Definition: Valuation is an estimation of the worth of something, especially one carried out by a professional valuer. In the startup funding world, pre-money valuation refers to the value of a company not including external funding or the latest round of funding. In contrast, post-money includes outside financing or the latest capital injection..
Definition: EIS (Enterprise Investment Scheme) and SEIS (Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme) are tax efficient investing schemes created by the UK government to encourage direct investment into early stage businesses. Private investors into early stage businesses in the UK can partially offset..
Definition: Value proposition refers to a business or marketing statement that a company uses to summarise why a consumer should …
Setting up a tech business can be a relatively quick process. In the run-up to launch, key legal issues, which ideally should be addressed at an early stage, can easily be overlooked. However, it is important to bear the following issues in mind from the outset, to minimise risk and maximise the value of your investment. Structure of the business…
Every business will own some sort of intellectual property. It could be anything from the product, service, designs, creative branding or know-how. Surprisingly, many businesses fail to protect their assets in the early stages. Before they know it, their intellectual property has been stolen and their reputation damaged. Ownership of IP rights is a neglected aspect of running a business. But when it comes to…
Definition: Share option is a benefit in the form of an option given by a company to an employee to buy a share in the company at a discount or at a stated fixed price. Stock Option Plans permit employees to share in the company’s success without requiring a startup business to spend precious cash. In fact, Stock Option plans can contribute capital to a company as employees pay the exercise price for their options…
A rights offering is a group of rights offered to existing shareholders to purchase additional stock shares, known as subscription warrants, in proportion to their existing holdings. Rights are often transferable, allowing the holder to sell them in the open market. A rights issue is an invitation to existing shareholders to purchase additional new shares in the company. More specifically, this type of issue…
Definition: A pitch deck is a brief presentation, often created using PowerPoint, Keynote or Prezi, used to provide your audience with a quick overview of your business plan. You will usually use your pitch deck during face-to-face or online meetings with potential investors, customers…
Definition: Investment Value proposition refers to a set of business statements that a company uses to summarise why an investor should take part in the investment offering – which can be in the form of an elevator pitch. These statements convince a potential investor that their investment product will provide greater value than other similar offerings. The statement would…
The world of start-ups sounds very exciting, and it can be if you back a winner; but the reality is most start-ups fail. With a plethora of opportunities being presented to us daily via various crowdfunding platforms, how does one find the time to understand the deals in order to make a sounds investment decision. Here are five keys things you should look for before investing into any start-up:
So, you’re thinking about putting your business in front of investors to encourage a cash injection. It looks great… on the surface. New concept, obvious market, scalable… but apart from the brief, what do your investors really know about your business idea? What questions will investors ask and need answered before they are truly confident of hitting the “invest” button? These…
It is very important that entrepreneurs have in place a strong communications plan for their investors. The more engaged investors are in a venture, the stronger and more beneficial the relationship can become. Of course, every business and each investor is different. It is therefore imperative that your…
Seeking investment funding is not easy but it’s a crucial way to get the capital you need to run and grow your businesses. However, there are a number of common legal mistakes startup founders can easily make while seeking investment funding; mistakes that can derail…
There are many ways to fund a business, particularly when entrepreneurs by their very nature are so resourceful. Below we have outlined the most common methods. It is important to carefully consider the stage your business is at, when you are looking at which method of funding might suit you. Businesses at the very early stage for example, will need to establish some proof…
The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) are government initiatives offering some of the most attractive tax breaks available in the UK. The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) provides tax incentives in the form of a variety of income tax and capital gains tax reliefs to investors who invest in smaller, unquoted, trading companies…
We are often asked what the key elements of a successful funding campaign are. In truth, there is no secret formula and every campaign is different. Financially speaking, below are some of the key things that investors look at when considering investment into a business…
Investors unfortunately will understand the difficulties, sometimes, associated with contacting the start-up or early stage company they are investing money into. For the investor, there can be miscommunication, it can be hard to maintain voting rights, and there are often no investor…
First of two free Autumn investment surgeries on Tuesday 25th September – featuring Shadow Foundr, Edwards Accountants and Cresco Innovation, supported by the D2N2 Growth Hub.
A poll commissioned by the British Business Bank (BBB) has revealed that one in three UK business owners want to grow their business but are unsure how.
The Shadow Foundr team has been busy on the road in early September, attending high-profile events across the UK for both investors and entrepreneurs. Last weekend we …
