3月26日星期二, Manchester Digital hosted the third session of their 启动激活 programme, gathering founders and entrepreneurs from across the region for an insightful panel discussion on investment. The panel featured both investors and founders, giving attendees a well-rounded perspective on the investment process and the current state of play.
亚当Mitcheson, My2be的联合创始人兼首席执行官, chaired the panel which featured Kate Longworth (Gaia Learning), Ciaran Rawcliffe (Sure Valley Ventures), and Jess Jackson (Praetura Ventures).
Here are some of the key takeaways for founders looking to raise investment:
风险投资的心态
Ciaran Rawcliffe broke down the VC hierarchy of needs - performance and ensuring strong returns is the top priority. Any investments made must be strategically justifiable to the fund's promises to its LPs (limited partners/investors). The main criteria is returns potential.
投资过程
The panellists outlined typical investment processes, which often involve multiple pitch rounds bringing in more senior team members to evaluate. Investors need to be able to clearly justify how an opportunity fits their fund's strategy.
融资轮次解释
Jess Jackson clarified that a fundraising "round" refers to a defined chunk of money a startup is raising, by selling an allocated stake to investors. Tools like SAFEs can provide flexibility.
“太早”的对话
Hearing "you're too early for us" from investors can be tough but useful feedback. Jess advised doing thorough research to understand each investor's focus areas and stage preferences. If rejected, ensure you have actioned any feedback before looking to re-engage.
尽职调查重要性
Due diligence is critical from both the founder and investor perspectives. Founders should have data rooms and financials organised and interrogable.
厌恶的东西
从投资者的角度来看, panellists warned founders against asking investors to sign NDAs early on, as they just serve as a blocker. 从创始人的角度来看, Kate Longworth shared frustration at angels thinking they know it all and wanting to take over your business, and in absolutely no circumstances wants a mentor!
当前市场
While the environment is still fairly challenging, the panellists emphasised that negotiations and compromises are normal. Investors still need to see a clear path to strong returns.
整体, the event provided founders a candid look into an investor's mindset and the current landscape for securing investment, balanced with reassuring advice from those who have been through the process themselves.
全球最大的博彩平台数字的下一个目标 启动Activator会话 will take place on Thursday 16th May, an interactive workshop run by TLT w在这里 they will give you a whistle-stop tour of the legal process before aiming to demystify the equity term sheet and all the legal jargon that comes with it.
You can sign up to the 启动激活 在这里.
