Getting from A to C: Funding to Scale
Breakfast, Networking and Panel Discussion – TBC
Please note: We’ve reluctantly decided to postpone this event. We think it’s the most responsible thing to do given the rapidly evolving nature of the situation in regards to coronavirus.
There has been lots of interest in this event and we fully intend to rearrange it for a future date. This is definitely a postponement rather than a cancellation!
Startups and early stage companies have been experiencing a golden age of financing over the last decade. This means that in 2020 there are hundreds of potential scaleups in the UK market who will be competing for the next level of funding that’s vital for their further growth (be that interim finance, series B or beyond). The good news is that as we start a new decade there is still a strong appetite from PE and VCs to invest and plenty of cash on offer. However many analysts are predicting that investors at growth stage are going to be more cautious and will now favour those that can reassure them with a pragmatic business model and a clear “path to profitability” rather than promises of high velocity growth. (Forrester Research 2019)
We also start 2020 in a climate of global economic uncertainty and while a decisive election result in the UK has calmed the markets there is still the shadow of Brexit and what that might mean for high-growth companies in the UK.
So we thought it would be a great time to discuss the best ways to secure the right investors at growth stage with a panel of experts who have experience on both sides of the negotiation table.
We will be discussing:
What are investors looking for at Series B and beyond ?
What should you be looking for from your investors ?
What will be the challenges in 2020 for those looking for growth stage funding ?
What does a winning leadership team look like for investors ?
Our Panel
Jon Lerner – Managing Director, Smedvig Capital
Since 1996 Smedvig Capital has partnered with and helped scale over 70 companies. Leading Series A/B rounds, they are passionate about finding and investing in the best tech-enabled businesses across the UK and Nordics, often backing companies over multiple rounds all the way to exit. Jon divides his time between finding new investments and working with portfolio companies. He is currently a board member of Spirable, Masabi, POQ, Infinity, Captify and The Smart Cube and has previously served on the boards of Tusker, ITIS and Selstor. His sectors of interest include Adtech, Martech and B2B SaaS.
Lee Veitch – Co-Founder & Head of Global Sales, SuperAwesome
SuperAwesome is used by hundreds of brands and content-owners like Disney, Hasbro, LEGO and Cartoon Network to enable digital engagement with the global under-16 audience which is private, safe and compliant. It has raised a total of £46m including investment from Hoxton Ventures and M12, Microsoft’s venture fund. Previously Lee was Co-Founder of Swapit, the biggest kids trading platform in the UK, backed by Greylock Capital and Pond Ventures. He is an active and passionate investor/advisor across both kids media and the general technology space.
Richard Court, Head of Development Capital – Octopus Investments
Richard heads the Development Capital team at Octopus Investments. He is the fund manager for the Octopus Apollo VCT and is a member of the Investment Committee. He is also responsible for transacting new investments as well as sitting on a number of portfolio company boards. Octopus Apollo VCT invests in businesses that have already brought their product or service to market successfully, with a growing and diversified customer base.
Ed Cooke – Co-Founder & CEO, Memrise
Founded in 2010, Memrise is an award winning language learning app which is used by 40 million people across 189 countries. It has been profitable since late 2016 and has raised over £15m in funding including £11.6m through a Series B funding round in 2018 lead by Korelya Capital and Octopus Ventures. Ed is the Co-Founder and CEO of Memrise, a Grand Master of Memory and author of Remember, Remember: Learn the Stuff You Thought You Never Could.
This event will offer an opportunity to network with Founders, CEOs and investors within Tech and Media.
Date: TBC
Location: The Century Club, 61-63 Shaftesbury Ave, London, W1D 6LQ [Show on map]
Space is limited, if you are interested in attending please RSVP below to register your interest. We will confirm your place.