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Assessing the Risks Associated with Investment in Early-Stage Startups Investing in early-stage startups offers the tantalising prospect of high returns, but it is not without its fair share of risks. Before investing in a business, I assess the risks before deciding....

The Art of Due Diligence: How to Validate Early-Stage Startups A founder asked me the other day what "conducting due diligence on them" actually meant. This was the answer I gave. It involves a comprehensive assessment of a startup before making an investment...

Angel investing can be a thrilling yet challenging endeavour. One of the most critical decisions an investor must make is assessing the founding team of a startup. It's often said that investors invest in people, not just ideas, and there's a good reason for this. The...

I have been surprised by some of the comments founders have made to me about the lack of additional value some angel investors bring to their startups. I’m not saying that simply providing capital is a bad thing. BUT I suspect that as an angel that has invested in a...

I was asked the other day what are the best ways for founders to ensure employees receive and understand their vision. These are the ones I jotted down; what would you add? Write it down. A well-crafted vision statement is essential for communicating your goals to...

The English Premier League football season kicks off in a few days and those of you who know me well know that with my wife and I hold season tickets at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal’s home ground. I was comparing in my mind the role their coach Mikel Arteta has been...

I have been asked many times by founders how they should value their business when they are looking for funding. Now, whilst establishing a pre-money valuation for your venture might seem like playing darts in the dark, especially when you are pre-revenue or looking...

Raising capital for a pre-revenue startup is a daunting task. The process is often competitive, and investors are looking for startups that stand out from the crowd. Here are ten things a pre-revenue founding team should have in place before pitching to an angel...

Here are the ten indicators I look for in a startup to judge if it can and is ready to scale, not just grow.If a team of visionaries leads the startup with a clear and focused growth strategy, this is a strong indicator that it can scale. These individuals must show...

I have started to review the history of some of the businesses I have led, been involved in, or advised over the last twenty years, and at key points in their history, I have looked at how they have scaled or, in some cases failed to scale. It gave me an idea for this...