Leicester Startups

Advice on fundraising generally and on Fintech particularly

My field of expertise is Artificial Intelligence, more specifically Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing.  I can help in technical stuff, since this is my speciality. I can also help with other management-related tasks or make introductions, when possible.

A 25 year career in building global operations in 20 countries with over 40 nationalities, I know what it takes to acquire, scale and successfully lead a global business through exponential growth, change and cultural integration. I am passionate about working and supporting start-ups and SMEs who have the ambitious drive to take a local business and scale it to a regional or global level. I am well versed in organisation and leadership development, multi-national client engagement strategies and customer experience (CX). If you feel I can help and support you in anyway, I would love to hear from you.

With 2 exits & over 20 acquisitions I’m an experienced CFO, Angel investor & Founder of Tech platform FundingHero.co.uk

My focus is on helping Tech Startups raising funding from Initial Seed to Series A.

My Angel investments are into a Venture Builder & Studio which has a portfolio of over 20+ startups and most recently into a data driven AI matchmaking platform for early stage venture funds. I am interested in investing in companies that are; B2B SaaS or Marketplaces, have revenue of £10k+ MRR and are preferably related to the startup funding ecosystem in some capacity.

My value & experience helps founders;

– Stop them burning huge sums of money by avoiding hugely costly mistakes early on.
– Define a powerful commercial strategy that lets then get to revenue quickly and be more investable
– Create realistic financial models that make sense and get founders funded
– Help them understand how to build a company towards an exit with a real strategic focus

My platform & consultancy FundingHero.co.uk focuses on simplifying the startup fundraising process. Having both raised and being an active Angel investor I believe the process is in need of standardising and simplifying for both;

– Founders to get match fit before they raise; and
– To simply the process for Angel investors to make more informed decisions.

My career has been focused on delivering shareholder value in high growth platforms.

Founder + Lightning: Successfully raising £2.4m in Angel & Venture debt for growth
Fourpure Brewing Co:. Exit to Multi national trade, rapid growth & high exit revenue multiple.
Six Degrees Group. Buy & Build, 15 acquisitions. Sold to PE, double digit EBITDA exit.

I enjoy playing a strategic role in the business towards engineering an exit whilst being very hands on running the day to day to ensure the team is aligned and all working towards creating a highly scalable & valuable business.

My strengths are in financial modelling & commercial strategy, coupled with understanding the reality of how businesses operate and scale. This enables me to quickly show a range of scenarios so founders can make informed decisions to execute their businesses plans successfully.

Over 20+ years experience covering;

– Fundraising equity & debt
– Strategic exits to PE & Trade
– Execute high organic growth strategies
– 20+ Acquisitions & mergers from DD to Integration
– IT systems design & Integration
– Finance function build & centralisation
– Business restructuring
– Financial modelling & analysis

I look at business models, see how they work, then help you disassemble them and put them back together. Like a car mechanic rebuilding an engine to give you a lot more oomph.

Why am I good at this? 20 years of startup experience; 1,000+ startups; weird background in philosophy, engineering and economic history; insatiable curiosity and total passion for the companies and founders I work with

What else? I’ve been a board member, advisor, CEO, COO, CMO and got my hands dirty solving problems all across the business

Innovator, to do something different and the ability to sell this vision. Specialist in producing structural calculations for residential properties

Sales/Business Development, Marketing, Fundraising, Strategy, Legal profession contacts

I have experience in Project Management, Team Leadership, Mentoring, and a Full-Stack Developer. I love coding, networking, team-building, SaaS products, IoT, STEM activities, and new ideas.

I am a Full Stack JavaScript Specialist specialising on React & Node JS. I can help with Careers and Full Stack Web Development. I am a YouTuber, Speaker, Author and I have a community of almost 30k members.

I’ve got over a decade of sales and marketing experience, 3 of which were in the EdTech space and 4 years in MarTech.

I can support you by helping you create the product vision, conducting market research, gathering requirements, prioritizing features, advocating for user experience, fostering communication and collaboration, driving iterative improvement, and ensuring successful product launches and customer satisfaction.

Which all sounds overwhelming but ultimately it’s supporting you with making data and customer driven decisions!

I’m experienced in leading software development teams, functions and product management, experience with APIs, Technical products, B2B products, Healthcare products, Fintech, SMS & telecoms, Data, Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI. I’ve also run a large tech community, organising hundreds of events, hackathons and conferences.

Here’s what expertise I can offer in those areas
Software development: Ideation, software design, architecture, people & skills, team management, agile development processes, technical debt management, API design

Product Management: designing, validating and developing product propositions, pricing, modelling revenue & profit, targeting, technical product management, Product development processes, Lean product design and development, managing and leading product teams.

Executive leadership: working as a Director and C-suite, working with other executive leaders, working with boards and investors, designing organisations and organisation processes.

Community and events: Community building and facilitation, event organising, working with local government, raising funding.

We are looking for investment opportunities from seed to Series B and can invest from £250k to £10m for the right opportunity. We are looking for good management teams who are at MVP and beyond with a large and growing market.

Former edtech startup founder now deeply immersed in product UI/UX and brand design. If you’re an early stage founder and feeling stuck, feel free to reach out. I have 3+ years experience in designing web and mobile apps and can guide you through the entire design process, from ideation to development.

Also as a former founder, I understand just how wild the early entrepreneurship journey can be. Whether you need someone to bounce off your initial ideas or a mentor to navigate the ins and outs of product design and branding, I’m here to offer support and encouragement.

A serial entrepreneur who has set up and run various successful business in the insurance sector. I have invested in a number of business’ from music, to sports clothing to the insurance sector, and worked with a range of Private Equity Houses in their insurance related investments. I am now taking on Life insurance with the aim of completely changing the customer experience and purpose.

Specialties: leadership, strategic planning, account management, budgeting, business development, business plans, change management, contract management, delivery, direct marketing, executive management, finance, marketing, relationship management, sales, tender writing,

Launched my own startup and worked at early stage startups, so have experience most aspects of launching and growing a business. Happy to help with product ideation, business models, sales and business development and fundraising strategies.

Multi-disciplinary designer, problem solver, and creative lead with over ten years of experience in agency and start-up environments including climate sector brand Ecologi, and social, gaming & tech startup Just About. Past clients include Microsoft, Sony, Honda, Warner Bros, Sika, NHS, Link, Sekonda, Ralph Lauren, UGG,

Primary disciplines: Product Design, UX, UI, Campaign Creative, Brand, Web & Digital Markerting

Today, I help Fintech Founders build a scalable sales strategy and process. Expertise and background:
– 20 years with a range of multi-national organisations to enterprising companies, start ups and scale ups in Financial Services, Banking, Payment Solutions, Credit Services, Risk and Fraud, Fintech, FMCG and IT & Software
– Broad knowledge of product development and analytics
– Impacted growth revenue for businesses and NPS Scores for Customer Experience
– Operated at director and senior consultancy level
– Client management/sales and customer life cycle
– Business development and sales – Start up’s – Scale up
– IT software infrastructure implementation/project management – change/training practice
– General and sales leadership development – programme design and delivery
– Owned and ran a high end executive recruitment agency
– Owned and ran a local thriving public house in Nottinghamshire
– Build high performing sales academy programmes includes products, customer experience, induction and methodologies
– BESMA Award winner in Sales Excellence/Enablement, Insights, Customer Experience and Leadership GrowthI can draw upon

Connections across Financial Services

I have 30 years of experience in manufacturing. My speciality is driving excellence in organisations. My company is recognised as being the best at what it produces. This did not come easy and I have made so many mistakes along the way. Those mistakes have toughened me, hardened me, and forged me but never dimmed my passion for what I was trying to achieve.
If you are looking for someone who is a relentless and passionate grafter to advise and encourage you on walking the hard miles, then I may be able to help.

I co founded, scaled and exited a food manufacturing, wholesale and retail company.
I have extensive experience in operating a company, financial control, branding, recruitment, recipe development, production, scaling and negotiating an exit.
Prior to co-founding our business, I was a lawyer in the City of London specialising in financial services, fraud and insolvency.
I find the entrepreneurial world alive with ideas but often lacking in the practical approaches that will move the odds of success in your favour.
I am happy to mentor and discuss through issues that arise.
Currently, I am also investing in companies that can be scaled.

Business consultant, branding, e-commerce. Expert investment advisor helping start ups and companies get investment ready.

I have spent 35 years within the healthcare industry and am available for full product life cycle marketing an Dd sales functions .

Throughout my career, I have been dedicated to driving sector-agnostic innovation and commercialisation, with a particular focus on technology transfer and knowledge exchange within the Life Science and MedTech domains. My expertise spans a wide range of areas, including RWD with relation to Pharma and DHSC, procurement & healthcare, marketing research & campaigns, product & business development, strategic marketing implementation, sales growth & optimisation, stakeholders’ engagement, cost control & budget administration, CMO compliance, regulatory and compliance expertise, CRM utilisation, and negotiating various routes to achieve maximum outcomes.

In my most recent role as a Business Development Executive and Projects Manager at the University of Leicester, I have successfully collaborated with Innovative Life Science SMEs in the MedTech, FemTech, and Biotech sectors, leading various projects to commercialisation. My work involved facilitating the growth of start-ups and established SMEs, developing processes and support services, and promoting collaborative research programs for marketing and SME support.

I have also had the privilege of working with data companies that provide real-world granular data to the Pharmaceutical Industry using AI-enabled programs, leading to groundbreaking solutions for Healthcare Clinicians and aiding them in making informed decisions. Additionally, I have collaborated on projects involving devices monitoring conditions such as TIA, strokes, menopause, fibroids, and menstrual cycles, providing data to help physicians make evidence-based decisions.

As a Sales and Marketing Strategy Manager at Strides Pharma UK Ltd, I demonstrated my ability to lead teams and optimise brand profitability, achieving significant sales growth within a short timeframe. In addition, as the owner of Tone Consultancy Ltd, I excelled in developing new products and implementing commercialisation strategies for global pharmaceutical companies while managing a team of 10 Healthcare Executives.

My approach to problem-solving involves driving innovation and finding creative solutions to exceed expectations. I thrive in navigating ambiguity and complexity, using my diverse skill set to ask the right questions and analyse situations effectively. Throughout my career, I have been instrumental in fostering diverse thinking, nurturing innovation, and implementing growth strategies to drive success for both clients and organisations.

Hi, I am a Product Owner/ Scrum Master with 12+ years of industry experience. I have a Bachelor’s in Computer Science, a Master’s in Information system Management, and a diploma in Educational Psychology. I have worked with multiple startups and helped them scale into multi million dollar businesses within a short time span. I have the knowledge and expertise to execute the entire software development end to end. Some of these startups even got acquired. I am a certified Scrum Master (CSM) and a certified Product Owner (CSPO) from scrum alliance.
I believe I can really contribute towards the startup founders who are struggling with how to position their product in the market or decide which features to build first? I can help them with their product road maps to identify potential bottlenecks in the process.

Having founded 2 companies (1 during the peak of Covid Pandemic) and taking them to markets outside of the UK, I can provide support and assistance on road mapping and scaling while being bootstrapped, collecting and actioning customer feedback and cost management.

I am the CEO, at 10mg Pharma, a company dedicated to enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability in Africa through innovative AI-driven solutions. With extensive experience in go-to-market strategies and business development, I am passionate about mentoring startups and entrepreneurs in navigating the complexities of market entry, scaling operations, and driving sustainable growth. I look forward to sharing insights and strategies to help you achieve your business goals and make a meaningful impact in your industry.

Mentor for life science companies and start-ups.
Experience in pharmaceutical company management, UK and overseas.
Industry adviser with 3i plc
Director and previous Chair of Medilink Midlands
Interest in helping technical groups who need commercial and funding guidance to develop their business.

Worked in UX for around 7 years. Originally began working designing and building eCommerce websites, then moved into working on product for startups and some big companies (Dunelm, Waitrose). Over the last few years, I’ve specialised in designing MVP’s and working on early-stage stuff for startups. I’ve also ran a lot of innovation workshops for bigger companies.

I am an MBA qualified Start-Up & Innovation coach, Leanstack coach, certified pretotyper & growth master, with a passion for developing innovation opportunities within organisations and with startups.

I have over 20 years of experience of product management in global organisations, managing complex relationships at a strategic level and driving business change.

Focus on working with pre-and-early startups to develop their ideas and to gain traction.

20 years of experience in project delivery, business changes, processes and tools implementation
10 years experience of business planning and start-ups
Process management
Tech implementation
Strategy planning
Business plans
Idea formation
Project delivery
Operational efficiencies

One-to-one, tailored support and guidance for Leicester & Leicestershire businesses seeking help, information and advice

• Rapidly developing and testing ideas
• Business modelling
• Marketing strategy
• Entrepreneur networks/community building
• Getting free support from universities
• Startups originating from universities
  

Advice on options for fundraising, support with fundraising narrative and pitch materials such as decks and financial models.

As a seasoned Business Development Consultant and Fractional Exec at BRIC Consultancy, I bring over 22 years of diverse experience in providing business advisory services, strategic planning, systems integration, and management consulting to start-ups and established organisations alike.
I am known for creating bespoke business strategies tailored to my client’s unique needs, helping them exceed their goals.

Throughout my career, I have established a reputation for my strategic communications skills, ability to manage operations effectively, and commitment to community development.
With a passion for equipping professionals with the skills they need to succeed, I offer one-on-one and group training sessions in various software applications, further underscoring my dedication to professional development.

In all aspects of my work, my goal remains the same: to help businesses and individuals achieve their fullest potential. I am driven by the knowledge that the right strategies, tools, and insights can truly transform a business and make a meaningful impact.

As a second time founder, I have vast experience in the Startup world and a good understanding of the varying hurdles faced in the quest to launch a product to market. I have achieved pre-seed investment and can provide a good insight into working with accelerators, selecting and building mentor networks and onboarding advisors. My background is sales and marketing having previously worked with SME’s through to Blue Chip clients on a range of digital and print projects. Happy to connect.

Specialised in product development, brand design, and business scaling within the cosmetics and perfumery industry. Experienced in driving growth across eCommerce, D2C, and B2B channels, with a strong focus on digital marketing, innovation, and creating impactful customer experiences

Experience of running B2B software-as-a-startup (SaaS) businesses, app and website development, SaaS pricing and onboarding. Experience of running community organisations and helping startups. Good at helping work out early stage startups validate their business ideas/models.

I really enjoy helping pre-revenue startups, growth-phase startups, and late-stage startups, and have built up a lot of relevant experience over many years.

Examples of free or heavily-subsidised support I can provide to startups:
– Initial consultations;
– IP training;
– IP strategy;
– IP budgeting (e.g., multi-year forecasts);
– Helping startups to explain their IP to laypeople;
– Pre-pitch coaching (responding to IP questions);
– Pre-haggling coaching (negotiating IP royalties or IP valuation);
– IP due diligence support (including meeting investors);
– NDAs;
– Regular catch-ups to discuss progress.

Examples of my paid support:
– IP protection;
– Risk assessments on freedom to operate;
– Full IP Audits (often funded);
– IP clauses in contracts;
– Enforcing IP and resolving disputes.

13 Years experience helping businesses start-up, develop and grow. I’m a well rounded business adviser who understands marketing, finance, operations, project management and innovation. I’m particularly interested in helping businesses gain access to finance and know quite a bit about what it takes to become investment ready.

I implemented and grew the AI system that keeps planes in the air at 35,000 ft. Now I help other industrial businesses achieve the same.
Having helped organizations like Rolls-Royce, and SSE use existing data to achieve £100M+ savings, I am now helping large industrial organizations use the learnings to achieve £Millions in OPEX cost reduction. I engage with some of the largest industrial organizations to help them reduce OPEX costs using our high-frequency industrial analytics platform.

MBA, bootstrapping, strategic planning, non executive, investor,

Brand development: Expertise in creating compelling brand identities that resonate with target audiences. This includes developing brand strategy, visual identity, and positioning frameworks.
Co-founder and director of a successful agency: Established and grew a creative agency, successfully managing a diverse portfolio of clients across various industries, now focused on developing new branding agency.
Network: Well-connected within the creative and business communities in Leicestershire, including local business networks.

Freelance full-stack software developer specialised in Microsoft .Net technologies with more than 20 years of experience delivering enterprise solutions with 1+ years in scaled agile framework (SaFE) implementation. Familiar with working in agile teams, following scrum, BDD and Domain Driven Development methodology. Experience of the following industries and sectors: Utility, Retail, Banking, E-Commerce, Digital Signage, Kiosk, Small Office Home Office, Information Technology, Logistics, Automated Trading, Warehouse Management.

My main skills lie in Growth , Go To Market Strategies and value proposition. The bulk of my career has been spent working in the digital and technology space mostly in sales. I have experience across all industries but a deep knowledge of public sector and understand this space very well. I have a passion for working with social ventures of all shapes and sizes.

The Lean Startup is about learning what your customers really want. It’s about testing your vision continuously, adapting and adjusting before it’s too late.

Business coaching – supporting scaling companies by being a sounding board, actively helping where I can or signposting to useful content/people in the ecosystem

Commercial lawyer and founder building a network of lawyers and accountants around the world. Happy to help with any general legal issues for small businesses or find you other lawyers or accountants with suitable expertise.

Patents for inventions, registered trade marks, registered designs, copyright, intellectual property law in general.

Great guide to using communities as a growth engine for startups

Over 20 years of global experience in Space & Astrophysics that resulted in a deep dive into mission management, software and product development, and entrepreneurship. Ex-NASA Mission Director, and Mission Director for newspace tech startups.

Skilled at deterministic analysis of ambitious space projects, fulfilling space missions, and developing data software stacks.

A good sounding board for any idea; space or otherwise.

Founder; CEO; Director; Senior Level Executive; Principle Investigator.

Based at Space Park Leicester, UK.

Business support for innovators developing ideas for the MedTech/Health and wellbeing areas.
Medilink Midlands (and Teresa Smith Consultancy) provide networking, engagement, advice and support for companies, from pre starts, all the way to international groups. 9 years managing business innovation support projects with University of Leicester and 7 years (to date) with Medilink Midlands.

I advise businesses on commercial trading arrangements, including: non disclosure agreements; terms of sale and purchase; agency and distribution arrangements; contractual joint ventures and funding agreements.

I also advise on IT and technology contracts including: contracts for the sale and purchase of IT and other technology; licensing of software and apps; contracts for the provision of software/infrastructure/platform as a service.

I have run my business for 12 years and have a long history of working with Start-ups and established businesses. I can help leaders and teams set goals and plans to achieve their successes. I also coach and mentor business leaders to help them stay motivated and accountable to carry out their strategy and plans. I offer design sprint facilitated workshops to solve challenges and create new products and ideas quickly.

I run 1:1 and training workshops on marketing and sales to help leaders navigate the sales and marketing maze. I am passionate about supporting businesses and I through coaching and mentoring, can positively challenge thinking and help with mindset to overcome obstacles.

I work closely with Growth Hubs and the Chamber of Commerce as an approved consultant so I can also help signpost to relevant funding and initiatives to support launch and growth.

– Computer Science graduate from DMU
– Founded an AI-based language learning startup in 2017
– B2B startup experience
– General tech startup-related stuff
– Vesting schedules and other aspects related to equity and company structure
– Experience in gaining commercial investment and soft funding

Are you a visionary founder struggling to communicate your unique brand narrative?

Maximise your Brand Potential:

-> In a crowded marketplace, a great idea isn’t enough.

-> It’s crucial that your personal brand stands out, resonates with your target audience, and reflects your unique story.

Transform your Brand with Tailored Strategies:
I’m Rajen, your personal brand coach and visual strategist:

-> Crafting bespoke personal brand strategies tailored from in-depth interviews.

-> Building a compelling 500-word personal brand story that encapsulates your unique journey.

-> Creating a set of story-led portraits and images to visually boost your brand presence.

Ready to distinguish yourself from the crowd?

Let’s elevate your personal brand together. Get in touch ->

Assistance and expertise in investment readiness
Help with connections to funders
Advice around what funding is suitable and realistic
Assistance in preparing relevant documents

Experienced Venture and Angel investor, mentor and adviser. Specialist in financial modelling, forecasting & strategic planning. Keen to help you understand what investors want to see and how to present it to them

1. Funding
2. Fundraising and pitching
3. Strategy: product development and GTM strategy
4. Coaching

The onboarding experience can be the difference between life and death for your product. Here’s everything we learned about improving it.

Lead generation app that uses a nice looking quiz which takes you to a landing page where you get a score, some suggestions how to improve a pdf report

We provide early stage equity finance up to £750,000.

Advice on anything to do with business strategy, revenue growth, pricing and customer acquisition.

Also comms, marketing and investment strategy.

Feedback on pitch decks.

Business Plans (for VC/Angel investment)
Marketing Planning, Implementation and Evaluation
Idea Validation
Generational Motivational Advice

Provision of equity investment for companies raising £300k to £2m.

I am a dual qualified solicitor and chartered trade mark attorney and the founder of an Intellectual Property Consultancy Startup. I advise my clients on how to protect their brands worldwide in the most cost-effective way. I provide straightforward advice on trade marks, design and copyright law without the legal jargon.

I have over 30 years professional experience working in new product introduction with small businesses and large OEM’s such as Caterpillar and Rolls-Royce. Having originally qualified in product design from Loughborough University I am also a chartered mechanical engineer and fellow with the IMechE. I have extensive experience in the leadership and delivery of high value, complex engineering programmes, with applied expertise in systems engineering and programme management as well as practical hands on experience in the design of castings, fabrications, injection mouldings, and polymer composites.

I am an accomplished entrepreneur with a proven track record in Digital Health and Technology. I founded The GP Service, an innovative telemedicine platform that connects patients with doctors online, enables prescription collection from UK pharmacies, and provides access to NHS records. I successfully led the company from startup to a £14m exit through its acquisition by Kanabo Plc.

I am also the co-founder of Care Hires, a pioneering SaaS platform that bridges the gap between care homes and care workers, addressing critical staffing challenges in the healthcare sector. To date, my co-founder and I have raised over £5 million for the business, which is driving innovation and efficiency in a vital industry.

In addition to my ventures, I am leading Prime Start Capital, a platform dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs with scaling their teams and securing investment. My focus as a founder and investor is on creating scalable, technology-driven solutions that deliver meaningful impact while fostering growth and innovation across the HealthTech and technology sectors.

My experience as a mentor started in 2017 with Virgin StartUp (I won Star Mentor of the Year award in 2018)

I mentor leaders and entrepreneurs, working with them to help them see their work and leadership challenges from a different perspective. For example, In recent times I’ve been there to support my mentees on the search for meaningful work, transforming into an impact-driven brand, becoming a responsible leader, culture change of course the whole gamete of challenges around launching new brands, products and services or just growing their existing business for exit or expansion.

I also have provided mentoring in partnership with some great organisations such as The BigHouse, Enterprise Nation, The Ingenuity Programme, and Help to Grow and Create Growth, University of Leicester & Nottingham exec ed programmes.

If you want to introduce yourself and your project, click the booking link for a quick chat.

Thanks

Tim

Interest-free personal loans for new business ideas, businesses needing investment and for postgraduate education. Borrow up to £20,000 for business purposes and up to £10,000 for postgraduate education purposes. Loans are interest free for 9 years, repayable in monthly instalments after 3 years, and are available to people aged over 18 and under 45.

A really good metaphorical depiction of what a Minimum Viable Product is and why you should build one instead of going straight into building an all bells and whistles solution.

I have over 13 years experience in online retail growing retailers very quickly whilst also working with extremely large retailers. This varies from tech development, user experience design, digital marketing including paid media to operational setups for scaling a business. Most recently I started and grew an e-commerce business to £40million in revenue from inception in just 20 months.

Im not just an ecomm guy though. I have lots of experience in Customer Success, Product Management and scaling businesses outside of commerce through traditional and digital marketing.

This includes strategy from working out product market fit to onboarding processes and growth plans

As an experienced lawyer and platform trust and safety advocate and speaker, I can offer the community unique and considered insights. As a director at a FTSE listed tech unicorn, having gone through grassroots funding with a bootlegged start-up, to a huge scale-up to IPO, I’m well positioned to help start-ups at any stage of their journey.

Legal, policy, trust and safety, and beyond are my bag. If that speaks to you, reach out.

Broad experience cross-sector of designing, building and launching products and services globally. Experience with everything from Ideation to Launch and Operation. Most recent experience PropTech; FinTech; EdTech; LegalTech; HRTech; Enterprise SaaS;

Email and CRM strategies including onboarding customers, dealing with churn and any other CRM Comms. Big part of how I help is to look at the right way to analyse your customer base and their behavioural attributes.

Skills, experience, expertise: capital equipment, sensor development, quality control, rolled goods, colour science, R&D funding, collaborative innovation, capex business development, exporting, international sales.

Led a programme of support for student and graduate start-ups across various industries. The programme focuses on early stage (pre-trading/ registration) start-ups and I can provide coaching, mentoring and connect individuals with the local start-up community and further start-up support. I also have experience in start-up social media and business modelling of start-ups. I currently run my own start-up in the camping industry.

Supply chain management within the Leather and Footwear Industry. Consultancy and matching brands with both raw material and finished product vendors. Also many years helping and mentoring new business start-ups. Using a wide range of contacts for both funding and signposting for professional input.

Guidance on how to start a tech business, scaling the business. Advice on what to look out for. Good listener. I can inspire and encourage through the growing pains.

I am the founder of She Inspires (Global) Ltd an organisation providing start up support to female entrepreneurs. I am also a Fellow and Mentor for the school of social entrepreneurs and the founder of the Zinthiya Trust supporting women and families to be free from poverty and abuse.

I am able to provider mentoring and support to start ups.

How do you price your software? Is it art, science or magic? How much attention should you pay to your competitors? This short handbook will provide you with the theory, practical advice and case studies you need to stop yourself from reaching for the dice.

CEO and Entrepreneur with an original background in Automotive R&D and in developing immersive and tracking technologies for vehicle development, before moving into applications in Simulation and Training (Defence), Entertainment, Attractions and Experiential sectors. Innovator and developer of high-end immersive visualisation, motion tracking systems and adoption of emerging technologies (VR, MxR) with next-generation software platforms for attractions and experiences.

Spent the past 20 years building a technology-focused solutions business, managing strategic business growth, leading innovation and development of patentable technologies and IP, sales management, go-to-market strategy, and strategic partnerships, including globalisation of the business with expansion into the US, GCC, Far East and China. Experienced in managing strategic, value-adding investors supporting business growth, development of unique IP, new products and leveraging synergies of the businesses core IP and software platforms for further market diversification.

Very happy to share my knowledge, experiences, networks and generally support with any value-add I can bring around growth, strategic planning, innovation, development, and investment to start-ups or to established businesses.

I’m a Video Game Producer, specialising in start-up and scale-up studios. It”s quite a niche role! It encompasses aspects of Project Management and Change Management but basically it is a facilitation role designed to keep the team on track and aligned with delivering their goal. Sometimes it involves helping them find out what their goal is! Through enthusiastic cheer-leading and use of interrogative and investigative questions, my role is to help the team deliver high quality output at a sustainable pace. The Producer is never the star of the show – our job is to help all the members of the team work together better.
I Can Help With:
Refining Ideas – What problem are you actually trying to solve?
Formulating A Plan – How are you going to go about solving your problem?
Presentation – Let’s proof-read your pitch together.
Mentoring – I’m also a failed entrepreneur! Learn from my mistakes!

35 years’ experience in one aspect or another of accounts & tax. Have sold one practice, now building a new one using modern (off the shelf) cloud tech.

Initial advice and guidance surrounding any aspect of staff employment, including:
Taking on your first employee
Employment contracts
Employment Law
Terms & Conditions
Employee handbooks and policies
Recruitment
Reward
Employee relations (disciplinary, grievance, performance, absence etc)
Mergers & Acquisitions implications (TUPE)
Organisational change
Leadership Development
Training & Development
Settlement agreements
Redundancy

Web apps, software engineering, ed-tech

Made lots of mistakes over the last 7 years as we have take the team from just myself with an idea to a team of 14. Bootstrapped. Small amount of venture. Got to profitability. My key skills are in sales and marketing. Just started a diploma in coaching as long term goals is to be a mentor / coach / investor to small businesses

Advising on:
obtaining funding, grants, investment, loans;
generating a Portfolio of all Intellectual Property rights & issues;
commercialising the intellectual Property Portfolio;
general issues on setting up a start-up;
seeking & preparing for Angel & Private Equity investment.

I’ve spent the last 12 years working across two start-ups in the martech/payment space.

The first has been growing for around a decade and counts some of the largest brands in the UK, Europe & America as it’s clients and has raised investment from some of the most highly regarded names in the space, as well as from one of UK’s largest VCs.

The second start-up is 3 years into it’s journey and leverages innovations in the payment space to deliver a unique solution for merchants to engage their customers and reward loyalty with none of the traditional points of friction (cards, mobile apps, customer data). We are at the beginning of our journey and starting to scale quickly…

Would be very happy to help young individuals/companies with ideas/products in a similar space, who may like to hear about successes/failures we’ve had along our journey so far.

Leveraging 6+ years of experience across various sectors like public health, defence, technology, fintech, and education, I’ve spearheaded innovative solutions as both Head of IT at a social enterprise and Engineering Manager at a fintech startup. Now, I’m passionate about supporting female founders.

I can help you with:
• Building and scaling software solutions – Using my technical experience and skills, I can guide you in designing, developing, and deploying complex applications using cutting-edge technologies.
• Shaping your team – I can help you build a strong foundation by sharing best practices in communication, team culture, agile methodologies, and efficient workflows, even with limited resources.
• Problem-solving and critical thinking – I can teach you how to identify and tackle complex challenges and find creative solutions that are innovative and efficient.
• Project management – Having managed various complex projects, I can teach you how to deliver successful projects on time and within budget.
• Navigating the tech industry as a woman can be challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone. I’m here to provide guidance, support, and a strong network to help you overcome these challenges.

Currently building an online wills and lasting powers of attorney startup.

– leading teams/development teams
– automating your processes without knowing how to code
– hiring great people
– team dynamics
– finding the right tools to run your business
– telling people they don’t need an app

George founded his own comms strategy agency in 2020 and has a first-class MSc Strategic Leadership from Loughborough University. He is a CIPR Chartered PR Practitioner.
His work focuses on use of communications to support East Midlands regional growth, particularly among innovative early stage businesses.
George was shortlisted for the CIPR’s Independent PR Practitioner of the Year in 2023 and is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the University of Leicester.
Before starting his own business, George spent 15 years as a journalist, including four years as Editor of the Leicester Mercury.
He led the shift to digital-first publishing in Leicester, the launch of LeicestershireLive, and co-founded the LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards.

Experienced at helping start-ups figure out their position and messaging in the market, acting as a sounding board and outside advisor to help ideas develop. Experience working with multiple companies ranging from Seed – Series A funding, helping them build credibility with customers, the media and potential investors.

Passionate about storytelling. Succinct and intelligent communications, and creative media production. We lead an opinionated, funny and direct discourse on the effectiveness of B2B Marketing AND Internal communications.

I am a Digital Transformation expert with 21 years of experience in large technology providers including Microsoft and Hitachi, and I have led many multi-million projects for enterprise customers. I have an MSc in Engineering Management and an MBA from the University of Leicester.

Use of data, artificial intelligence and automation

My journey has been marked by a proven track record of building award-winning teams and turning businesses into profitable ventures. With a keen eye for innovation and a knack for strategic thinking, I’ve managed hotels and conference centres, collectively generating an impressive £3 million in annual revenue.

Unleashing Creativity in Strategy
My ability to merge imaginative creativity with sound business principles sets me apart. As a consultant, I’ve consistently delivered results that blend innovation with profitability, enriching projects with a touch of individuality.

Empowering the Next Wave
My dedication extends beyond consultancy – I find immense fulfilment in mentoring aspiring individuals in the hospitality field. Collaborating with universities and colleges as a Springboard Ambassador allows me to contribute to shaping the industry’s future leaders.

If you are getting started in the world of hospitality or thinking of starting a business, why not reach out? I would love to hear your plans.

Creator of client-portal SaaS product and design academy which helps developers conquer their fear of design. Experience of going from freelancing design services to digital products.

Building tech and startup communities
Connecting the right people together
Public speaking & Events planning
Signposting
Startup knowledge and networks

Technical skills: Web development, mobile apps, servers etc. I built all of the technology for a place promotion app, so have a wide range of experience. Company financials: I’m obsessed with tracking revenue and profits accurately and focusing on maximising margins.
Processes and automating: Making a company, and the team, as autonomous as possible to get a business running as efficiently as possible.

Pay per click (Google Ads, Bing Ads, Linkedin Ads, Facebook Ads)
Analytics (Google Analytics, Tag Manager, Reporting, CRMs)
Marketing strategy
e-commerce

I have a wealth of experience and skills, gained in both the corporate space and within technology startups. I am a serial entrepreneur and have skills in Leadership, People Development, Business Strategy, Sales and Marketing and Finance.

Have worked in SEO for 9 years, and now in SaaS for around 3 years

EXPERTISE:

Startup and business growth strategy
Product development and management
Project and operational management
Business development, sales, marketing
Investment readiness and marketing
Financial management
Joint venture building
Team development and management
Executive coaching and mentoring

PROFILE:

James is a senior business growth strategist and board adviser.
He has over 30 years experience in commercial leadership,
strategy development and execution. He has held board-level
responsibility for developing business markets in the UK and
internationally. He brings real insight into the high growth and
investment sectors.

His vision is to help founders achieve their dreams.

James has worked for blue-chip international companies: Aviva,
BAT, Prudential, Sedgwick and Zurich. He set up a pioneering
corporate incubator with responsibility for international
development. James has held board-level responsibility for
developing business lines and markets in the UK, EU, India, the
Middle East and Scandinavia.

James has worked with a number of high growth startups outside
the corporate world. Clients have been drawn from the charities,
data services, financial services, professional services and tech
sectors in the UK and internationally.

James believes that founders of high growth companies need
support to achieve their goals for personal and business growth. He
developed ScaleUp Focus to help them on their journey to
achieving their dreams.

Design to Manufacturing support from 2 sites in Leicester. We help R&D teams, clinicians and academics with the commercialisation of technologies. From a paper study on unmet needs, through design and development and on to pilot volumes of manufactured product for clinical or market studies. An independent manufacturing viewpoint and bridge to commercialisation strengthens the collaboration and assures investors of a faster ROI.

Junior doctor and founder of an award-winning collection of medical education resources, aimed at medical students and junior doctors.

Governance360 is an institutional and angel investor backed growth business. We build great software that helps you and your Board build structure – making board meetings, risk and compliance management easy.

Focusing on those businesses actively seeking to grow and develop, typically towards or through a funding round, we aim to provide a simple, easy to use workflow for people in this situation.

Co-founder of tech startup that validates your work achievements and skills. Background as consultant and Head of Talent and Performance at various tech startups.

With an unwavering passion for startups, I have played a pivotal role in propelling a number of groundbreaking ventures in the UK and the US to success, contributing from their inception to their exit. From offering operational insights to driving product development, and now practicing as a commercial lawyer, I have remained intricately involved in their transformative journeys. Crucially, my previous role as the Director of Global Product at a NASDAQ-listed legal tech firm in the US equipped me with a profound understanding of the nexus between law and innovation, enabling me to formulate products and services tailored specifically for startups and legal subscription customers.

My dedication to crafting exceptional customer experiences and fostering seamless customer journeys reflects my genuine empathy for the challenges that startups face. Currently, I hold a prominent position in one of London’s most dynamic law firms, where I not only practice as a Commercial Lawyer but also provide support for legal product development and enhance the customer experience for our clients.

I am easy to get along with, very approachable, and eager to extend support and establish meaningful connections within the startup community in Leicester, my hometown! I am readily accessible to assist with any operational, product, and/or legal-related questions. Always happy to help and connect! 🙂

How to test you’re charging the right amount and at the right frequency. Mostly aimed at B2B Saas.

I’ve been in IT for 25 years in roles including developer, architect, and CTO. I’ve also spent time evangelising and implementing methodologies to deliver business value.

Recently, I was a founder and CTO of a WealthTech company. Now, a founder and CEO of an EdTech company.

I love to code and design elegant scalable architectures, build teams, and define processes to help companies transition from startup to scale-up.

Legal framework, documentation & Regulation
Having worked in a range of (national & international) law firms in multiple jurisdictions, I have gained experience to help companies quickly identify issues around starting a company. I have assisted two start-ups with funding arrangements from this community and I have previously owned and sold my own company.

One of my key selling points is connection. I am able to connect you with people that are well-known in the industry.

I am able to support companies in the following:
1. Connecting you to VCs/Angels (via our firm connection)
2. Providing advice from a legal standpoint – corporate/commercial as I have access to some of the best lawyers in their respective fields.
3. Providing an insight on the next stages of the start-up cycle
4. Assisting with legal documentation such as shareholder’s agreement etc.

By reaching out to only those individuals who have expressed an interest in learning more about a product, Permission Marketing enables companies to develop long-term relationships with customers, create trust, build brand awareness, and greatly improve the chances of making a sale.

General business advice – strategy, planning, financial, business plan review, pitch deck review
Several years experience in real estate and interested in supporting PropTech startups to identify and refine use cases + identify target customers
Also interested in placemaking, sustainability, regeneration, emerging tech, personal finance, wellbeing
Limited network in East Mids currently, having moved here recently – majority of connections are London based – including startups, investors

I have been the founder of 2 companies, one was a company aimed at connecting suppliers and manufacturers together. The other business was based in recruitment. I have also worked at national and international law firms within the area of commercial litigation. I have experience drafting many different types of legal documents and I am happy to share my experiences when it comes to commercial litigation. I can help you at the information stage by sharing more information on these types of documents. This will then pave the way for you to reach out to a solicitor who can actually draft these documents. You will be gaining industry insight into the legal side of things when you are talking to me.

A highly accessible, practical, method for growth that involves cross-functional teams and continuous testing and iteration.

I am a Software Engineer with 9 years of experience in big data. Currently, I am studying for an MBA at Warwick Business School and have good connections with the Alumni’s and the University, which I can offer to match businesses with the relevant people.
I have been implementing the knowledge I learned at the MBA to help a charity and now a startup to get their product off the ground.

I am well versed in using MSSQL, Snowflake, Azure Data Warehouse (synapse), Python, and C#. I can help with Cyber Security by implementing CIS benchmarks, the NIST framework, and Threat Modeling.

The majority of my experience in the industry is from financial and insurance. Thus, I can help set up FCA/PRA cloud environments and PCI DSS auditing.

CEO at edtech startup, Entrepreneur in residence.

15+ years experience in adult education. Expertise in systems / design thinking, automating business processes, and navigating the investment landscape. Resilience coach. Speaker. STEM and apprentice ambassador. Champions female founders.

Interests include scuba diving and paddle boarding.

“Kerry is a very experienced edtech founder with a speciality for improving learning outcomes”

– 5+ years working for the BBC as a broadcast journalist (radio)
– 4 years working in PR/communications
– Independent podcast producer (recording, editing and publishing)

Team management – managing a team in a scaling business / recruitment / employee engagement
Marketing – print, digital, design – specialism in Social Media
Sales – pitching to clients, identifying new markets

Marketing, raising funds, product vision, business development

Short video describing the key components of a well written investor pitch deck for startups. Lots of real world examples included.

20+ years experience in founding/working in tech startups in UK/Silicon Valley. Expertise in lean startups, software engineering, product management, business development, marketing strategy, and funding.

An early stage Tech Fund that aims to generate a beneficial social or environmental impact alongside a financial return.

Happy to help and offer any advice on public sector procurement ( especially technical) and how you can engage compliantly with Councils.

Comprehensive guide to leveraging network effects to grow startups

Angel Investment and connections to funding streams.
Commercial advice including:
Strategy incl “Purpose”.
* Sales,Marketing, Media, Pitch and narrative development
*Business Planning – financial projections including discounted cashflow projections, revenue generation and ARR.
*Tech development: access to coder capacity and stack development for prototypes,MVP to operational scale.
General advice and connections relating to team, Executive roles and NED’s.

For 16 years, I’ve been at the forefront of the digital consultancy landscape, witnessing its evolution from the internet’s infancy to today’s powerful platforms. I’ve partnered with a variety of brands – from startups to established enterprises – to achieve predictable and effective growth across markets and customer segments.

My expertise lies in digital product and platform design, engineering, application lifecycle management, brand communication strategies, cloud operations, and cybersecurity. I’m well-versed in modern tools and systems used to manage mid-market businesses. In fact, I’ve spearheaded the creation and implementation of standardized processes and workflows within my own company, which has grown significantly since its inception in 2008.

We’ve scaled from a team of 2 to over 45 talented individuals across 4 sub-units in 3 countries. Our revenue has also grown by a factor of 10 since our startup days.

What this means for you: I bring a wealth of experience and a proven track record to help your business achieve similar success in the digital landscape.

I have a creative industries background, with over 20 years of experience in managing theatres, festivals, concert halls, museums, tourism and marketing agencies. I’m now Managing Director at https://www.advantagecreative.co.uk which has a track record of investing into and supporting creative startups, where I lead on coaching and mentoring projects.

When I’m engaged in mentoring or one-to-one support with a Founder or Start-up team, I tend to be engaged in the first instance in supporting them through the stages of a planned fundraising campaign, or on developing their fundraising strategy, often (but not always) with a focus on equity fundraising.

Alongside my professional practice in the creative industries, I have built a property investment business as a “side hustle” in the first instance, developing this into a more professional and diversified investment portfolio in more recent years, learning lots from the “school of hard knocks” along the way!

I”m always happy to have an initial chat with Founders to see if there are ways I can bring value.

Executive Leadership: Company Acquisition, Budget Management, P&L, Product Strategy & Execution, Go-to-Market & Launch Planning, Product Lifecycle, Release Cycles, Pricing, Product Management & Ownership, Negotiating, Partner Management, Stakeholder Management, Distribution, Marketing

Management: On- & Offshore Team Leadership, Requirement Definition, Scoping, Budgeting, Software Development, Design, UX, Technical Specifications, Best Practices, Testing, QA, Agile, Scrum, Kanban, Incremental, Waterfall, RAD

Product design lead in B2B Saas

Working in Health and Education, supporting women in business, start up support

Legal advice in relation to Intellectual Property, IT issues and Data Protection

A long track record in helping companies develop their business and pricing strategies. I also love working with entrepreneurs, people who want to make things happen. I now wish to bring my expertise to young businesses wanting to grow and hope my involvement will help propel them to success.

Personal experience of working both client-side and as a consultant for global organisations. Yet I’m equally comfortable working with SMEs, having started, grown and sold my own business. This has provided me with a solid grounding in sales, marketing, team-building and finance (Qualified accountant).
I offer specific expertise in all aspects of pricing strategy. In addition, I am skilled at strategy development, business planning and business mentoring. I use this experience to help clients grow profitably.

Sectors include: logistics, B2B distribution & services, software and IOT, manufacturing, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, animal health, education, publishing and visitor attractions .

Branding, marketing, communications, business start-up and support with entrepreneurial/intrepreneurial mindset learning.

When creating a new product, one of the most important strategic decisions a startup can make is selecting the right vertical market to point all development and marketing resources towards.

Can provide advice on my learnings to date. The things that I have maybe done wrong and what I would do differently. Can also provide advice on raising finance, finding investors and the importance of creating efficient sales funnels.

I’m an Advisor and fractional CMO, working with start-up and scale-up businesses to help them grow. I founded the Nottingham-born UNiDAYS and scaled the business to £11m+ turnover. I had previously owned a creative design and branding agency, and an extra twist in my career is a 6-year full-time run in the not-for-profit sector, with ongoing commitments as a Non-Executive Director for positive impact organisations.

I have a useful mix of being both creative and strategic in nature. I’m super approachable, fun to work with, and enjoy supporting others to help them achieve great things.

Mentoring of early stage founders.

17 years running own business and supporting others’ business growth. Access to funding specialist. Business Angel (limited). Significant experience in securing grant funding (local, regional and national) for client businesses, as well as helping businesses to raise equity funding (and some debt). Well connected to public sources of funding and business support.
Many years of supporting new start and early stage businesses through advice, guidance, mentoring, coaching and signposting.

SFC is the UK’s most active early-stage investment firm, with over 350 investments made in British start-ups since 2012. By combining our award-winning SEIS and EIS Funds with an active angel network, SFC has created a unique model that allows investors to get exposure to SEIS and EIS eligible businesses, either directly or through a managed portfolio. For entrepreneurs, SFC is the ideal partner who will accompany you from your first SEIS funding round through to a successful exit.

“Startup communities” are popping up everywhere, from cities like Boulder to Boston and even in countries such as Iceland. These types of entrepreneurial ecosystems are driving innovation and small business energy. Startup Communities documents the buzz, strategy, long-term perspective, and dynamics of building communities of entrepreneurs who can feed off of each other’s talent, creativity, and support.

Started and exited various businesses in a wide range of sectors so have experience to offer in creative, food and drink, social enterprise, retail, building trades, event management
Strategy development
Connector
Mentor
Small investment interest

I’ve spent 18+ years working in start-ups, businesses, charities and social enterprises. This involved leading programmes, managing grant funds, operations, fundraising, strategic planning and building partnerships across Senior Management Teams. 

Good guide to recruiting for startups. Covers the conflict between recruiting quickly and recruiting well. Advocates using your network to find candidates due to increased likelihood of them being a good fit

I have previously worked at KPMG India in tech consulting team. I have also been a serial entrepreneur with startups in e-commerce, health tech and technology automation. Currently, helping companies through venture building, mentorship, networking and most importantly to raise funds. I specifically look to help enterprises wanting to make a difference in society.

Knowledge of finance options in the East and South-East Midlands.

Help to review your business plan and all your IP to create an IP register which allows you to easily see what is valuable, how we agree it should be protected and plan for any patent, trade mark or design registrations. My aim is to ensure you are IP aware and understanding how your IP is helping your business.

I also specialise in obtaining patents for a wide range of technologies and, in particular, in the fields of software and energy.

Great overview video of the key crowdfunding options for startups (donations, Equity or rewards) and a deeper dive into Kickstarter which Thomas used successfully himself.

Experience around Personal and Business development
Expertise around Sport Science-related product development
Expertise around Business Management Software (ERP, CRM, E-commerce)

2 startups, 2 exits, ran an accelerator, run a fund. I can help with most things relating to startups. I am really good at founder coaching/mentoring and with helping people preparing their pitches.