Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong.

Raise

Startup having a meeting
We tend to be the very first equity investors in startup businesses and often act as lead investors. We provide companies with support before, during, and after the investment. With over 400 startups in our investment portfolio, we truly understand the needs entrepreneurs have and work with them side by side. We syndicate investments coming from our network of over 500 angel investors, our SEIS and EIS funds, and other national and international funding alternatives.
Startup having a meeting

01 Investment Criteria

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SEIS-qualifying

Make sure you qualify and start the process as soon as you can.

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First funding round

We lead pre-seed rounds and invest between £100k and £300k in exchange for an ownership stake of 10%-20%.

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Clear USP

You must have a strong advantage in an underserved and/or growing market.

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Initial traction

You have more than a good concept – the more you have achieved, the better your chances of securing funding.

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Entrepreneurial spirit

You are a capable and ambitious individual who is realistic and flexible about your desired terms.

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Any sector

We like diversity and are open to invest in any sector – as long as you meet our other criteria.

02 Investment process

1

Register your startup online

Introduce us to your startup and let us know that you are fundraising – all we ask are a few simple questions about your business.
2

Initial meeting

The first meeting is for you to pitch your business to us and introduce yourself and the team. 
3

Follow up meetings

The Investment Team will gain a better understanding of your business and discuss your fundraising strategy. 
4

Due Diligence

We will conduct a thorough review and assessment of your business.
5

Term Sheet

Following a final meeting with the Investment Committee, we will come back to you with the proposed terms of the round and size of our investment. We prefer to lead rounds, but this is not necessarily a prerequisite.
6

Meet our angels and co-investors

Meet our investor network – either through our regular pitching events or private meetings organised by us – which could enable you to increase the size of your funding round.
7

Post-investment support

Our involvement does not end with the investment. We continue to assist entrepreneurs on their journey to achieving a successful exit and organise regular events for the SFC Alumni community.
8

Follow up funding

The best performers across the portfolio can count on more follow-on funding from our EIS Fund.

03 Check if you qualify

Profit & Loss
Profit & Loss
Startup

Investment Criteria Check

Is SFC the right choice for your fundraising strategy? Find out if you meet our selection criteria with this quick test!
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