Comments on: Question: Where are the best sources of funding for startups? http://eu.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/ Tracking European web and mobile start-ups Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:44:53 +0100 hourly 1 By: Kevin Dorren http://eu.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/comment-page-1/#comment-74560 Kevin Dorren Fri, 30 Nov 2007 23:46:43 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/#comment-74560 It's pretty simple - Friends and Family bring in cash but not a lot of help - personally I would focus on a few well connected tech angels that can add much more than money (connections, experience and the most valuable - experience of mistakes). I personally haven't seen incubators work - cookie cutters produce cookie cutter companies - which most investors don't want to touch. As an early stage tech company focus heavily on the team - that will make all the difference to any investor - angel or institution - get a good basic team in place that can work together and the world is your oyster. The best sources of investment are people you respect and think you can work with - remember an investor is for life not just for xmas! Good Luck. It’s pretty simple – Friends and Family bring in cash but not a lot of help – personally I would focus on a few well connected tech angels that can add much more than money (connections, experience and the most valuable – experience of mistakes).

I personally haven’t seen incubators work – cookie cutters produce cookie cutter companies – which most investors don’t want to touch.

As an early stage tech company focus heavily on the team – that will make all the difference to any investor – angel or institution – get a good basic team in place that can work together and the world is your oyster.

The best sources of investment are people you respect and think you can work with – remember an investor is for life not just for xmas!

Good Luck.

]]> By: Sarah Gregory http://eu.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/comment-page-1/#comment-74149 Sarah Gregory Fri, 30 Nov 2007 10:46:14 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/#comment-74149 MyDealMaker has been developed by a not-for-profit organisation called Connect Yorkshire that brings young companies together with investors. We have strong links with investors like RisingStars Growth Fund (http://techgainblog.blogspot.com/) and the following sources of investment – Business Angels: * Yorkshire Association of Business Angels * Fox Hayes Entrepreneurs Club * Beer & Partners Viking Fund – hybrid institutional/angel investment organisation Private Sector: * Aberdeen Murray Johnston * 3i * Lloyds Development Capital Also: * Yorkshire and Humber Equity Fund * Coalfields Enterprise Fund * South Yorkshire Investment Fund * Partnership Investment Finance Some of these investors are available to contact through the MyDealMaker website. MyDealMaker has been developed by a not-for-profit organisation called Connect Yorkshire that brings young companies together with investors. We have strong links with investors like RisingStars Growth Fund (http://techgainblog.blogspot.com/) and the following sources of investment –

Business Angels:
* Yorkshire Association of Business Angels
* Fox Hayes Entrepreneurs Club
* Beer & Partners

Viking Fund – hybrid institutional/angel investment organisation

Private Sector:
* Aberdeen Murray Johnston
* 3i
* Lloyds Development Capital

Also:
* Yorkshire and Humber Equity Fund
* Coalfields Enterprise Fund
* South Yorkshire Investment Fund
* Partnership Investment Finance

Some of these investors are available to contact through the MyDealMaker website.

]]> By: Sarah Gregory http://eu.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/comment-page-1/#comment-74081 Sarah Gregory Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:25:38 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/#comment-74081 MyDealMaker (http://www.mydealmaker.co.uk/) provides technology entrepreneurs with a way of connecting to investors online. You can post details of your company, business proposition and investment requirements for a community of investors to view. MyDealMaker (http://www.mydealmaker.co.uk/) provides technology entrepreneurs with a way of connecting to investors online. You can post details of your company, business proposition and investment requirements for a community of investors to view.

]]> By: Ian Shields http://eu.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/comment-page-1/#comment-74059 Ian Shields Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:48:28 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/#comment-74059 If you are a London based company you should look at the g2i programme (http://www.g2i.org). To date the programme has helped 27 companies raise early stage and seed funding totalling over £20 million. If you are a London based company you should look at the g2i programme (http://www.g2i.org). To date the programme has helped 27 companies raise early stage and seed funding totalling over £20 million.

]]> By: langer http://eu.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/comment-page-1/#comment-73936 langer Fri, 30 Nov 2007 02:02:53 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/#comment-73936 Oxford Early Investments and the Oxford Invesment Opportunity Network are good for tech startups in the Oxford / London / Thames Valley area. Oxford Early Investments and the Oxford Invesment Opportunity Network are good for tech startups in the Oxford / London / Thames Valley area.

]]> By: Nigel Eccles http://eu.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/comment-page-1/#comment-73900 Nigel Eccles Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:10:26 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/#comment-73900 Arethuza is right about Scottish VCs being fairly risk averse on seed rounds but are worth approaching particularly for further into development. Early on there are a number of grants from Scottish Enterprise that can be accessed. NESTA is definitely worth going for as well. There are also quite a lot of business angels and business angel networks in Scotland. You should be able to Google them pretty easily. Also if you are based in our near Edinburgh you should get along the Edinburgh Entrepreneur club (http://www.edinburgh-entrepreneur.man.ed.ac.uk/) which hosts an excellent series of talks from Silicon Valley veterans. Arethuza is right about Scottish VCs being fairly risk averse on seed rounds but are worth approaching particularly for further into development. Early on there are a number of grants from Scottish Enterprise that can be accessed. NESTA is definitely worth going for as well.

There are also quite a lot of business angels and business angel networks in Scotland. You should be able to Google them pretty easily. Also if you are based in our near Edinburgh you should get along the Edinburgh Entrepreneur club (http://www.edinburgh-entrepreneur.man.ed.ac.uk/) which hosts an excellent series of talks from Silicon Valley veterans.

]]> By: steven Dotsch http://eu.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/comment-page-1/#comment-73723 steven Dotsch Thu, 29 Nov 2007 17:03:37 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/#comment-73723 Blatant plug . . . . I am the managing director of WirelessMatch Ltd -UK's Wireless Funding Network- at www.wirelessmatch.co.uk We facilitate funding in pre-screened early stage and emerging UK-based companies with wireless, mobile internet, online media and mobile telecoms activities requiring funding between £50,000 - £2.5m Currently our network has 112 investors, both sector dedicated individual investors (in the main former entrepreneurs in telecoms (fixed & mobile), wireless, IT, software, hardware, media, advertising, technology) as well as TMT venture capital and development capital funds. Unfortunately most of our investors will only consider investing in companies with (some) revenue, or, about to sign a major contract, etc, rather than pure start-ups. Nevertheless, we have a dozen or so active investors who consider start-ups which are likely to be Blatant plug . . . .

I am the managing director of WirelessMatch Ltd -UK’s Wireless Funding Network- at http://www.wirelessmatch.co.uk We facilitate funding in pre-screened early stage and emerging UK-based companies with wireless, mobile internet, online media and mobile telecoms activities requiring funding between £50,000 – £2.5m

Currently our network has 112 investors, both sector dedicated individual investors (in the main former entrepreneurs in telecoms (fixed & mobile), wireless, IT, software, hardware, media, advertising, technology) as well as TMT venture capital and development capital funds.

Unfortunately most of our investors will only consider investing in companies with (some) revenue, or, about to sign a major contract, etc, rather than pure start-ups. Nevertheless, we have a dozen or so active investors who consider start-ups which are likely to be

]]> By: Arethuza http://eu.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/comment-page-1/#comment-73619 Arethuza Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:54:06 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/#comment-73619 VCs in Scotland seem to be extremely risk adverse at the moment - for software companies they are claiming to be interested in later funding rounds. VCs in Scotland seem to be extremely risk adverse at the moment – for software companies they are claiming to be interested in later funding rounds.

]]> By: Rob http://eu.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/comment-page-1/#comment-73573 Rob Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:35:07 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/#comment-73573 The G2i portal is a good place to start for London based companies. The G2i portal is a good place to start for London based companies.

]]> By: Joe Drumgoole http://eu.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/comment-page-1/#comment-73566 Joe Drumgoole Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:10:20 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/#comment-73566 In Ireland the order generally goes, County Enterprise Boards (small amounts) Enterprise Ireland (small amounts initially, but will co-invest up to 500k) Incubator Programs (small amounts) Angel Funding (the Halo network) BES Schemes (tax breaks of 40% for investors) Seed Capital (tax breaks of 40% for founder's investment) Then we are into VC world. In Ireland the order generally goes,

County Enterprise Boards (small amounts)
Enterprise Ireland (small amounts initially, but will co-invest up to 500k)
Incubator Programs (small amounts)
Angel Funding (the Halo network)
BES Schemes (tax breaks of 40% for investors)
Seed Capital (tax breaks of 40% for founder’s investment)

Then we are into VC world.

]]> By: James Cherkoff http://eu.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/comment-page-1/#comment-73436 James Cherkoff Thu, 29 Nov 2007 07:59:49 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/2007/11/29/question-where-are-the-best-sources-of-funding-for-startups/#comment-73436 NESTA was created to invest in projects that were too early (ie risky) for anyone else. They funded a project of mine in 2001 and continue to help innovative souls across the UK. Top fellas that they are! NESTA was created to invest in projects that were too early (ie risky) for anyone else. They funded a project of mine in 2001 and continue to help innovative souls across the UK. Top fellas that they are!

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