Your Competitive Landscape

In the competitive world of business, effectively showcasing how your offering stands out from the competition is paramount. The attributes that differentiate you from the competition can encompass various aspects, from features and pricing to customer satisfaction and scalability.

The Dilutive Method

While the dilutive method does not provide a definitive valuation figure, it is an indispensable tool for early-stage companies seeking funding. By estimating the potential dilution that investors may require, founders can align their capital-raising efforts with realistic valuation expectations.

WHEN CONSULTANTS PRETEND TO BE INVESTORS

Why is it reprehensible to use words such as “Ventures” or “Capital” when one is not an investor? Because the company/person implicitly promises something that they cannot guarantee. They are not a venture capitalist or an investor, and they won’t be the one deciding to invest.

The UniCamel

The unicalmel incarnates the principles of a startup that has a sustainable business model that prioritises profitability over growth. It requires a smaller amount of funding than a unicorn, with the potential to become profitable and self-sustaining with a smaller amount of investment.

New SEIS Rules 2023

If you are not sure if you are likely to qualify for SEIS, you can ask HMRC before you go ahead and apply for SEIS Advance Assurance. This will let you know if you meet the criteria and give investors a peace of mind as HMRC have provisionally agreed that your venture is eligible for SEIS.

TAM SAM SOM

Investors are typically well-versed in the market they are investing in, and are likely to scrutinise any claims made about market size and potential. As such, it is important to ensure that the data presented on the TAM SAM SOM slide is well-researched and supported by credible sources.

Income-based Valuations

Income-based valuations are a crucial tool for investors and business owners in determining the value of an asset based on its expected financial performance. But they are not the only way to go.

Market-Based Valuations

Many factors weigh on the valuation of a company, and for sure there are no two businesses alike. Furthermore, even similar companies find themselves at different stages of their lives when they start talking with investors and buyers: some are consolidating while others are expanding; some are profitable right away and others are not for a long time; some are not even generating revenues when they are acquired.

But a very effective way to monitor the market (albeit quite simplistic) is to benchmark the M&A activity in a specific sector and in a given period. Markets go through different phases after all and there might be more or less appetite for companies like yours, and therefore investors might be inclined to accept higher or lower valuations.

THE CHECKLIST VALUATION METHOD

The Checklist method compares early-stage startups within the same geographical market, taking as highest value the highest valuations in the market, with the exclusion of outliers and notable “crazy” exceptions.

After gathering this local data you are left with a maximum pre-money valuation and you will discount this valuation by the quality of the criteria assessed. In other words, it’s impossible to end up with a valuation higher than this maximum benchmark.

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Valuation: Qualitative Methods

When looking at early-stage valuations, our favourite approach is to rely on benchmarks from the market and then compare them with the start-up we are valuing. We normally arrive at a final value by using two different methods: the ‘scorecard’ and the ‘checklist’ methods…

The Cheesecake Family

First of all, thank you for your kind donations towards the Cheesecake Family in Kyiv!

As you probably know, one of our clients, Cheesecake Family, re-opened in Kiev despite the still difficult times… Here’s their story…

The Rocking Origins Of Crowdfunding

The first successful instance of a crowdfunding campaign was recorded in 1997 when Marillion, a British rock band, pioneered the internet business model used today when they funded their tour through online donations from fans.

Investment scams: five red flags to look for

The digital age has made it much easier for cowboys to create convincing profiles online to extort young businesses… but with a good understanding of some common red flags, you can be confident that you are working only with legitimate potential investors.

EU Trademark Swindle

This is a horror story with a happy ending. It’s a story about dubious marketing practices and fully fledged scams. Be prepared: in this article we will name names, in order to expose what we think is a quick cash-grabbing scheme.

B2A

Are we on the verge of creating artificial influencers, marketers and salesmen that will target artificial decision makers? Will procurement become an hyperfast and hypercompetitive process, akin to what high-frequency trading is today? It seems the world is already moving in this direction… Will B2A become an important part of the market?

Zzinga

We think the UK market is ready for this delicious honey cider and we are excited to share the news that Zzinga is launching in the UK with a production set up in Somerset this year!

KPIs

It is generally agreed that four to ten measurements may be suitable for the majority of companies, but the number and type of key performance indicators used may change depending on the company and also over time

WITT Energy

A patented remote power technology that is fully scalable, green, and affordable, WITT’s tech transforms kinetic energy that exists in motion, whether naturally occurring or manmade, into clean electrical power.

Disclaimer Template

Whilst it is obviously important for the deck to include a persuasive pitch for investment, it’s also vitally important that you include a disclaimer to protect yourself from any legal action further down the line.

The Scorecard Valuation Method

Have you heard about the Scorecard Valuation Method? It is a way of determining the value of a startup and can be seen as particularly useful by pre-seed and seed-stage investors.

The Abu Dhabi Investment Scam

It recently happened to one of our clients: their company is UK based, with no operations or interests in the UAE – they are fundraising and this investor contacted them out of the blue with a tempting message…

Lean Startups & Pivots

The lean startup method aims to find and develop a business or product for which there is demand. You start with your idea, then you test and develop from the feedback you get, not according to your opinions or fixed ideas.

The Pitch Deck

Whether you’re a start-up business or looking to grow in size, when it comes to speaking with potential angel or venture capital investors, a “pitch deck” can be an invaluable asset. Typically, it is difficult and time-consuming to raise capital from investors.

Know your investor

Finding investors can feel like an incredible thing – but make sure you carry out these checks and look before you leap.

SAFE / ASA

Early-stage valuations may feel uncomfortable for both founders and investors… Is there a simple way?

Sophisticated Investors and HNWI

A sophisticated investor is an investor that has sufficient capital and experience to evaluate independently the soundness of an investment opportunity, and bring forward such investment process.

Who Decides Your Company’s Value?

In the past weeks we have established why valuations are helpful, when it makes sense to get your venture evaluated and what are the most common valuation methods for revenue generating companies and early-stage startups.

Failing Towards Success

Being a successful entrepreneur is a race all be it, at times, a slow and steady one. There is a start line and as soon as that starting gun fires there will be hurdle after hurdle along the course. The hurdles may slow you down or they may even knock you down and bring you to a halt. You determine if that hurdle is to become your finish line.

EIS

In order to encourage investment into startups and early-stage businesses the UK Government has created a tax relief scheme called EIS: Enterprise Investment Scheme. This takes the form of…