Runway by Raising Partners

04/02/2022

Watch now 🎥

https://runway.raisingpartners.com/busting-common-crowdfunding-myths/

Think you know everything you need to know about crowdfunding?

Watch our latest webinar as we bust some of the common myths with crowdfunding expert, Kirsty French

Don't leave your fundraise up to chance. Dive into Runway to improve your chances of successfully raising investment.

Join our Crowdfunding expert, Kirsty French, as we bust some of the common myths, and answer your questions about the process.

03/02/2022

We are here to demystify the world of investment by sharing our knowledge in the hopes we can help you make considered and informed decisions about raising funds. This month we are focusing on all things CROWDFUNDING!

Have you decided you want to crowdfund? Still undecided about whether it’s the right route of funding for your business?

Head to our Crowdfunding Hub where we have lots of resources to help you on our crowdfunding journey >> https://runway.raisingpartners.com/crowdfunding/

Thinking of crowdfunding? Our comprehensive 'go to' guides will set you on the path to crowdfunding success.

31/01/2022

Whether this is your first time raising investment or your tenth, every crowdfunding campaign follows the same 4 phases.

First, we start at your pre-registration phase. Now is the ideal time for the whole team to warm up their connections - your family, colleagues, friends, your online network…everyone should know you are crowdfunding! Whilst this is all happening, you should also be preparing those key assets, in particular your campaign video, pitch page, pre-registration page, and investor deck.

Second, it’s the private campaign, this marks the end of the pre-registration phase and you have launched privately! All those connections you previously warmed up can now invest through a unique URL. At this point your lead investment is loaded onto your chosen crowdfunding platform - things are getting serious now!

Third, you’re public! The title gives it away but your campaign is now live and has launched publicly to thousands of investors. Now is the time to get ready for investor questions and regularly update your investors/potential investors with investment-focused content (they don’t want to see pictures of your dog but content they can easily digest about the campaign.)

Fourth *and finally* completions, the campaign has come to an end and your chosen crowdfunding platform will now perform a legal review (this will differ slightly depending on the platform you have chosen). We recommend providing the platform with all the necessary information they will need in advance, if a campaign’s legal review is prolonged, there can be investment cancellations (and we definitely do not want that!)

To explore the 4 phases in greater detail, visit >> https://runway.raisingpartners.com/the-4-phases-of-a-crowdfunding-campaign/

A crowdfunding campaign is an incredibly effective way not just to raise equity investment but also to engage with your users/customers...

26/01/2022

Unsure which crowdfunding platform to host your campaign on? Today we are diving into Seedrs one of the leading online crowdfunding platforms.

Over on Runway, we have put together everything you need to know about Seedrs.

What we cover:
✔️A brief history of Seedrs
✔️What Seedrs offer
✔️Applying to raise
✔️Creating your campaign
✔️Managing a live campaign
✔️Raising funds on Seedrs
✔️Closing your campaign

Hit the link to find out about Seedrs >> https://runway.raisingpartners.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-seedrs/

Seedrs started out as an MBA project for founders Jeff Lynn and Carlos Silva at The University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School.

25/01/2022

Less than 1% of businesses that pitch for investment get funded. Sadly, a lot of the time the reason a founder fails to secure funding isn't to do with the idea, market, or even the financials... it's because they couldn't communicate the investment opportunity clearly.

Worst of all... it's not their fault - you don't know what you don't know. If you've never raised money before, it's not always obvious what differentiates selling your business (traditional sales) and selling an investment opportunity. And if you don't know what an investor is looking for and you're not adequately prepared - how could you possibly raise the money you need to grow and scale your business?

We built Runway Pro to change that. To increase the number of people who get funded by empowering them with the tools and knowledge they need to have the best possible chance of raising investment.

Our "How to Pitch to Investors" programme is based on tens of thousands of hours of early-stage fundraising, as investors, and as entrepreneurs.

🌟 It's everything we know jam-packed into 9 classes covering everything from identifying investors, pitch structures, adapting your pitch for different scenarios, handling Q&A, handling follow-up and even how to reach out to investors in the first place. 🌟

If you're raising investment in 2022 and you want the best possible chance of success, visit >> https://runway.raisingpartners.com/products/how-to-pitch/

21/01/2022

Are you unsure when to start thinking about R&D tax credits? 🗓️

Madison an advisor from EmpowerRD, R&D tax credit specialists uncovers the best time of year to prepare your claim - to find out the answer…watch the video!

To get in touch with EmpowerRD visit >> empowerrd.com/raising-partners if you'd like to find out more.

20/01/2022

Are you looking to pitch to investors in 2022? You won't want to miss our Runway Live session with angel investor & Managing Partner of Raising Partners, Helena Murphy.

In this session we will discuss:
☑️How to structure a pitch that captures the attention of investors
☑️What investors are really looking for when you meet with them
☑️Best practice investor pitch techniques and slides
☑️How to handle investor Q&A

To register your place on our free to attend webinar, visit >> https://runway.raisingpartners.com/how-to-pitch-to-investors/

Looking to raise money in 2022? Don't miss this interactive Runway Live session where we break down how to pitch to investors.

18/01/2022

Valuing a business at an early stage is both an art and a science but once you’ve calculated your valuation, you will have to defend it to your investors and handle negotiations.

Today we break down how you do just that…

✅Alignment of goals - it’s important that you’re all on the same page so your investors understand why you have reached this valuation.
✅Show your workings - write out 1 or 2 responses to the question “how did you reach your valuation?”
✅Practice - it’s very normal for investors to kick the tyres, they want the best deal!
✅Understand what your hardline is for negotiations - know when to walk away when a deal does not work for you or your business

It’s important to mention, you should expect a negotiation so put it up so you can come down **but not up too much - still be realistic**

To uncover more about how to value your business, visit >> https://runway.raisingpartners.com/how-to-value-your-business/

17/01/2022

Before we jump into the legal documents you need to have in place when raising investment, it is important that we mention that having the right legal documents in place isn’t just a ‘nice-to-have’, it is *essential* to make sure you are protecting your business, yourself, and potential investors.

The key documents to have in place on an investment round are:

📄Investment agreement
📄Disclosure letter
📄Articles of association
📄Directors’ contracts of employment
📄Intellectual property transfer agreements

For an in-depth run-through of the legal side of raising investment, head to Runway to read an article from Stuart Hendry at MBM https://runway.raisingpartners.com/im-raising-investment-what-are-the-legal-documents-i-need-to-have-in-place-2/

Making sure you have the right legal documents is essential to make sure you are protecting your business, yourself, and potential investors.

15/01/2022

Watch now 🎥

https://runway.raisingpartners.com/understanding-what-investors-are-really-looking-for/

If you’re looking to raise investment in 2022 and want to find out what investors are *really* looking for you, our founder Helena Murphy is giving you a peek into the mind of an investor in our latest recorded webinar.

In the session we cover:
💡What exit opportunities and timelines investors are looking for
💡How investors approach start-up valuations
💡What investors are really thinking when you pitch to them
💡Plus we share behind the scenes of how Raising Partners Angels find and evaluate investment opportunities

Catch the next Runway Live event Thursday 20th Jan at 12:30pm where we will be discussing all things valuation!

14/01/2022

Join us on Thursday 20th January at 12:30pm to uncover the art (and science!) behind valuing your business.

In this session we will discuss:
☑️An overview of key terms
☑️How your valuation will impact the future of the business
☑️What investors are looking for when they view your valuation
☑️How to present your valuation
☑️The dangers of over-/under- valuation

Plus, hear expert insight from our host Helena Murphy as she shares the tips and guidance that has supported over 100 fundraises.

To register your place on our free-to-attend webinar, visit >> https://runway.raisingpartners.com/the-art-and-science-of-valuing-your-business/

12/01/2022

Are you beginning to think about crowdfunding but don’t know which platform to host your campaign on? The best thing to do is research, research, research! 🧐

Over on Runway, we have put together everything you need to know about one of the UK’s leading crowdfunding platforms, Crowdcube

What we cover:
✔️A brief history of Crowdcube
✔️Joining Crowdcube
✔️Hosting a campaign on Crowdcube
✔️Marketing your Crowdcube campaign
✔️Raising funds on Crowdcube
✔️Closing your campaign

Visit https://runway.raisingpartners.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-crowdcube-2/ to dive into Crowdcube

Crowdcube was launched in February 2011 by Darren Westlake and Luke Lang, becoming the first equity crowdfunding platform.

11/01/2022

You might be thinking "does having IP actually help when raising investment?" Yes, yes it really does! As Andrew states, protecting your IP will ultimately help you secure investment as it demonstrates a reduced threat from any potential imitators.

Another thing to keep in mind when thinking about protecting your IP is that the value of intellectual property rights can increase indefinitely…your IP could become your largest asset!

To uncover more about IP, head to >> https://runway.raisingpartners.com/how-to-protect-your-ip-and-know-if-you-have-something-worth-protecting/ where Andrew shares even more about the importance of IP when raising investment.

10/01/2022

What an exciting year of growth for Seedrs - a truly impressive impact across the investment landscape! 💸

With a new agreement with Republic announced, we can't wait to see what they have in store for 2022...

For everything you need to know about Seedrs, visit >> https://runway.raisingpartners.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-seedrs/

06/01/2022

Are you looking to secure investment in 2022? To find out what investors are *really* looking for, join us next week!.

During this interactive session we will be discussing:
✅What exit opportunities investors are looking for
✅How investors approach start-up valuations
✅What investors are really thinking when you pitch to them
✅Plus behind the scenes of how Raising Partners Angels find and evaluate investment opportunities

Visit https://runway.raisingpartners.com/understanding-what-investors-are-really-looking-for/ to secure your free place!

05/01/2022

There are five essential things we recommend considering when writing an investor deck… 1️⃣ Number one being its purpose!

It can be so easy to get caught up in the different elements of your deck - but before you get started, always remember that the purpose of your deck *spoiler alert* is to get investment…

We often see pitch decks that would form a brilliant product sales tool or marketing pack but fail to actually talk about the business opportunity for an investor. Avoid this common mistake by watching today's video and heading to thttps://runway.raisingpartners.com/5-things-to-consider-when-writing-an-investor-deck/ to uncover the remaining four-deck essentials!

04/01/2022

Happy New Year!

We frequently get asked “what’s the best time of year to raise investment?” and really, there is no *absolute* best or worst time but we make a point of planning all our peak fundraising activities to take place during school term time. Essentially avoid the☀️summer☀️ & 🎄Christmas🎄 holidays where possible! Spoiler Alert - Raising investment also takes a lot longer than you might think (typically 4-6 months)!

Our advice is based on the fact that A LOT of people (i.e. investors!) will be away from their desks during these periods, spending time with their families and not looking at your investor deck or your live campaign…

With that being said, it definitely is not impossible to raise investment during these periods, but you will likely have a lot more success if you plan your investment rounds to align with the peak seasons.

For help planning your investment timeline, visit https://runway.raisingpartners.com/whats-the-best-time-of-year-to-raise-investment/

Like a lot of industries, investment runs in cycles and for the most part, has clearly defined seasons of peak activity.

30/12/2021

Crowdfunding is a *powerful tool* and has had a huge impact on the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the UK since it first emerged in 2013!

There are plenty of big brands out there that have used crowdfunding as a means of raising investment, to name a few check out the animation...

But just because crowdfunding was right for these businesses, doesn't mean it's the right choice for yours...To read more about whether crowdfunding is right for your business, visit >> https://runway.raisingpartners.com/is-crowdfunding-right-for-my-business/