Services and support

With a full suite of support, we propel you forward and go above and beyond with our added value offerings which you can use at any stage. This new approach to company building and investing aims to support you on your journey to becoming a truly global winner. Our in-house operational, technological, financial, legal, HR, marketing and growth experts, supportive mentors and external partners from our extensive network are readily available to assist you whenever and however you need. This is all designed to help you develop the best products, relationships and traction possible. In short, we provide the fertile soil, water and light for your venture to grow. We want you to think of us as part of your extended team, working in the background so that you can concentrate on what really matters. We want to empower you so you can focus on building your business rather than having to steer through all the different challenging legal, financial, technological and HR distractions. They can act as noise and should not stand in the way as barriers to your success. You can be assured that you are in good hands if you entrust us with dealing with these important aspects. While important, they are ones which you should not be wasting your energies and time on when there are far more crucial uses for that!

The speed to market of a validated product is one of the greatest determining factors in the success of a startup, after management expertise. We can assist in fast-tracking your progress in a number of ways. For example, our marketing team and focus groups work with startups to evaluate their ideas and conduct consumer research. This, coupled with the assistance from our data analytics and business intelligence experts, results in our ability to evaluate customer adoption rates efficiently. This ensures further validation of the startup. We work with startups to identify key technical challenges, share our resources and directly employ technical hires on behalf of the startup. We then build, test, and expand the product, allowing low cost and fast iterations on concepts. This results in industry low investment in development costs in order to fully launch a tested concept. This gives the startup the advantages of leveraging a diverse technical team, without the IP risk, whilst giving us direct visibility over the technical progress. Using a centralised resource to architect the growth strategy, our experts train and build a growth group internal to each business. This ensures that we build best of breed growth tactics within the fabric of the business. Our operational teams work hand in hand with the startup management to drive to a core KPI framework, and build a daily view into the health of the business. This core daily dashboard is typically crucial for the founders and their wider team and board, particularly in the early to growth stages of development. We can be as ‘hands on’ or ‘hands off’ as the startup requires. Make the most of the expert guidance and services on offer!

Incubator – building companies from scratch

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Our incubation projects begin with the inception of the idea (the very first steps of creating a startup) and following this we then work to launch it and turn it into a viable and fully fledged business. We operate a platform for company building with the capabilities, tools and methodologies needed for quick and focussed growth. Our efficient processes and frameworks are ready-to-deploy in order to commercialise and develop ideas and R&D concepts. As our startup learning cycle methodology below shows, we are able to test ideas and concepts swiftly, build business models and strategies, develop prototypes and initial products/offerings and refine these based upon market feedback (learning from and adapting to customer reactions). We then work on further iterations of designs and development and finally create a go-to-market strategy and ultimately launch before scaling further. Along the way we provide you with access to all our services, support network and leading mentors and experts. We source ideas from entrepreneurs looking to develop their visions and co-found businesses with us as an experienced and capable pairs of hands. We also work on ideas we receive from our corporate partners and our wider network. In addition, we originate our own ideas in-house and build those that come from our team members. Single founder? We can be your partners and help you to build your startup and founding team. Non-technical founder? We can build your product for you and act as your CTO and help build up your wider team. Academic or scientific expert but lacking in business skills? We can work to commercialise your research, navigate intellectual property hurdles and help run the business side of things. Our philosophy is based around building things that people need and want. We are aiming to launch and build companies each year that can grow to be true market dominators and global winners.

Accelerator – scaling up to the next level(s)

We partner with entrepreneurs who are looking to scale their business to the next level(s). In order to have a catalytic impact, we provide the personalised guidance, necessary attention, investment, invaluable tools, seasoned mentors and experts, programme of events, educational curriculum, supportive community environment and access to our wider network of leading corporate partners, investors and advisors. Our support is focussed on helping you to achieve rapid yet sustainable growth, putting you in the best possible position to develop your business in the future. Our programme of events, mentorship and education, alongside our physical spaces and in-house capabilities, as well as our online platforms and our virtual offerings, are designed to be an efficient platform to give you the support you need to grow as quickly as possible today and to keep growing beyond that. We strive to ensure your ventures grow in a sustainable manner. without fizzling out after some rapid short term progress. We work intensively with you to get you in the best shape to move forward and reach new heights and milestones. Unlike many traditional accelerators we do not just end with investment and some demo days but continue to support founders as they build their businesses further, through the full lifetime of your companies and beyond. We are not just another accelerator programme with various cohorts but we go above and beyond this with our highly customised and thorough support. This is tailored to your strengths and weaknesses and all planning and timelines etc. are designed to address any specific needs in a speedy yet effective manner. We recognise that each company is different and therefore requires bespoke help and unique schedules. As a result, we do not simply work on a batch specific deadline basis and accept appropriate companies throughout the year. We also run several exciting initiatives including our Unlocking the Asian and American markets schemes to help companies expand globally as well as our startup/corporations collaboration programme to build invaluable relationships with corporate partners. We are looking for founders who are willing to embrace the challenges ahead, want to scale their businesses and grow as entrepreneurs. If you are looking for partners who share your vision and desire to win and who can help you achieve your goals, get in touch with us today.

Technology & Development Services

We provide you with full access to our extensive technological capabilities. We have more than 40 digital experts as part of our in-house development team. To name just a few, this includes experienced system administrators, engineers, product managers, software developers, mobile and web experts, machine learning scientists, designers, quality assurance managers, dev ops specialists and much more. We work hard to understand your technical needs and are on hand to advise, implement, develop and optimise. All team members are experts in Agile-Scrum, are veteran users of the most popular integration-deployment tools and provide you with customised and efficient technology solutions. We like lean and practical architectures and proven open source frameworks. We endeavour to build scalable and user-friendly solutions at all times. Our deep technical expertise is a key strength and enables us to work from inception to delivery, from prototype to MVP and beyond. We support your development needs across multiple technology platforms and industries.

Financial and Accounting Services

We provide you with access to our experienced Financial Professionals and Qualified Accountants and make sure your accounting, tax and compliance, bookkeeping, cash management, pension and payroll needs are taken care of. These are all crucial jobs that need to be handled well by seasoned experts. We can assist right from the very beginning with the defining of your business plan, helping you create and optimise your strategies. We can also assist with incorporation and share structures, with managing your tax plans and returns, as well as developing sophisticated financial models (including working on valuations) and forecasts. Our support further extends from building investor presentations to the setting up of bank accounts, payroll schemes and bookkeeping systems, to assisting with SEIS and EIS and much more. We support you with alternative funding options including specialist grant and crowdfunding advice whilst of course we invest directly ourselves and co-invest through our network. We work hard to act as your outsourced CFO or Finance Director, drawing on all our contacts and expertise to help your business grow at every stage.

HR Services

We recognise the importance that people play in value creation for businesses and ultimately your effectiveness largely depends on the talent available in your company. We provide a full suite of Human Resources services as well as access to our veteran HR professionals. When it comes to recruitment we cannot emphasise enough the importance of getting the right early hires, making sure the best people are in senior roles and crucially ensuring all staff members are satisfied with their working environment and arrangements. A high performance organisation needs effective HR and recruitment processes. We work with you to develop these bespoke to your individual company using our in-house expertise, outside agencies and our wider network. We can help you find the best hires to take you to the next level(s). From creating a talent plan, to contract creation, to helping to implement company and team cultures, principles and policies, to employee benefits and insurance schemes, to talent and performance management to on-boarding (crucial but often neglected) to remuneration levels and share ownership and option schemes, we have you covered for all the HR services you need.

Legal Services

We know just how important reliable legal advice and support is for your business. It is arguably even more important during the earlier stages of a company than at any other time. At the same time, we appreciate just how costly lawyers can be. Since financial resources are often scarce for early stage companies, a blind eye is frequently turned towards the legal side of things. However, this is a very dangerous approach and lawyers should not only come in at times of crisis but be there to spot any issues before they escalate. We provide you with access to expert leading legal professionals and offer a ‘one stop shop’ for all legal aspects. Our full range of services includes corporate structuring, financing, commercial contracts, intellectual property protection and transfer, licensing arrangements, mergers and acquisitions, competition law, commercial litigation, data protection and employment law. We help you navigate through regulatory challenges and any issues that may arise when working internationally in foreign jurisdictions. We constantly seek to identify and address any risks and work with businesses to ensure they operate successfully as well as legally in their jurisdictions.

Design, branding and user experience

The importance of quality design, branding and user experiences cannot be stressed enough and is only becoming more crucial each year. Whilst the technological, financial etc. sides of a business are important areas of focus, other equally important aspects that are key in determining the potential success of a company are often neglected. Effective design is now a bottom line investment and should no longer be seen as a luxury, distraction or after thought but as a necessity. We provide you with access to experienced design, UX and branding professionals to help make your offerings as enjoyable to use and as aesthetically pleasing as possible. To quote the late Paul Rand, effective branding provides ‘the pleasure of recognition and the promise of meaning’. We work with you to ensure your offerings are perceived in the manner you want them to be, telling a coherent story and attracting customers and users. A great user experience is spoken about and admired, helping your company enormously while a good one is welcomed, though it can often be unnoticed (especially as consumers increasingly expect it as a given). However, if the experience is bad, you can almost guarantee that you will always receive negative reactions.

Business intelligence and analytics

When it comes to decision making, business intelligence and the use of data analytics, is not just for large enterprises but is also crucial for earlier stage companies. From making decisions regarding business areas such as sales and operations to problem identification, from product validation to identifying user behaviours and markets, analytics help entrepreneurs to make informed choices based upon tangible data rather than just intuition (which is not to be diminished!). In order to gear your business towards growth it is key to get started on a data strategy as early as possible to avoid wasting resources, prevent costly mistakes and begin good habits company-wide early on. It is increasingly recognised that it is a good idea to prioritise data analysis but many entrepreneurs are not sure how to do it effectively. We provide you with access to dedicated business intelligence specialists and the best tools so you can come up with the most appropriate metrics and optimise performance.

Marketing and PR Services

Effective marketing and PR is crucial to the success of almost any company, regardless of industry, and is particularly important for technology or online based business models. We provide you with access to experienced marketing, PR and commercial specialists across all major marketing areas including Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Social Media, Affiliate and Display marketing. We work alongside you to develop tailored marketing communications, content development and media relations strategies as well as helping you to portray yourselves in the best possible light. We help you to understand your customer bases, attract early adopters and key influencers, test and refine your messaging, evaluate marketing channels and come up with effective branding and PR strategies. Available support is not just on a strategic or tactical level in terms of planning but also operative with the implementation and optimisation of plans and campaigns. We have a very data driven approach with regards to how we proactively monitor and evaluate performance.

Support with scaling abroad to foreign markets

We do not believe that international borders and cultural, political and relationship based differences should be barriers to your success and ability to make a global impact. Great innovations should not be restricted to only certain parts of the world and consumers in particular regions should not have to wait for solutions that already exist elsewhere. We help you expand and scale internationally through our unparalleled multi-national network and platform that offers you our unique local market insights, experiences and access. We invest a great deal into building strategic, governmental and commercial partnerships to enable companies to best establish themselves in challenging and unfamiliar environments, benefit from the support packages (and where applicable, incentive packages), investment and resources on offer and achieve their full potential when scaling. We collaborate closely with local entities from both the public and private sector in each region to drive international growth and to help fast-track your integration into new markets as efficiently as possible. The capabilities of collaboration partners on the ground, particularly established corporations in the region, coupled with government support and access to liquidity provides a powerful mix to help you make a success of expanding abroad. In addition, we work with top universities and research institutions and local incubators and venture accelerators in regions around the world, which can assist you further. Our flexible and personalised approach provides you with a significant competitive advantage and seeks to provide you with all the tools you need to expand internationally whilst shifting as many of the risks that come with globalisation away from growing companies. We provide you with the relationships and access you need at the highest levels, helping you navigate through different regulatory regimes and cultural, political and legal hurdles. We also share our local knowledge and expertise with regards to adapting to market conditions, local logistics and consumer habits. We assist with office space and recruiting hires to complement your team and give you access to relevant local service and infrastructure providers. We provide all this so that you can accelerate your global rollout in the most effective manner.

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Office and co-working space

Our physical presences provide co-working and office space – these facilities serve as creative work environments that encourage innovation, allow entrepreneurs to come together and act as a jumping off points. We can also provide you with office and co-working space through our partner organisations and accelerators around the world. This is coupled with the ability to assist founding teams remotely through online platforms and our virtual offerings. In this day and age, with ever increasing global connectivity, we are fortunate to be able to work with you whenever and wherever, across all time zones and locations. We embrace this fully.

Our extensive and unparalleled global network

If any support you need is not available in-house, we will certainly find what you require in our unrivalled and extensive network. The help you need could come from our mentors, our partnerships or from any of the many different people we have come across during our own journeys over the course of our careers. Rest assured we will work to get you the assistance you need and will not stop until you are fully satisfied.