Corporate Venture Capital
Corporate Venture Capital - Investors like
An early stage business - no revenue or profit is needed - willing to give up a share of control.
Corporate Venture Capital - You're looking for
£1m+ of finance within 6-12 months of your application for things like acquisition or research and development.
Find out more about Corporate Venture Capital
| Purpose of finance | Acquisition, research and development |
|---|---|
| Amount of finance | £1m+, depending on business |
| Duration of finance | 3-5 years |
| Cost of finance | None |
| Time to finance | 6-12 months |
| Business stage | Any |
|---|---|
| Annual turnover | Depends on the business |
| Sectors | All |
| Regions | All |
Expansion Capital
Expansion Capital - Investors like
Post revenue, profitable and growing businesses with a turnover typically between £5m and £50m. Businesses need to be willing to give up a stake in the business in exchange for finance.
Expansion Capital - You're looking for
Between £2m to £20m, depending on the shareholding you’re offering, to create new products, enter new markets, acquire other businesses or invest in new systems or equipment to drive growth.
Find out more about Expansion Capital
| Purpose of finance | Create new products, enter new markets, acquire other businesses or invest in new systems and equipment to drive growth |
|---|---|
| Amount of finance | £2m-£20m (depending on % shareholding acquired and value of company) |
| Duration of finance | 3-5 years |
| Cost of finance | Due diligence and legal fees will apply. If you appoint an advisor, they will expect a retainer fee |
| Time to finance | Minimum of 3 months but can be up to a year |
| Business stage | Post-revenue, profitable and growing |
|---|---|
| Annual turnover | £5m-£100m |
| Sectors | All |
| Regions | All |
Angel Investment
Angel Investment - Investors like
Early-stage businesses with a turnover of less than £5m. They invest in any sector but like businesses with a scalable business proposition.
Angel Investment - You're looking for
Between £15,000 and £500,000 within two to six months from a single Angel for working capital, product development, entry into new markets, to build teams or increase sales. Large Syndicates may offer up to £2m.
Find out more about Angel Investment
| Purpose of finance | Working capital, product development, entry into new markets, build teams, increase sales |
|---|---|
| Amount of finance | Usually £15k-£500k, but large Syndicates may offer up to £2m |
| Duration of finance | Typically 3-8 years |
| Cost of finance | None |
| Time to finance | 2-6 months |
| Business stage | Generally early stage, pre-revenue or pre-profit |
|---|---|
| Annual turnover | Less than £5m |
| Sectors | All sectors, but especially suitable for companies with a scalable business proposition |
| Regions | All regions |
Venture Capital
Venture Capital - Investors like
Early stage businesses, regardless of whether they have made a profit or revenue, with an annual turnover of less than £3m.
Venture Capital - You're looking for
Significant growth and £1m+ of finance within six to 12 months with the option for multiple funding rounds.
Find out more about Venture Capital
| Purpose of finance | Acquisition; research and development |
|---|---|
| Amount of finance | £1m+, depending on funding round |
| Duration of finance | 5-10 years |
| Cost of finance | None |
| Time to finance | 6-12 months |
| Business stage | Early stage; no revenue or profit needed |
|---|---|
| Annual turnover | Depends on the business, but is often below £3m |
| Sectors | All |
| Regions | All |
Equity Crowdfunding
Equity Crowdfunding - Investors like
Businesses of any size who sell their product or service in a compelling way on Crowdfunding platforms.
Equity Crowdfunding - You're looking for
Either large or small sums of finance to create new products, for acquisition, to develop products, fulfil projects or enter into new markets.
Find out more about Equity Crowdfunding
| Purpose of finance | Creating new products, acquisition finance, product development, project fulfilment, entry into new markets |
|---|---|
| Amount of finance | Up to £4.3m without a prospectus, higher with a prospectus |
| Duration of finance | Dependent on the business being funded |
| Cost of finance | This is platform specific. Platforms often charge a success fee (usually a percentage of the amount raised) with a listing fee. Others will charge a percentage of profit |
| Time to finance | Once your documents are in order, it can take as little as a month |
| Business stage | Pre-revenue through to more established businesses |
|---|---|
| Annual turnover | Any |
| Sectors | Any |
| Regions | Any |
Private Equity
Private Equity - Investors like
Mature, growing and profitable business with an annual turnover typically between £10m and £100m.
Private Equity - You're looking for
Finance in the region of £10m to £50m to shake up your business through management buy-outs, acquisition, product development or entry into new markets.
Find out more about Private Equity
| Purpose of finance | Change in shareholder ownership, management buy-outs, acquisition, product development, entry into new markets |
|---|---|
| Amount of finance | £10m-£50m |
| Duration of finance | 3-5 years |
| Cost of finance | Monitoring and director fees; loan note interest |
| Time to finance | Minimum of 3 months but can take up to a year |
| Business stage | Mature and growing; profitable |
|---|---|
| Annual turnover | £10m-£100m |
| Sectors | All sectors |
| Regions | All |
IPO
IPO - Investors like
Established and growing businesses, with predictable revenues and a proven track record. Smaller companies, including those who are pre-revenue, can also be attractive depending on the proposition.
IPO - You're looking for
Unlimited equity capital. Up to £200m on AIM or even larger sums on the Main Market and exposure to a wider pool of investors.
Find out more about IPO
| Purpose of finance | Acquisition, product development, new markets |
|---|---|
| Amount of finance | Up to £50m on AIM; unlimited on the Main Market |
| Duration of finance | 10 years + |
| Cost of finance | You will need to appoint an accountant, a law firm and usually a PR firm. Assume this will cost 8% of the amount you hope to raise |
| Time to finance | IPO processes takes 10-12 weeks; but planning and negotiations can take 12-18 months |
| Business stage | Established and growing |
|---|---|
| Annual turnover | Over £5m; this does not apply to healthcare businesses |
| Sectors | All sectors; healthcare and tech may be able to list earlier in their lifecycle than other sectors |
| Regions | All |
Overdraft
Overdraft - Lenders like
Established businesses with assets and a trading history.
Overdraft - You're looking for
Short-term working capital, quickly.
Find out more about Overdraft
| Business stage | Established with assets and a trading history |
|---|---|
| Annual turnover | Any |
| Sectors | Any |
| Regions | Any |
Business Loans
Business Loans - Lenders like
Businesses with assets and a trading history that meet their eligibility criteria.
Business Loans - You're looking for
Finance quickly, with decisions on applications made quickly.
Find out more about Business Loans
| Business stage | Established with assets and a trading history |
|---|---|
| Annual turnover | Any |
| Sectors | Any |
| Regions | Any |
Start Up Loan
Start Up Loan - Providers like
Businesses within the first two years of trading or that have yet to start.
Start Up Loan - You're looking for
Up to £25,000 unsecured loans to help start or grow your business.
Find out more about Start Up Loan
| Business stage | Yet to start or trading for less than two years |
|---|---|
| Annual turnover | Any |
| Sectors | Some exclusions apply (see <a href='https://www.startuploans.co.uk/am-i-eligible/' target='_blank'>here</a>) |
| Regions | Any |
Asset-Based Lending
Asset-Based Lending - Lenders like
Established businesses with assets and a trading history.
Asset-Based Lending - You're looking to
Raise finance from untapped assets on your balance sheet.
Find out more about Asset-Based Lending
| Business stage | Established with assets and a trading history |
|---|---|
| Annual turnover | Variable – dependant on asset values |
| Sectors | Any |
| Regions | Any |
Invoice finance
Invoice finance - Providers like
Businesses of all sizes and stage of growth with invoices.
Invoice finance - You're looking to
Capitalise on an untapped asset on your balance sheet to raise finance quickly.
Find out more about Invoice finance
| Business stage | Any but must have invoices |
|---|---|
| Annual turnover | Any |
| Sectors | Any |
| Regions | Any |
Peer-to-Peer Lending
Peer-to-Peer Lending - Lenders like
Businesses with a trading history that meet the eligibility criteria of the platform you choose.
Peer-to-Peer Lending - You're looking to
Get a loan quickly and maintain full control of your business.
Find out more about Peer-to-Peer Lending
| Business stage | Established with a trading history |
|---|---|
| Annual turnover | Any |
| Sectors | Any |
| Regions | Any |
Direct Lending Fund
Direct Lending Fund - Lenders like
Businesses with assets to use as security against lending.
Direct Lending Fund - You're looking to
Flexible and tailored loans and to maintain full control of your business.
Find out more about Direct Lending Fund
| Business stage | Established with assets and a trading history |
|---|---|
| Annual turnover | Any |
| Sectors | Any |
| Regions | Any |
Leasing & Hire Purchase
Leasing & Hire Purchase - Providers like
Businesses at all stages who can demonstrate their ability to fund payments.
Leasing & Hire Purchase - You're looking to
Get finance to acquire equipment, machinery and vehicles without putting a strain on your working capital.
Find out more about Leasing & Hire Purchase
| Business stage | Early stage to established with a trading history |
|---|---|
| Annual turnover | Any |
| Sectors | Any |
| Regions | Any |
Export Finance
Export Finance - You need to be
Looking for finance to help you sell your product or service overseas.
Export Finance - You're looking to
Grow your customer base internationally and need finance to enable you to do so.
Find out more about Export Finance
| Business stage | Established with assets and a trading history |
|---|---|
| Annual turnover | Any |
| Sectors | Any |
| Regions | Any |
Grant
Grant - Providers like
Businesses and products that meet the eligibility criteria for their Grants, whether that’s region, sector or focus based.
Grant - You're looking to
Benefit from finance without giving up a stake in your company or repaying the support you are provided.
Find out more about Grant
| Business stage | Any |
|---|---|
| Annual turnover | Any |
| Sectors | Any |
| Regions | Any |
