Getting Investment Ready

Event details

Raising investment can feel confusing, time-consuming and, at times, disillusioning. Creative businesses need to be able to understand what investability really means and whether investment is the right route for them right now. This event is a business support clinic delivered as part of CreaTech Frontiers. 

Key takeaways

• Understand the reality of investment and how it works in practice
• Be clear on whether debt, equity or alternative funding is right for your business
• Know what investors expect and how to prepare for those conversations
• Understand the key components of investment readiness and where your gaps are
• An introduction to the UK investment landscape: what funding pots are really out there
• Debt funding vs equity funding - what they are, when they make sense and the trade-offs
• How to build and leverage an effective investment network
• Refining your 30-second elevator pitch
• What Innovate UK's Innovation Loan programme is and how you can access

Speaker

Ashreen Seethal is an experienced Senior Innovation and Growth Specialist for Innovate UK, accelerating the trajectory of SMEs from high-growth to scale-up and internationalisation. In this role, she has secured over £9m worth of grant funding and investment for businesses, led the development of Innovate UK’s national investment readiness programme, and delivered three Global Business Innovation Programmes with the Netherlands, Norway and Germany.

Gaynor Matthews is an experienced entrepreneur, innovation growth specialist and business adviser with over 25 years of experience supporting startups and scale-ups. She has co-founded and led companies, driven investment strategy, and helped early-stage businesses refine their operations and attract funding. Gaynor has served as an Innovation Growth Specialist with Innovate UK Business Growth (Innovate UK EDGE Midlands) and previously as a Business Growth Adviser, where she provided practical guidance to entrepreneurs on growth, grants and strategic development. 

Sam Larke is an entrepreneur, startup mentor and early-stage investor passionate about emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. He has started and grown his own businesses, learning from both successes and setbacks and has supported countless other founders on their entrepreneurial journeys. In 2020, Sam made his first tech startup investment and continues to engage with and advise high-growth ventures. He works closely with the UK startup ecosystem through advisory roles, mentoring in accelerator programmes, and fostering connections between founders and investors.

What Is CreaTech Frontiers?

CreaTech Frontiers is a 5-year £7.2 million project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) establishing a West Midlands CreaTech ecosystem by funding collaborative R&D, supporting business innovation and developing skills and talent. 

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