Elevating Your Presence: The 8 C's and Strategic Steps As a founder embarking on the fundraising journey, your presence plays a significant role in influencing the outcome. It's the combination of your confidence, expertise, and unique essence that captivates potential investors. During my time...

Choosing whether or not to invest in a founder is never an easy task for an investor. With so many founders vying for their time and so many unknowns, a lot of it comes down to luck and instinct. When I was still investing at Octopus, a significant part of my job was determining if a founder was ...

After 10 years in the VC industry, I've had the unique opportunity to work with founders who have not only raised hundreds of millions of dollars, I've also seen founders reach and sell for $bns. Whilst all of these founders have different personalities, they all possess similar traits that have...

Introduction In the high-stakes world of startup fundraising, practice isn't just beneficial—it's essential. Given my background sitting on every side of the table from being an investor, to being a VC-backed founders and now an advisor to nearly a hundred fundraises, I've observed a critical fa...

This blog's tip: the 6 steps on how to gain belief in your vision. Fundraising is crucial for a company's success, but it can be challenging. Traditionally, founders use methods like perfecting their pitch, attending networking events, and presenting business plans. However, they often overlook...

This week's tip: the 4 reasons why warm introductions still reign supreme for fundraising. When I speak to founders, I always ask specific questions about their fundraising efforts. One of those questions is, "how many investors are you speaking to?" For most founders, the answer is not enough...

This week's tip: how to value your company during a funding round. One of the challenges founders face during the fund-raising process is that they are seeking investment from individuals with "asymmetric information." Investors are evaluating numerous deals and have a well-developed understand...

Reflecting on my time as a VC, I acknowledge the significant role of instinct in decision-making. This was true not only for my personal decisions but also in discussions and decisions with my colleague’s investments. As an investor, you meet hundreds of founders each year, but only a few will e...

There is a significant memory from my time as an investor that has always stayed with me. It was 2018 and I was still relatively new to the VC market. In the beginning, I was just trying to find my footing. So, when I encountered a founder who I didn't think we would invest in (which was the ca...

I encounter too many founders who believe that their idea is the best in the world. As if their idea alone will guarantee their success, and all they need is someone to provide them with funding. I've spoken to founders who genuinely believe that investors should invest in them solely based on t...