiles contain the relevant information in a standardised format for Investors. No more sending back-and-forth emails. Simply copy and paste your unique URL- and Investors can see everything they need about your startup. At foundercentre we are the only FREE startup site to contain centralised directories for everything a UK startup needs. From Investors to Co-Working spaces, founders can now find everything they need, with the click of a button. Grow your startup now for free... #foundercentre #investors #startups #founder #startupspace #ideas

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So, just came across this on Sifted: Apparently, August was the worst month for European startup funding since April 2017, according to deals tracked by Sifted. Sifted data showing European startup funding hitting a 6-year low in August (€1.8bn across 247 deals) has got me wondering: Is this something more than just the cyclical dip we see in August? [1] US funding, while slowing, is still multiples higher (at least based on Pitchbook info). Is there a uniquely European anxiety at play here, beyond macro headwinds? [2] Seed-stage investments are something that I consider a traditional European VC strength (due to volume + quantum). It's NOT just megarounds drying up. Both deal count and funding are down significantly since May across ALL stages. [3] Is the fear of a frozen IPO market driving deeper anxieties about future exits for European VCs? Yes, August is always quiet. But this year feels different. #europeanstartups #venturecapital #funding #innovation #economicdownturn #opportunity #resilience #adaptation #opendialogue These are just a few observations - what are YOU seeing in the market that confirms or contradicts this?

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7 of the most active seed stage funds in the UK. 💸💸💸 These are the funds that have been the most recommended to me for the B2B software space. SFC Capital - An SEIS fund that typically invests at Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A. From what I could see funding is usually between £100k and £300k at pre-seed. Octopus Ventures - Typically invests up to £1m for Seed funding rounds. Ascension - Typically invests between £500K and £5m. Fuel Ventures 🚀 - Check size of £1-3M at Seed stage LocalGlobe - Seed and Series A fund. Mercia Asset Management PLC - Mercia manages a number of different funds and can invest from Pre-Seed through to Series A with ticket sizes of up to £10m. Haatch - Invests between £300 - 800K at Seed stage. If there's any other seed stage funds you'd recommend please let me know in the comments 

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First Priority: Founder First duty: Protect The Founder at Foundership

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I often talk about ‘building something offline, before raising money’. This is the perfect example of what I mean👇 One of our portfolio companies Tradeaze UK LTD (it’s a biassed example, I’ll admit), identified a pain point: Co-founder, Jack, is an electrician by trade and saw first-hand the amount of time wasted by tradespeople when picking up tools and parts needed for a job.   To solve this pain point: ↳ Jack set up a Tradeaze iPhone, approached tradespeople on the street, handed out flyers and reached out on Facebook groups to his target audience. ↳ Tradies would text the number, asking for a part or tool. ↳ Jack would then jump on his bike to pick up the part and deliver it back to the customer directly. ↳ After a while, Jack started working directly with merchants providing them with a tablet in kiosk mode, with which the merchant would fill in a really simple form and Jack would receive the order email. ↳ Again, Jack or one of the delivery riders would take the part direct to the tradesperson in need. ↳ Jack continued this way until he got to breaking point and couldn’t handle any more daily deliveries. ↳ This is when he expanded his team to bring in even more experience with his co-founders Joe Blair and Ruben Engel. Since they have raised investment from us and other investors. They were able to prove their pain and solution offline, saving them money and time and proving traction to bring on investors ! Raising too soon, before proving you have the right solution is a huge risk. This is a fantastic way to build a business without needing to raise investment right away. Build offline first ! #businesstips #entrepreneurship #startups

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Episode 335 of Deal Lite Weekly Investment news just hit your inbox If it has not, subscribe at https://lnkd.in/efmz5xBP A good week for the UK. A total of £521 million was raised by 30 UK technology companies during the 7 day period ending 24th November 2024 Among the companies raised investment include: - TalentLynk.ai - MediaTech SaaS Pre-Seed £335k - Heim - HealthTech Seed £2.2 millon - Goodstack - FinTech Series A £22 million - Quanta Dialysis Technologies - MedTech Series E £47.41 million In 2024, UK tech companies have raised a total of £8.7 billion, a fraction of what was raised in 2021. All this data can be access through https://deallite.uk - we have priced subscriptions to be affordable to everyone. #DealLite #UKTechInvestment #TechInvestment #Investment

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📣 CALL FOR INVESTORS 📣 DEADLINE: 20 NOVEMBER 📣 £1.2bn in private investment unlocked / 150+ curated investor partners📣 The Innovate UK Investor Partnerships programme is open again for investor selection. The programme is specifically seeking funds that align with the mission to channel private capital into innovative UK companies, particularly in regions outside of London. There is a focus on sectors that will shape the future economy: healthy living & agriculture, net zero, digital technologies, and ED&I. The opportunity is open to foreign investors, and there is a particular interest in late-state investors (Series B+). I am especially interested in finding investors who are interested in joining this pool who have an interest in spatial computing, which falls under the digital technologies remit. FOV Ventures has already joined and made a successful investment through the programme. Further details can be found here: https://lnkd.in/gP2TySkc The recording from the investor briefing event can be found here: https://lnkd.in/g8R77zrF If you would like to discuss your suitability for the programme, please reach out. #investors #funding #investment #VC #venturecapital #angelinvestors #investornetworks #angelnetworks #grantfunding #businessgrowth #innovation #researchanddevelopment #seedfunding #preseedfunding #seriesA #seriesB #InnovateUK #spatialcomputing #digitaltechnologies

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Sales processes Of products and services Of businesses Planning ahead Here’s a thought👇🏼 The wheels of profitable commerce depend on sales, so it’s always a bit strange that in the UK that sales people are still somehow under rated. We talk of technical founders and non technical founders, we talk about operations teams, we talk about fund raising, we rightly focus on client segmentation, and we should be talking about client needs. And so the list goes on. But rarely about the art and skills of selling. We talk about it obliquely when we talk of product market fit and go to market strategies. Because guess who makes those cogs go round? Sales teams do. Who provides the feedback mechanism? Sales people do. Marketeers design the messages and claim the strategy, they build the plans and write the content, they pick the channels, they quantify and qualify the feedback. All good and vital. Investopedia tells us that “Marketing refers to the activities a company undertakes to promote the buying or selling of its products or services. Marketing includes advertising and allows businesses to sell products and services to consumers, other businesses, and organizations.” However sales is the main event that makes this business happen. So many cost lines and sales teams are the revenue line. The content conversations on here talk about fund raising and then celebrate exits. I’ve rarely seen content about sales processes and an even rarer sight is talking about selling businesses. The latter is going to be part of the cycle unless you are focussed on building an evergreen family business. It’s definitely going to be part of the cycle if you have taken in external capital because that’s how they will crystallise their profit . It makes me think we all better have a plan for that leg of the journey so that it’s not full of surprises. Let’s hope more people start writing about it and then it’ll start being discussed openly. #ThinkLikeAClient #GrumpyOptimism #TechStartUps #VentureStudios #Innovations Footnote: all my content is written daily by me with no additives or tricks. If it interests you please tag the 🔔 in my profile to get it delivered straight to you. Otherwise if you search #GrumpyOptimism and #GrumpyOptimist you’ll find my library of past posts. Never recycled, always fresh.

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This is not the responsibility of venture capitalists. More indiscriminate 1 million dollar grants need to be handed out so we can get that from 0.5% to maybe 5%. The government isn't the best at capital allocation. This is a sore spot of capitalism at the moment, wherein truly innovative ideas(or just different/non-validated founders but might work) don't get funding from anyone(too risky for VCs, not grant worthy from Gov, too high interest loans). This is a problem which is my responsibility to solve as well and I don't have a solution. How would you solve?

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South Coast Startups: This is your moment!! I’ve got an incredible opportunity for startups on the South Coast of England. We’re talking intros to top-tier mentors and serious cash for growth—whether that’s through equity or loans. I’m on the lookout for standout startups to match with angel investors, CCs, and Ultra High Net Worth individuals who are ready to back the next big thing. If this sounds like you—or someone you know—tag them, DM me, or drop me an email at [email protected]. Let’s take your startup to the next level! #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship #Fundraising #VentureCapital #AngelInvestors #GrowthHacking #BusinessGrowth #Innovation #SeedFunding #ScalingUp #StartupJourney #EquityFunding #Disruptors #FounderLife #StartupCommunity #BusinessFunding #StartupMentorship #InvestorReady #PitchToInvestors #DreamBig

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UK Tech Investment News by Deal Lite - Week 336 A total of £107 Million was raised by 19 UK technology companies during the period ending 1st December, 2024 Some of the companies who raised investment last week include: - Vente AI £500k Pre-Seed investment from Antler - PocDoc £5m Series A investment MMC Ventures (I know they are calling this Pre-Series A but we like consistency) 😀 - Onsi raised £9.74 Series A (more like Series B) investment from Zurich Insurance If you didn't receive the newsletter in your inbox, do subscribe https://lnkd.in/efmz5xBP If you want access to data, do subscribe at https://deallite.uk We have priced both to be affordable. #DealLite #UKtechinvestment #techinvestment #tech #investment #funding #seed #preseed #seriesa #vc #venturecapital #angelinvesting

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Founders/Investors raising or investing...READ THIS We have raised £400k under the UK Government's SEIS/EIS Scheme, through SeedLegals Of that £400k, £250k was under SEIS and £150k was under EIS. So what does this mean? Well, the £250k we raised under SEIS, qualifies for Tax Relief/Rebate to the individual investor of 50% and 0% Capital Gains Tax. So, that means that £125k will be either offset or claimed back, courtesy of the government. A typical ticket of £25k, suddenly turns into £12,500 of actual investment, but still £25k in terms of your equity/shareholding....BLOODY GOOD RIGHT! Then we have the £150k under EIS. Same as the SEIS, you get 0% Capital Gains Tax and 30% Tax Relief/Rebate. So from the £150k under EIS, £45k is Offset or claimed back courtesy of the government. So of the £400k we raised, £170k will be claimed back, into the investors pockets! Now as we move into our Seed Raise, of £2million, we are still raising under the EIS Scheme, which means £600k will be rebated back by the government. So if someone put the full £2million in, they could claim back £600k, meaning their cash outlay is £1.4million, but they actual shareholding and equaity is at £2million. This Scheme is an incredible incentive for investors and a great way for founders to raise investment and fund their businesses. I hope this helps and I hope people take advantage of this scheme. #seis #eis #investment #Founder #fund #raise

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Founders, If you're in the fundraising game.... You know there's a phase I like to call 'the gap.' It's that tricky period between getting a verbal nod from an investor and actually seeing the funds hit your account. Verbal commitments are great, but they don't always guarantee a closed deal. Here's how I handle this to keep things moving smoothly: Be Prepared to Act Fast: As soon as you get a verbal commitment, make the next steps as easy as possible for your investor. Any delays on your part can open the door for them to reconsider. Set Clear Deadlines: Make sure your investors know exactly when the round is closing. Setting a firm deadline for contributions helps keep everyone on schedule. Keep the Lines Open: Follow up with your investors regularly. Make sure they have all the information they need and gently remind them of the deadlines. And a little tip for peace of mind. Don't count your chickens before they hatch. Hold off on the celebration until the funds are securely in your bank. That's when you know you've really crossed the finish line. ✌️ #venturecapital #vcfunding #entrepreneurship #familyoffice #raisingcapital #fundraising #growth #startups #startupcommunity #startupecosystem #startupfunding

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The UK is well ahead of its continental counterparts when it comes to tech startups* generating revenue. 🇬🇧 👑 💂 *Let’s be honest, at these revenue levels most of the companies counted here aren’t startups. They’re scaleups or established privately held tech companies. https://lnkd.in/ebSnfcYz #vc #venturecapital #startups #entrepreneurs #entrepreneurship #tech #technology #innovation #money #business

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Here's a founder failing at describing the problem they solve to an investor. Can you tell why it's bad? "There are 6bn tons of food wasted every year" Why does this suck? 1️⃣ It's not customer centric - There's no info on who the buyer is - just a problem that nobody owns - Nothing makes us believe someone will be motivated to buy the startup's product 2️⃣ Numbers are used but they're meaningless - 6bn tons sounds large - but there's no sense of how much the waste is worth - Even worse we don't know how much it is worth to individual customers Here's a 10x better version: "The average supermarket branch throws away $600k worth of food each year" Remember, you're not talking about problems for no reason. You're trying to show there will be demand for what you're building. Focus on the mission. I have a library of recordings of founders pitching - complete with much deeper analysis than this. Use it and avoid wasting meetings with basic pitching mistakes. Check one of them out below ⬇.

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Want to see if a potential investor is likely to have funds? Let's face it, we've all been mucked about. Live today: on shipshape.vc see when reported news shows that an investor has raised funds! If you're an investor but you've raised funds? Shout about on a news article so we can pick it up! Those offering such transparency will look better. If you see an investor and there's no inbound raise to them? Doesn't mean there isn't one necessarily, nor that there's no dry powder, but it shows that there was no news we could pickup. If al of us are in the business of rewarding transparency, then transparency we shall get!

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A huge first step in closing the female funding gap in VC - the Invest in Women Taskforce announced a massive £255M fund to back female investors. Why? 🚨Appallingly, less than 2% of equity funds go to women founded businesses - a challenge I saw first hand when building a tech startup in London in the 2010s with a female co-founder (the unstoppable Brynne Kennedy) 2✖️Women investors are twice as likely to back women than male investors (we need more female GPs starting firms and sitting on ICs) 📈£250 Billion (that’s a B) could be added to the UK economy alone by backing women I was lucky enough to join the wonderful launch event last night at Mansion House. The energy was palpable and the room was full of powerful women leading the charge. Excited to see where it goes from here and a huge congrats to taskforce co-chair (and Smart Society Ventures advisor 💪), Debbie Wosskow, OBE

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Space32 secured the win! Last week, Space32 won the London Tech Start Up Pitch Competition hosted by Entrepreneurs Collective at Home Grown Club. Just 2 weeks into our fundraising activities, things are progressing very well, with lots of exciting investor conversations now happening. In a bizarre twist of fate, I was returning back to the same venue as the previous week where I spoke at the F*ckUp Nights event about my biggest business failure… Now I think we can all agree that’s a decent narrative arc! We were especially pleased to receive such positive feedback on our hyper localised growth strategy from the judges, Engin Yenidunya, Cedric Van Duffel and Dr Shiva Narayan. Thanks to Matthew Milner and Samiksha Zambad for the opportunity, advice and putting on such a great event and well done to the other businesses pitching! Space32 are actively raising at pre-seed under the EIS scheme. Open to VCs, FOs, Syndicates and Angels alike. If you would like to see our investor deck, feel free to reach out here or via [email protected] #marketplace #proptech #startup #futureofwork #workplace

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