Flo Bown

Staying front of mind is key for every business. I speak with investors daily and one thing really struck me last week. One investor mentioned that she receives regular (monthly or bi-monthly) updates from a founder that she spoke to several months ago. The founder updates on progress against the objectives and goals he outlined in his pitch. She didn’t invest following the pitch. The investor loves the updates, and it puts the founder in a better position (with this investor) when looking for more funding. However, this founder is very much the exception and not the rule. There were very few founders that keep this investor updated with regular communication. It’s difficult to stay front of mind with people in our ecosystem but it will only help when looking for help or generate business in the future. Investors – do you like to see regular updates from founders? And what do you like to see? #executivesearch #startup #scaleup

2

“Money doesnt recognise geography” This is a session hosted by national and international #investors at #climb24 We have over 200 investors from all over the world coming to find great businesses to invest in - and none of them care where they are based I am never going to complain about more money being invested in the region but #founders need to get their businesses in a shape to compete for investment on a national and international level The UK is the 3rd largest country for VC so we do have money on our doorstep Equally with our partners Department for Business and Trade we will be talking about how both funds and businesses can access international investment The challenge i think is that often businesses in the north just dont know what is available and how to access it Join us at climb24 on 5th and 6th june to lean - honestly everything you need is on your doorstep!!! And a ticket is less than the price of a train to london and a hell if a lot more fun !!!! UBS British Business Bank Innovate UK Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnerships Department for Business and Trade VeUP Barclays Eagle Labs Squire Patton Boggs Lloyds Banking Group Mishcon de Reya LLP West Yorkshire Combined Authority Leeds City Council South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Nexus Leeds Leeds Digital Bobble AI Bionow GreenTech Gathering EHE Ventures Sure Valley Ventures Balderton Capital Beringea Eka Ventures Redrice Ventures Newlab Fuel Ventures 🚀 IQ Capital Albion Capital Group LLP YFM Equity Partners Foresight Group Equity Gap Par Equity River Capital Development Bank of Wales Oxx MERCIA INVESTMENTS LIMITED Maven Capital Partners Teampact.ventures Start Codon

10

10 Comments

I was introduced to the new Funds Sniper search engine whilst seeking funding for Show Me. Within seconds I had a highly targeted list of the 16 relevant funds in the UK with description, contact name, role and details, allowing me to focus on personalising an approach, rather than spending hours searching and speaking with contacts (which I had already done). I'm not quite at the "I liked it so much, I bought the company" level, but having spoken with the founders, I have become an ambassador for them to help spread the word. You can try it for free with top 3 results of any search to get a feel @ https://lnkd.in/eQ9tuEay. Then, if you want to use it you can use the DISCOUNT CODE "amb-AMPJw" to get €/$150 off the annual subscription price, which at $500-$900/year seems to be significantly more economical than anything else I've seen. The database is a continuously updated PE/VC funds search engine (>18,000 funds globally & >20k people). It's been put together by a former Rothschild fund manager in Asia as an easy, low cost way to find relevant funds by sector for early stage/growth companies, financial service professionals/advisors & the funds themselves (for co-funding). What do you think of this versus anything like this you may have already used? Could it be of use for you or any of your contacts? Is there anything like this at that price (I see financial services equivalents but they come at a much higher price)? Let me know what you think, and get in touch if you need any help or advice in early stage UK fundraising.

7

Whilst working on GoPlugable we’ve often talked about our bootstrapping journey where we funded our first year of development almost exclusively through grants competitions and accelerator programs. And whilst we can’t win everything, with £150,000 of equity free funds raised in 10 months it’s fair to say we’ve had a pretty good run at it! I always recommend to startups to avail of the support out there and bootstrap for as long as you can, we’ve gotten support both locally and internationally and it definitely can be done. 💸 Part of what I love so much about being in the startup world is not only working on my own startup but also hearing what others are working on. I get quite a lot of messages from very early stage founders asking how we managed to build our platform and get it off the ground on bootstrapped funds - every founder I have the opportunity to help in some way has also taught me something. As always my inbox is open and I’m more than happy to answer any questions you have but I wanted to gauge interest for offering more in depth one hour calls to help you to be able to present your startup in the best way possible whether it be through an application programme, pitch deck, website or MVP. Things are always busy at GoPlugable so for a very small fee I can allocate more of my time to give this more in depth advice based on what you need help with most. So if interested please give me a dm 🙋🏻‍♀️ Things I can help with: 1. Writing application forms and how to speed this process up when applying for many things at a time (we have this down to a fine art at GoPlugable!). 2. Putting together pitch deck in 3 min, 5min and 10 min formats and what is needed for each. 3. Help with what is needed for an MVP/wireframe, advice around budgeting and can provide intros to developers/ web designers who can provide quality work at a startup friendly price. 4. Give you a heads up on what applications you should be applying for and update you on this via email. 5. Basics of financial projections modelling- particularly for B2C/marketplaces. 6. Go to market strategies, marketing and PR advice. Applications and programmes I have experience with: -QUB Dragons Den winner 2023 -QUest Programme participant and pitch winner -INVENT winner 2023 -Techstart 10K and 35K proof of concept grants -Invest NI from student to first sale grant -innovateUK -Catalyst Cofounders -Enterprise Ireland New Frontiers Programme -Student Entrepreneur Awards -Santander X semi finalist -FIA mobility startup winner -Impact shakers urban impact pitch winner - and a lot more!

74

7 Comments

🤝 Making Start-Up X Corporate Partnerships Work at London Tech Week The advantages for both are clear. How about building win-win relationships? Takeaways for corporates: - Resources are mismatched: 30 meetings with a startup can kill it - Processes can exclude startups: 3 year supplier onboarding isn’t going to work - Consider publishing requirements: what does good infosec look like? Takeaways for startups: - Know what you want and align early: it might not be available or could unlock earlier when known - Expect hurdles: corporates are under constraints and you will be too e.g. infosec - Understand timescales before starting: be realistic - is this right for you? Thank you for the insights Sahar Meghani, Nichola Bates, Maya Noël, and Ant Barker! Cambridge Future Tech #deeptech #venturebuilding

41

3 Comments

Think these 100 UK 🇬🇧 startups are overnight successes? Think again ❌ Check below some interesting data: 👉🏼 Average years in business: 8 years 👉🏼 Youngest company →TRIP (2019) 👉🏼 Oldest company → Pentalec (2013) Success is not an overnight game, it takes bloody time 🤷🏻‍♀️ Congrats to some of my favourite brands: Simmer, TRIP, Adanola, Wild, Little Moons, Chāmpo , PLANTMADE. Some other interesting insights: 👉🏼 Top 5 industries: Management Consulting, Health, Wellness and Fitness, Food & Beverages, Construction, Apparel & Fashion 👉🏼 Most common location: London is the leading hub, home to numerous fast-growing startups. Other significant locations include Manchester, Nottingham, and Birmingham. What's your favourite brand on the list? 👇🏼

33

14 Comments

🎶 𝐈'𝐦 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝, 𝟔'𝟓", 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 🎶 😂 Well actually, leverage finance associates who are interested in the London market - there's some great new options at a range of firms 🔥 1-4PQE The market is buzzing with opportunities, and if you're eager to grow and looking for a platform that taps into your career plans, I'd love to chat with you! I am seeing some interest in Australian and New Zealand lawyers too! #law #lawyers #lawfirms #lawyerlife #news #legalnews #legal #lawschool #legalcareer #legalmarketing #solicitors #lawjobs #legaljobs #hiring #jobseekers #recruitment #jobs #careers #finance #tiktok #australia #newzealand #sydney

39

Want to know a little more about Seven Legal and what we’re all about? Watch this lovely video to find out more :) ! Solving Legal Problems Simply #alsp #newlaw #fractionalgc #inhouselegal

13

2 Comments

Paul - Thanks for sharing. As you know, I'm an American living and working in London. I've been here for 20+ years. I did undergrad studies at the University of Washington in Seattle, the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland and UM in Munich, Germany. Most of my two decades of work in London were dedicated to launching and running my own ventures - I started my first company in 2008 when I was 40 years old. I'll be 56 in September. Here's my high-level take: Things here feel small. - Budgets - Mindsets - Ambitions - Investments - Risk appetites - The list goes on I know. That's harsh and unfair to the many very ambitious entrepreneurs who have taken outsized risks, raised millions of £/$/€ and have built phenomenal businesses. And it's a little unfair to the investor community. But, the numbers speak for themselves. There are too few entrepreneurs and there is too little capital to fund their ideas (hopefully really big ones). Two specific things come to mind that might help move this narrative forward and, in some small way, help to address the problems noted by Tom. 1. Secondary Schools I've heard from my kids, both in the same secondary state school in Hackney, say that their teachers are harping on about the relationship between school attendance and test scores and successful university applications and netting jobs as lawyers, accountants, bankers and related post-graduation. Someone started the companies that employ these people, right? Perhaps our secondary education system needs to emphasise and encourage our children to see entrepreneurial pursuits as real and exciting paths to take as well, with a big focus on software, cloud computing, cybersecurity, data and AI, which should be strategic national priorities. 2. Investment The current government-backed SEIS and EIS tax relief programmes may need to be revamped/replaced to prevent the entrenchment of market-distorting, risk-averse and tax relief-centric class of investors. I know, this is heresy. And, I'll admit, my current company and a handful of UK investors have benefited from these programmes, but I'm worried that these programmes may be hurting more than helping the mid/longer term health and prosperity of the the UK startup ecosystem. In my case, I've decided that my venture's next financing - pursuing it now - will no longer participate in UK tax relief programmes. UK investors will need to be all in, just like non-UK investors, who currently make up 67% of £1.2 million raised to date. Risk appetites need to change. High net worth business leaders and individuals, corporates, VCs, universities, other institutions and, yes, government bodies, too, can all play a role in converting today's sluggish, safe, risk-averse startup ecosystem into something far more vibrant and productive. Yes, it will mean more failures and pain and disappointment (shit happens), but it will also produce more [global] successes. I think it's worth it. James

5

4 Comments

Startups founders, workers, VCs and tech folk — I want to hear from you. What's the most urgent thing the incoming UK government needs to fix for the tech / startup sector? I'm looking to get a sense of the tech sector's thoughts on what the next UK government should focus on for an article once the election result is announced tomorrow. DM me on here or drop me an email at kai@sifted.eu. I'm keen to hear about the following: 👉 What’s the one thing the incoming government should focus on for the tech sector in its first 100 days? 👉 What will be the incoming governments biggest challenge in the tech / startup ecosystem? Is there anything that actually worries you going forward? 👉Are there any key issues for startups that’ve not been spoken about by the tech sector / any of the major political parties in the run up to the election? Are there any potential blind spots for the incoming government? DM me on here or drop me an email at kai@sifted.eu.

21

7 Comments

How to become a successful *STUDENT* founder ⬇️ Drumrolls, it does not mean you need to DROP OUT OF UNIVERSITY… ❌ I sat down with Hattie Willis, one of the UK’s brightest startup advisors to learn how she went from studying at the University of Oxford to teaching aspiring founders at Imperial College London and LSE Generate. Here’s what she recommends students do: 🎓Use your university’s resources: workshops, accelerators, competitions… 📚Read The Mum Test and start validating your idea through real conversations 📈Get as much traction as possible before raising from investors 🔒…and more Check out the full episode on The Graduate Guide by Huzzle 🎙️https://lnkd.in/ef8DmCeb 🎬https://lnkd.in/eB8y7NXG If you are a founder struggling to generate revenue or raise funding Don’t forget to check out Hattie’s startup IfWeRaise 🎉 #students #entrepreneurship #fundraising #VC #investment #studentfounder #femaleentrepreneurship

61

15 Comments

Following the General Election announcement a few weeks ago, I called for the next government to ensure systems and services are put in place to make it easier for consumers to access necessary financial services, including safe consumer credit for the vulnerable, and to require social media platforms to take responsibility for protecting their users and reimbursing fraud victims. Nothing is certain in politics, of course – but the polls and pundits make Labour the overwhelming favourites to form that next Government. So I took a keen interest in the release of their manifesto earlier today. Notably, despite the relevant policies highlighted below by the Financial Inclusion Commission, it makes no mention of the strategy for financial inclusion that was laid out in the party’s ‘Financing Growth’ paper released early this year. This initiative is crucial for addressing the challenges that millions of people face in accessing finance, so we hope that it remains an important part of any future Labour government’s policy platform. Labour’s manifesto does, however, provide more detail that is directly relevant to fraud – committing, encouragingly, to a new ‘expanded fraud strategy’ and to work with technology companies to stop their platforms being exploited by fraudsters. I founded Pockit to champion financial inclusivity, particularly for those who are overlooked and unable to access necessary services efficiently and securely. It is imperative, given the current economic climate and cost-of-living crisis, that the next government has a strong focus on putting into place the required regulations to drive financial inclusion and security for all.   #generalelection #labour #financialinclusion #finance

15

There is a big difference between UK & EU companies vs US companies when it comes to their chances of disrupting an industry. I hope it's changing as we certainly haven't seen more scepticism of our ambition for Kaiya in the UK & EU versus the US. Monzo's co-founder, Tom Blomfield, highlights the reality eloquently. We believe that Kaiya.ai will drive dramatic improvement for Executive Search: -The firms -The clients -Their candidates But as a UK startup, we face an uphill struggle. An obvious example is investment. Whilst funding shouldn't be the marker for success for a company (I believe customers are), it's highly likely that at Kaiya.ai we'll face competitors with 10x the funding from the US. We're lucky in the UK (can't speak to the rest of Europe) as we have a mature supportive Angel and VC industry. But it's not the US... We faced this at Exonar- if we raised £10m in an investment round, US-based competitors raised £100m (and more). That has a real impact when hiring and scaling. I wholeheartedly believe that we have the skills to build world-beating startups in the UK and Europe. I really do. But how do we shift our culture so more are encouraged to take the necessary risks (customers, coworkers, investors) to change an industry? What do you think needs to change?

12

1 Comment

Experts predict that merger and acquisition volumes will increase in the second half of 2024, driven by growing investor confidence and improved market conditions. Despite political and economic uncertainties, the outlook for the UK and global markets is positive, with a notable shift in sentiment compared to the previous years. Industry leaders at the UK Finance Conference emphasized that while challenges remain, the environment is more favorable for deal-making than it has been in recent times. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3UWCBBd #MergersAndAcquisitions #BusinessGrowth #UKFinance #MarketOutlook

5

I'm proud of Spot Ship's consistent negative gender pay gap One of the key sources of this is our approach to salary negotiations Reading the recent Robert Walters study, men are on average 23% more likely to negotiate (there are lots of very similar studies and numbers vary, but I've never seen one saying women are more likely to negotiate) It's possible to go down a huge rabbit hole on negotiations and to spend hundreds of hours working out how to get the best deal from your employer None of this time and energy is in any way productive for Spot Ship. We like to think excellent Spot Shippers are spending their time: -Doing productive work -With their family -Relaxing -Getting better at the core aspects of their job -Enjoying themselves -Staying healthy -Dealing with the endless admin that life throws at us These are all good uses of time Working out how to "play" the company isn't one. It's a waste of their time, my execs' time and my own time So our approach is simple: The employee who doesn't negotiate with the company must always be rewarded better than the one that does (all else equal) Always Over the long term, most people get the message The company moves faster Comp is fairer Reviews are more productive Simples! #founder #shipsandshipping #maritime #vc #seriesa P.S. I see this as a natural extension of the Horowitz principle of never countering an offer an employee has to leave. We've had zero turnover in Europe for over a year, so I'd venture as far as to also recommend this for a "happier" culture.

104

16 Comments

CANDIADTE CV ADVICE OVERVIEW If you haven’t put a CV together for a while? Or maybe you’re worried that yours is not up scratch, take a read below. The first thing I always advise to candidates is that there is no such thing as the perfect CV! However, there are some very good tips to help with the general layout of your CV. ✔️ Don't need to restrict yourself to 1-2 pages, but at the same time your CV really shouldn't be longer than 3-4 (defiantly not lots of pages, It won’t get read is the truth) ✔️ Stick to a font size of 12 as it’s easy to read. ✔️ The bullet point is the CV's best friend. Try to avoid long sections of prose as much as you can. ✔️ Save your CV as a Word document. Recruiters really dislike PDFs and they can also cause problems when ATS systems parse your CV. This means that your details may not be successfully uploaded to their applicant tracking system. And then in terms of layout, this is what I suggest from the top of your CV down. PERSONAL DETAILS We don't need your full address. Just your name, location and contact details (email and telephone) is perfectly fine. PROFILE AT the top of your CV. This is paragraph of roughly a few lines that summarises your technical experience and achievements. Don't focus on generic soft skills. This is a opportunity to sell yourself, by the time they've read it, the reader should have a very good idea of what you do, the sectors you've worked in and the value you've added. KEY SKILLS This is optional. Some people prefer to list their key skills (with bullet points) here. This could include experience (e.g. Compliance Monitoring, Thematic Reviews, Horizon Scanning etc.) and technical knowledge (CONC, BCOBS, DISP, SYSC etc.). You can also include IT skills here if they're relevant to your role, but there's no need to list all of the MS Office suite! CAREER HISTORY In reverse order. Start with your current role and work backwards. As a rough guide, the amount of detail you provide should decrease as you go on, with early roles (more than 10 years ago) reduced to little more than details of your employer, job title and dates. The more senior you are the more achievements-focused your Career History should be. Many prospects will love to see the achievements detailed separately from responsibilities for each role. I also think it's worth just putting a few words about what each of your employers do. Don't assume others will know. EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS Unless you're a recent graduate then there's no need for your Education to be at the top of your CV as your experience is much more important. So, it sits here and again should be in reverse order. Start with your most recent qualifications and work back. You don't need to list all of your GCSEs. INTERESTS Prospects will like to read about people's interests as long as they're interesting! They can also act as icebreakers at interview. I hope this helps candidates! #Risk #Compliance #CVtips

13

🌟 Why Ignoring LinkedIn InMail's Might Be a Missed Opportunity 🌟 Hello everyone! I wanted to chat a bit about something we've all faced: those InMail's from recruiters that pop up now and then. If you're like me, it's tempting to just hit 'decline' and move on, especially on busy days. But here’s why I think we might want to pause and consider each message: It’s All About Who You Know: Each InMail is a chance to expand your network. Who knows? Today's recruiter could be tomorrow’s colleague or even a friend who thinks of you when the perfect role pops up. Get the Inside Scoop: Recruiters often have the 411 on industry trends, salary ranges, and skills that companies are really after. A quick chat could give you the edge in your next career move. Hidden Gems: I’ve heard about so many cool jobs that never make it to job boards. They’re often filled through connections. Replying to that recruiter might just be your ticket in. Constructive Feedback: Ever wondered how you come across professionally? Recruiters can offer feedback from your interviews that can help you grow and refine your pitch. Set the Record Straight: It’s your chance to tell your story, your way. Let them know what you’re really after in your career and what makes you tick professionally. So, next time a recruiter reaches out, maybe give it a moment. A brief reply doesn’t just keep the conversation going—it could open doors you didn’t even know existed. Let’s keep those lines of communication open! Who knows where a simple reply could lead? 🚀 #LinkedInNetworking #CareerAdvice #OpenToOpportunities #JobHunting #CareerGrowth

3

Few firms , in the name of growth are doing nothing but just Scaling losses . In last 8 months, A firm worth 22 billion went Nil.( Complete Nil).22 billion to less than 1 billion transformation is epic. What are we missing ?What went wrong ? Is the volatility too much high .Or Are we forecasting wrong ?? Is the Top management capable of handling such catastrophic events..?? These figures are actually eye openers and needs to be considered by top management.

1