In early-stage investing, insight and access are everything.
By the time a startup’s success is clear, the best value rounds are gone. Most investors end up chasing deals that are either oversubscribed or overpriced.
At SFC Capital, we take an earlier and therefore longer view. Through our SEIS and EIS funds, we back founders from day one and keep backing the best as they grow. That early backing gives us our inside track: the access and insight that come only from being involved since the very start.
Years of close engagement with founders provide deep insight into who delivers, who adapts, and who falls short.
Getting the full story
From the outside, investors see pitch decks, numbers, and promises. But that's not even half of the story.
Inside the boardroom and in one-to-one discussions with founders, the real dynamics become visible. Behaviour under pressure reveals far more than a pitch ever can: how leaders respond when plans falter, when cash runway tightens, or when markets shift. It shows how they manage teams, resolve conflict, and make decisions with imperfect information.
Patterns emerge over time. Founders who communicate transparently, attract and retain strong talent, and adapt quickly to change tend to outperform. These qualitative signals rarely appear in investor materials, yet they often determine the eventual outcome.
One of our early portfolio companies was already expanding rapidly overseas when preparing its Series A. Having supported the founders from the very first investment, the opportunity to participate in the round arose naturally, alongside leading institutional investors.
The follow-on EIS fund combines years of first-hand experience and established trust with portfolio founders. Rather than relying on speculation, the fund focuses on backing proven winners, building on operational insight and evidence of what drives growth.
Why Access Matters
In follow-on funding rounds, access is everything. In early-stage deals, the best rounds fill up fast and it helps to already have your name on the guest list. We’re close to our portfolio companies, and we often know when a major round is coming before the market does.
The early years of a company are incredibly formative. When founders need advice, new hires, or another round, they turn to investors who’ve been with them from the beginning.
That’s why SFC Capital often gets access to follow-on rounds that outsiders miss. That inside awareness and priority access means our funds can take part in rounds that could be closed or limited from other investors.
SFC’s inside track creates two clear entry points for SFC’s EIS follow-on fund. We first build relationships and insight via SEIS then deploy EIS capital either:
- in the first round after SEIS, once traction and market validation are evident allowing us to double down on rising stars ahead of broader revaluations; or
- at the growth stage, backing companies with defensible IP, brand recognition, regulatory approvals, and repeatable sales where our early involvement often secures priority or exclusive allocations.
Investors in the SFC EIS fund benefit from access to some of the most competitive opportunities in the UK early-stage market that others wouldn’t get.
Capital at risk.
Past performance is not indicative of future performance.
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