To Raise or Not to Raise Stephen Mooney Tue, 27/11/2018 - 11:14 In my last post I wrote about exploring the right time to take the plunge and turn your good idea into a burgeoning start up. Of course the natural next question that I get asked as an adviser to an investor club is: when should I try to raise my first investment? As mentioned, changes in tax regulations have opened up more risk capital into the UK startup ecosystem. SEIS in particular has seen investment at earlier stages, as there are a number of upsides for the investor and limitations on the total investment. For tech busine ..read more

Back to Reality Stephen Mooney Tue, 28/08/2018 - 10:50 The implementation of the SEIS and EIS schemes by HMRC has resulted in a groundswell of UK-based startups receiving early stage investment and has helped to make the UK the number one place to raise equity capital in Europe. It has helped to bring more  capital into the market through Angel investors who would otherwise have stayed away from tech investment and vehicles like Venture Capital Trusts (VCT's) have seen a further influx in volume. Changes by the Chancellor earlier this year to ensure that capital is being invested i ..read more

Pitch Perfect Stephen Mooney Tue, 31/07/2018 - 11:01 Let me say before I begin that this blog is specifically designed for the S100 format, however hopefully some of the tips I provide will be useful in any pitch. These tips are based on my experience in seeing over 150 entrepreneurs pitch to the S100 and my perception on how they are received by the club members. Reflecting on my time in analysing pitches, one quality comes through above all others…simplicity. Entrepreneurs love to talk about their business and most of them tend to try to sell everyone they meet. The problem with ..read more

Changes to SEIS & EIS Stephen Mooney Fri, 27/07/2018 - 12:27 Most of our investors and entrepreneurs are aware of the governments SEIS (Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme) and EIS (Enterprise Investment Scheme), which has helped to stimulate investment in UK start-ups. As part of the process, companies need to submit an application to HMRC outlining the nature of the company and business plan to qualify for advanced assurance as part of the scheme. Due to the high level of companies that have received advanced assurance but have not gone on to raise funds, the government has recently intr ..read more

A New Chapter Stephen Mooney Fri, 27/07/2018 - 09:19 I have had the pleasure of working with the University of Surrey’s Angel investment club for over 4 years. When I first arrived, I was impressed with the polished process that had been developed to link start-ups to investors. It was something the team had been delivering with great results for over 7 years, making its collaboration with the University, SETsquared, Southwest Angels and entrepreneurs truly unique and innovative. As with most markets, innovation breeds more innovation- and this happened on a global scale for the early stage ..read more

S100 Pitches 2015 Stephen Mooney Fri, 27/07/2018 - 09:10 For the past three years I have had the pleasure of helping the Surrey 100 investment club to run their bi-monthly events. For those Angel investors or fund-seeking startups that haven't heard of the S100 Club, you really should look it up, as it is one of the top investor clubs in the country. I enjoy helping out with the club and in turn I get to stay attuned to some of the most innovative businesses from around the UK and EU. It is extremely satisfying to see the rapid improvement of entrepreneur pitches, something that will he ..read more

The Elevator Pitch Stephen Mooney Fri, 27/07/2018 - 09:08 Most investor readiness or Bootcamp programs contain a section on the Elevator Pitch. How do you attract the attention of your ideal investor if you managed to find yourself in an elevator (or lift in England) with them? Personally this scenario has never occurred- however on separate occasions I have shared lifts with a couple of random celebrities (Jimmy Fallon and Steven King) and can honestly say that I was neither witty nor creepy enough to garner either’s attention. Thus it begs the question:  Is all the time and effort in ..read more