Fundraising101™ Academy
Get Raise-Ready
Scotland’s academy for pre-seed tech startups raising their first round
Does This Sound Familiar?
“I’ve never raised money before and I don’t know where to start”
“I’m technical, not a salesperson – pitching investors just feels overwhelming”
“I’ve been rejected by so many investors. I don’t understand why”
“I don’t understand term sheets and I’m worried about getting a bad deal”
“I’m wasting time chasing investors with no intention of investing”
You’re not alone.
Most pre-seed founders learn fundraising through expensive trial and error – wasting 9-12 months or more and countless opportunities to be developing their business.
There’s a better way.
Fundraising101™ gives you proven frameworks, battle-tested templates, expert guidance and, most importantly, find the right investor contacts to close your round faster.
Practical. Proven. Start-up focused
Led by an Experienced
Investor & Advisor
Robert Hokin has evaluated thousands of pitches. Having worked previously in Venture Capital funds, he knows what investors look for. He has now created a Battle-Tested Process. The same frameworks used by founders who’ve successfully raised £millions in start-up and later stage funding.
Complete Templates & Tools
Pitch decks, financial models, AI research, email scripts – everything you need, ready to use.
Ongoing Resources, Community & Support
Access to video library, Resources hub, and regular support throughout your fundraising journey. The support doesn’t stop after the course.
UK Investment Ecosystem Expertise
SEIS/EIS, UK angels, Syndicates, VCs, Scottish Edge, Innovate UK – we know the landscape.
Workshop-Based Learning
Interactive in-person sessions with business relevant exercises, not just passive lectures and theory.
Who we work with
Accelerators
You’re an accelerator who has invested significant resources in developing your cohort. Or a start-up within in an accelerator program. Fundraising101™ ensures they successfully Demo Day momentum converts into closed funding rounds.
Universities
Your University’s business and engineering students graduate with brilliant ideas—but zero practical understanding of how to raise capital. This gap costs universities spinout opportunities and may drive home-grown talent to London and overseas.
Individual start-ups
Fundraising101™ Academy provides 1-to-1 support, coaching you and your team with a systematic approach to raising capital successfully. You’ll learn the proven frameworks, get battle-tested templates, and join a community of fellow founders afterwards.
Born from 30+ Years in the Trenches
“I’ve spent decades on both sides of the fundraising table – as an investor, fundraising advisor, and as a founder myself. I’ve guided over 300 cleantech and tech ventures through successful fundraising, helping them raise millions in capital. And I’ve met tens of hundreds of investors along the way from all over the world.
Time and again, I’ve watched brilliant founders struggle – not because their ideas weren’t good enough, or their teams weren’t good enough, but because they didn’t have access to practical, systematic fundraising techniques or the right connections. Trying to fundraise without a foundation.
I’ve created Fundraising 101 Academy to change that.
This isn’t theory from academics. It’s the exact process I’ve used with hundreds of founders, distilled into 10 actionable modules that you can implement immediately.”
— Robert Hokin, Founder & Lead Instructor
What Funds and Founders Say
“Robert brings great clarity to the often-opaque world of climate venture capital fundraising. He really understands both the investor mindset and startup realities.”
— Pippa Gawley, Founding Partner & CEO, Zero Carbon Capital
“He has seen what to do and, more importantly, what NOT to do to make a successful company. Robert has decades of experience advising numerous start-ups and scale-ups, particularly in the cleantech sector. I have used his extensive knowledge and network to raise seed capital for two of my ventures, making me a happy return customer!”
— Niall Haughian, CEO, Hydrogen Waves Ltd
“We were really struggling to navigate the UK funding ecosystem. Robert’s guidance helped us become investment-ready and secure our first round.”
— Vic Pratak, CEO, Qualus
Is This Course Right For You?
Perfect for:
- Founders committed to putting in the work
- Pre-seed tech founders (any sector) in Scotland, the UK, and beyond
- First-time fundraisers who want to do it right
- Technical founders learning the business side
- Entrepreneurs who want practical, actionable training
Not for:
- Anyone not prepared to implement what they learn
- Series A+ companies (you’re well beyond pre-seed)
- Founders looking for quick fixes with no effort
Fundraising101™ Manifesto
A FUNDRAISING101 FOUNDER is not defined by how much you raise, who your investors are, or the size of your valuation.
This isn’t just fundraising. This is Fundraising101™.
#GETRAISEREADY
Frequently Asked Questions
Fundraising101™ is an academy for Scottish technology startups focused on investment readiness education in the UK and beyond. It enables young companies who cannot afford advisory fees to self-manage a pre-Seed funding round.
We offer courses, workshops, and resources designed to help startups understand investment fundamentals and prepare for funding opportunities. There’s nothing like it!
Yes. £1500 per business team (maximum 2 delegates) for each live course, resources and after-care support.
However, above all, we want this course to be accessible. Scholarship burseries are available to support cash-challenged businesses.
Any technology startup seeking to significantly improve their investment readiness can join the academy and benefit from its resources.
You can enroll by signing up for the program. and telling us more about your business.
We’re based in Scotland and proudly serve Scottish founders first, but our frameworks are available to any pre-seed technologuy startup. About 30% of our founders are from across the UK and Western Europe.
Classes are held at Scottish locations, supported by online after care.
Our schedule will be released in January 2026. Watch this space!
