I’ve watched deals close on EIS eligibility alone that might have struggled without it. I’ve also watched founders walk into meetings with UK angels and mention EIS as a footnote on their legal slide. Those are two very different conversations with very different outcomes. […]
Read More… from SEIS & EIS: A Practical Guide for UK Tech Founders
30 years in venture capital. 80+ companies invested in. 500+ ventures coached in fundraising. And the single biggest change I’ve watched in the last year isn’t a new fund, a new sector, or a new stage. It’s a machine sitting between every founder and every cheque. […]
Read More… from AI in Fundraising: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
I have evaluated thousands of pitches, first from inside venture capital funds, now across the 500 plus ventures I have coached before and during Fundraising101. I have been on the receiving end of more cold one-pagers than I can count. So let me tell you exactly what happens to yours. […]
Read More… from Dump your One-Page Pitch. Time for a Teaser Deck.
I was recently asked by an enterprising fintech start-up to join their advisory board. While I am considering it, the conversation got me thinking about best practices, and about how consistently founders underestimate this lever. So here are some thoughts, specifically for UK founders who are getting ready to raise. […]
Read More… from 76 Pitch Events & Competitions for UK Founders 2026/2027
Most guides about fundraising tell you what to do. This one tells you what is actually happening — from the other side of the table. And THEN what to do about it. […]
Read More… from Fundraising Is Tough…But It Doesn’t Have To Be
Where to Start. Who to Talk To. If you’re building something in biotech, synthetic biology, industrial biotech, life sciences or the bio-based circular economy, geography still matters.
Labs cost money. Equipment costs money. Proximity to the right expertise matters enormously. And choosing the wrong programme can cost you 12 months you can’t get back. […]
Read More… from Fundraising 101 UK Bio Incubator & Accelerator Map
I attended the launch of the Scottish Deep Tech Report 2026 this week, produced by Dealroom in partnership with the University of Glasgow. I’ve read it cover to cover and I’ve been thinking about it since. Here’s my honest, detailed take. […]
Read More… from Scotland’s Deep Tech Ecosystem: More Impressive Than You Think. And More Fragile.
If you’ve described your business as “purpose-driven,” “social impact,” “mission-led,” or “ESG-aligned” — you’re not alone. And you’re probably also aware that these terms mean different things to different people, including the investors you’re trying to reach. […]
Read More… from Long-Read: Funding Your Social-Impact Business
I’ve spent 30 years on the investor side of the table in UK venture capital and technology investment. In that time I have sat across from hundreds of founders at every stage; from raw pre-seed pitches with a deck and a dream to Series B companies with product, revenue, and a team. The single most consistent mistake I’ve seen founders make when they walk into a funding conversation is this: they try to convince me their company has no risk. […]
Read More… from How Venture Capital Investors Think About Risk
I was recently asked by an enterprising fintech start-up to join their advisory board. While I am considering it, the conversation got me thinking about best practices, and about how consistently founders underestimate this lever. So here are some thoughts, specifically for UK founders who are getting ready to raise. […]
Read More… from Why Every UK Start-Up Should Build an Advisory Board
Did you know? Funds are now using AI to screen the tidal wave of inbound pitch decks landing in their inboxes every week. Founders scraping investor lists and blasting the same generic deck to hundreds of contacts, spray and pray, are not just wasting their own time. They are being filtered out automatically. […]
Read More… from OMG! Stop Sending One Pitch Deck to Everyone!
Most pre-seed founders think the pitch deck is the main event. It isn’t. It’s the opening act. The moment an investor says “send me more,” the real show begins — and if you don’t have a data room ready to go, you’re already behind. […]
Read More… from Your Data Room Is Not Optional. Here’s How to Build One That Works.
An investor reads your LinkedIn profile. Then they click your co-founder. Or your Head of Sales. And the profile looks like it belongs to a completely different company. That inconsistency is a yellow flag and most founding teams don’t even know it’s there. […]
Read More… from What Investors Notice on Linkedin, But Don’t Tell You
“Use of Funds” is Not a Strategy. Milestones Are. Most pre-seed decks have a slide called “Use of Funds.” Most of them are useless. […]
Read More… from Milestones Over Runway: Framing Your Pre-Seed Ask Slide
Scotland’s Fundraising101™ Academy and UK-wide Money Insights are combining their complementary expertise. […]
Read More… from Fundraising101™ and Money Insights Join Forces for Scottish Founders
Want to join my podcast? I’m seeking early-stage funders to interview on Fundraising 101’s new podcast channel! This is about having honest conversations with investors who actually write pre-seed checks. […]
Read More… from Inside Track: The pre-seed investment podcast
After reviewing 300+ investment pitch decks, I can tell you this: roughly 60% either skip the competitive analysis entirely or deliver something so weak it would have been better left out. […]
Read More… from Competitive Intelligence: The Slide Most Founders Get Wrong (And How It Costs Them)
Empowering early-stage technology startups for investment success in Scotland and beyond.
Support a Startup - Sponsor a Scholarship!
Fundraising 101 Services Limited, Company Number SC533591.
Registered Address: 4 Royal Crescent, Glasgow, G3 7SL, United Kingdom.
ICO Registration Number ZC086894 | Privacy Policy
