Following on from the launch of the East Midlands Combined County Authority’s (EMCCA) £8m Early Stage Angel Investment Fund in July, we’re excited to announce that we will be hosting the first in a series of high growth focused investment ready workshops for 15 selected ambitious businesses in early autumn.
This first fully funded workshop will be hosted at the University of Derby on Wednesday 9 October and run by FundingHero, the Midlands based specialist high growth investment readiness provider. This initiative is being sponsored by East Midlands Combined County Authority, British Business Bank and Barclays Eagle Labs to specifically support businesses who are looking to raise their first or second major external funding round for Pre Seed to Series A companies to allow them to expand and scale.
These in-person workshops will provide access to high growth funding and CFO level scaleup expertise that may not normally be attainable to businesses based on their stage of growth.
The workshops will cover four key areas; Fundraise Planning, Financial Strategy, Fundraise Budget and Fundraise Timeline, so businesses understand the rigours of the process when planning to raise external investment from the range of different funding sources of debt and equity.
Alongside this, an exclusive twelve-month licence to the FundingHero investment readiness platform will be provided to the 15 selected workshop participants and a further one hundred one-month licences will be made available to interested parties considering raising external investment to grow and scale.
Claire Ward, the Mayor of the East Midlands, said: “I’m proud to back this fund, which aligns with my commitment to driving economic prosperity and supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs in our region.
“Supporting the growth of the East Midlands economy is at the heart of our mission, and initiatives like these investment readiness workshops are essential for fostering creativity and entrepreneurship across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. By equipping our local businesses with the knowledge and resources they need to successfully raise external funding, we are ensuring that innovation thrives and opportunities for inclusive growth are maximised.”
Jim Shirley, the Founder of FundingHero, said: “Our goal is to create regional growth by supporting more high growth potential companies to raise external investment to grow and scale. We’re delivering more targeted investment readiness education on the nuances for raising angel investment, venture capital and debt so we can best prepare the region’s brightest entrepreneurial talents whilst also hopefully signposting some exciting opportunities for investors such as the £400m second Midlands Engine Investment Fund and the brand new £8m Haatch pre seed investment fund for businesses in Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.”
Lewis Stringer, Senior Manager, UK Network – East & South-East Midlands at the British Business Bank said: “The British Business Bank are delighted to be supporting this important investment readiness workshop for early-stage businesses seeking finance across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. We know that many businesses are not as well prepared as they could be when approaching funders. This workshop represents a great opportunity to learn more about what investors and lenders look for in a proposition.”
Use this link to express your interest in attending the workshop and the FundingHero offer. We will let you know in early autumn if you have been chosen as one of the 15 businesses to attend the workshop and the twelve-month licence to the FundingHero investment readiness platform or if you are one of the 100 who will receive a one-month licence to FundingHero.
FundingHero Ltd is an investment readiness provider based in the Midlands specialising in supporting companies from Pre Seed to Series A investment. They operate a Fundraising accelerator running two cohorts per year covering the Midlands alongside their online investment readiness platform that teaches companies how to fundraise. To find out more visit www.fundinghero.co.uk
Published on: 19 August 2024
Categories: News