The document provides an overview of an investment readiness program. It introduces the presenter as an experienced entrepreneur and investor. It then discusses various sources of capital for entrepreneurs including friends and family, grants, equity investors like angels and VCs. It emphasizes the need to determine if equity funding is right based on issues like control and distraction. The rest of the document outlines the investment landscape, documents needed for due diligence, how to present financial information to investors, developing an investor proposition, and creating a fundraising roadmap and checklist. It concludes by thanking attendees and listing the stages to be covered in the program.

1. WELCOME
to The Accelerator Network’s
Investment Readiness Overview
Tuesday 15th November 2016
www.TheAcceleratorNetwork.com
© 2016 The Accelerator Network Ltd All rights reserved.

2. Pleased to meet you…(Then)
• Exited, serial entrepreneur
• 20 year career, building ‘scale ups’
– Music industry (friends & family, grants,
debt finance)
– Radio group (corporate venturing)
– Publishing buy & build (joint venture,
angel syndicate, VC)
– Outdoor advertising (buy-out, angels)
– Digital media (share purchase)
• 3 successful trade sales (FTSE100,
Financial buyer, Egmont -Trade)

3. Pleased to meet you…(Now)
• Senior roles across enterprise, innovation & investment:
– UK Business Angel Association, Member council leader
– Capital Enterprise, Board & Finance Committee
– Startup Funding Club, Shareholder, Investment committee
– Cabinet Office’s £10m Social Incubator Fund, Investment committee
– UKTI’s Sirius £6m SEIS Fund, Founder & Investment committee
– Dell for Entrepreneurs, UK Board
• Start up / scale up advisor to UK Government (UKTI, DCMS, BIS)
• Managing Partner, White Horse Capital (Series A & B investment)
• Angel investor in number of emerging scaleups including:
– Communication Partners media planning & buying agency (leader of
£3m syndicate)
– Launchpad Recruits recruitment technology (£9.5m HNW/VC
consortium)
• Investor & Chair of The Accelerator Network (Business training /
acceleration / incubation / seed funds)
• Winner of Great British Entrepreneur Award; “Entrepreneur Champion”

4. Sources of capital for entrepreneurs
• Profitable customers
• Cashflow neutral customers
• Suppliers
• Friends & Family
• Startup Loans & Grants
• Equity
} Angel
Corporate
Crowdfunding
VC / PE
Type of equity?
Research,
seek advice,
use intermediary

5. Is equity right for you?
Distraction
Time spent
Risk
Dilution
Size of pie, not slice of pie
Protection, confidence of
delivery
Control
Delusion
Not new management team!
Discipline
Board meetings,
reporting
Tight ship
Exit focus

6. Overview of Investment Landscape
When & Where to Find Your Investors
www.TheAcceleratorNetwork.com

7. Investment by life stage
Crowdfunders
SEIS >£150k
EIS £150k+
Accelerators
£25-35k
Startup
Loan £25k
Grants: £5-100k+
Seed Funds £300k+
VCs £1m+

8. Investor Readiness
Documents & Due Diligence Checklist

9. Documents to prepare
• Business Plan (word document) content
• Pitch deck (10-20 slides)
• Financial models (excel)
• Presenting numbers…

10. Use Of Funds

11. Where does the funding get you to?
• How will it be used?
• Strategic not tactical
• Breakeven is important
• Outline milestones
• …with validation

12. Investor Proposition / ROI

13. What are you offering?
• Board seat?
• Equity?
• Debt?
• Expected return?
• Liquidity?
• Exit?

14. Fundraising Roadmap

15. Fund Raising Checklist
Who Why How
Who are you going to
approach, can you name
individuals,
organisations, Venture
firms, syndicates,
corporate investors, your
network
Why would you like
them to invest? Do you
want them to have a
particular role within the
business or be silent
investors
How are you going to
network or find these
investors – through
friends, online, work
contacts?

16. @ianmerricks1
@XLR8RUK
www.TheAcceleratorNetwork.com
THANK YOU

17. Programme stages
1. Users – Customer profile, segmentation
2. Prototype / pilot
3. Business model canvas
4. Brand
5. Sales and growth
6. Investment
7. Entrepreneur mindset
8. Pitch practice