Category: Guest Blog

Last year, AIN commissioned a Founder survey that, amongst other things, revealed the mental health toll of life as an entrepreneur. In our latest insight piece we hear from Maryam Meddin, founder and CEO of private mental health clinic the Soke on how founders can ride the waves of startup life.

It’s fairly predictable that, in a majority of cases, becoming a founder will bring at least a period of financial uncertainty, some lifestyle sacrifices, personal & professional risks and occasional glimpses into the soul-crushing abyss of an unpredictable global economy. Psychological decline, however, shouldn’t make it to the list of foregone conclusions – the secret is to take steps to mitigate the potential onset of creeping shadows. read more

Following last week’s UK Budget which included £40bn of tax rises, Joanna Jensen, entrepreneur and chair of the Enterprise Investment Scheme Association (EISA) talks through what the measures mean for the UK’s entrepreneurs

Since the double whammy of COVID and Brexit, startups and scale ups have been experiencing belt tightening; liquidity is scarce, the cost of goods has risen enormously and international export legislation is nothing short of a headache. 

Many small firms are facing chronic staffing issues, from the long-term sick, a severe lack of workers in the hospitality and services industries, and many now reluctant to return to the office. A new government talking about growth was a much-needed boost – until the whispers started circling about their intention to remove every lever in the toolbox used to support business growth.  The constant finger pointing at the previous Government feels like an intentional distraction from the fact that they are a collective of business virgins. read more

In our latest guest post we here from Ace Entrepreneurs founder Nadine Campbell on the power of networks in supporting diverse businesses to scale.

The entrepreneurial landscape in the UK is becoming more diverse each year, with an increasing number of founders from underrepresented backgrounds stepping into the spotlight. In fact, over 810,000 new businesses were registered in 2023, and according to the Rose Review, the number of female-led businesses has grown by 18% in the past year alone.

However, the journey for many of these founders remains fraught with challenges, particularly when it comes to accessing the funding and networks necessary to scale. read more

In our latest guest post we hear from Phil McSweeney, angel investor and acclaimed author of AngelThink, the founder’s guide to how angels think. With a wealth of experience in the startup world, he pulls no punches as he tackles the age-old question of why so many founders struggle to secure investment.

The brutal reality of the startup world is that most founders can’t raise investment. Why is this? Here’s the simplest answer I can give you – investors would rather invest in something or someone else. I know, I’m an angel. Our problem – we have too much choice and, if you don’t want me to sugar-coat it, you haven’t made the cut.  read more

In a recent webinar we had a great hour discussing “How To Avoid The Dark Side Of Success” with Dan Kirby, exited Tech founder and the founder of Founders Are Mental (FAM), a coaching community for entrepreneurs. The course helps entrepreneurs define and follow through on the good habits they know they need to do in just a few hours a month.

Here are the top 5 tips:

1) Reality bites ​

There is a big difference between the entrepreneurial life you are sold (ie independence and freedom) and the life you end up having (never switching off, tied to the business. read more

In the latest article in our Founder Mental Health series, AIN sits down with seasoned entrepreneur Dan Kirby, the exited founder of renowned digital agency The Tech Dept, and host of the widely acclaimed business podcast, “Honey I Blew Up the Business.” 

Dan is the founder of the new wellness program ‘Founders Are Mental’ and in this revealing and honest interview he talks to AIN about the intricacies of his entrepreneurial path — from immense success to burnout to now finding new balance and prioritising mental health.  read more

In an era where environmental sustainability and food security are paramount, the world of agriculture is undergoing a profound transformation. Regenerative AgriTech, a groundbreaking approach that combines cutting-edge technology with ecological wisdom, is at the forefront of this change. As the world grapples with the challenges of traditional farming, Regenerative AgriTech offers innovative solutions that are capturing the attention of both investors and eco-conscious farmers. 

In our latest sector focus article Olivia Sibony, AIN’s Head of Impact and founder of Impact Amplified, explores the reasons for the rising interest in regenerative agricultural technology, the hurdles that this sector must overcome, the promising investor opportunities, and the trailblazing companies leading the way in this transformative field. read more

Generative AI, once a niche topic, has rapidly become a global conversation, even being used in a slanging match between rivals in the US Presidential Election. Its promise is to revolutionise industries and reshape the way we interact with technology.

In our latest Sector Focus article, Christian Teichmann, CEO of Burda Principal Investments (BPI), provides insights into what Generative AI means, the reasons behind its surge in interest, the challenges it faces, and the enticing investor opportunity. read more

In this guest post Adah Paris, chair of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England provides insight into how founders can manage workplace wellbeing.

Whether you are a founder or investor it is vital to think about the mental health and wellbeing of everyone involved, including yourselves. The emotional and physical demands of leading a startup require a laser sharp focus on wellbeing.

At MHFA England®, we know productivity and wellbeing fuel each other. We believe organisations of all shapes and sizes, including startups, can purposefully design wellbeing into their business model. As founders and investors, you have an unrivalled opportunity to ensure inclusion, wellbeing and high performance go hand in hand.  read more

Fusion technology holds the key to unlocking a clean energy revolution by replicating the energy generation process of stars right here on Earth. With the world’s continuing reliance on carbon-creating fossil fuels, the urgent need for sustainable alternatives has never been greater. This is where fusion steps in, offering both an investor opportunity and the potential for game-changing startups to address critical energy transition needs. 

In our latest Sector Focus article Dr Melanie Windridge, world renowned physicist, CEO and founder of Fusion Energy Insights gives us the low down… read more

The life of a startup is exciting but also tough and this past year has seen a combination of challenges. Many tech firms’ valuations have been radically reduced and we have a more difficult funding climate with investors having more strenuous criteria in the startups they back.

Many founders are needing to change plans quickly, look at longer runways and make really difficult decisions on staffing. All the while working harder than ever to raise funds. This can create real pressure and have a negative impact on mental health. read more

In January 2023, AIN hosted a webinar with Anna Gordon from HubSpot on how startups can use a CRM to manage your fundraising process and investor relationships. If you missed it, here are the top takeaways.

Top takeaways

1. View the investor fundraising process as a sales proces
   One common mistake that startups often make is not treating the investor fundraising process as a sales process that needs to be managed.

2. Deal pipelines aren’t just for sales
   Deal Pipelines aren’t just for sales. Indeed you can use a pipeline to track your fundraising process. You can also use a sales dialer software that can provide sales teams with valuable customer data, which can be used to generate more sales and better serve customers.

3. Leverage a CRM to facilitate your outreach
   You can leverage a CRM to facilitate your outreach to investors by using tools such as templates and sequences.

4. Quality investors early
   Similar to sales, you should quality investors early on with Sales Methodologies such as BANT. The questions you need to ask are: Does the investor have budget? Do they have authority to make the decision and are they willing to spend time with you?
   
   
5. Use CRM tools to establish regular email updates with your existing investors.
   Finally, in addition to helping you communicate with your prospective investors, remember to use CRM tools to establish regular email updates with your existing investors. To check and clean up your email list, you can use an email validation by Zerobounce.

HubSpot is the All-in-One CRM that Scales as Your Startup Grows. If you are a member of Angel Investment Network, you can apply for a discount of 30%- 90% off HubSpot. Learn more and apply here.

Extra resources

Connect your email to HubSpot

Import your data into the HubSpot CRM (can be used to import your investor lists) read more

Burnout is a common issue that affects millions of people around the world. No more so than for entrepreneurs placing everything on the line to launch their businesses. 

This article explores burnout causes and potential solutions from exercise and breathing exercises, to innovative potential solutions like water soluble CBD.

Whether working from home, in an office, or any other work environment, the pressure to perform can quickly lead to exhaustion, cynicism, and a lack of motivation. It’s a vicious cycle that can be hard to escape, but it’s not impossible. read more

Almost three-quarters of investors wouldn’t back a company with a problematic workplace culture.  And 66 per cent of potential recruits wouldn’t accept a job with a company known for having a bad culture.  In a recent report (May 2022) by software developer, Culture Shift, these startling statistics reveal that attitudes have significantly shifted – people are simply unwilling to put up with negative or toxic cultures.

This means that when growing your business creating a positive working culture is higher up the priority list for a founder and organisational leaders of small or large enterprises, than it has ever been.  With a natural expectation from investors for a business to be resilient in challenging economic circumstances and still grow, then this culture has to be carefully created and maintained. read more

Out investment series continues with an exploration of litigation funding, with a guest post from Sophie Liu at Axia Funding.

AxiaFunder is an online litigation funding platform that connects investors with pre-vetted commercial litigation opportunities that we believe have the potential to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns. We are specifically targeting cases on the lower end of the legal market which, in our view, has been underserved by existing funders. 

To date, AxiaFunder raised £2,387,843 for 14 commercial cases, of which six have already reached a positive resolution, generating a 12-94% return to our case investors each over a period of 2-15 months (with an average IRR of 48%). The remaining 8 cases are currently ongoing. There are no losses to date. * read more

“COVID has pulled the transition to digital learning forward by at least 5 years.” These were the words of David Sherwood, CEO and co-founder of EdTech startup BibliU, commenting on the remarkable development of the EdTech market. In our recent look at the data from the platform, it was revealed to be one of the fastest growing sectors for investor interest. Up 56% since the start of the pandemic. AIN’s Sam Louis takes a closer look at the EdTech sector and why it is getting top marks from investors. read more