Investment Readiness Programme for diverse founders

The Investment Readiness Programme is a free, six week programme designed to support London based pre-seed and seed stage businesses led by diverse founders in raising external capital. The support is delivered in partnership with Mountside Ventures. We are funded by UK Shared Prosperity Fund and supported by the Mayor of London.

Apply here for the fifth cohort launching January, 2025.

The following criteria need to be met to be considered for the programme:

  • Based in one of London’s 32 boroughs
  • Have a UK registered company
  • Have a MVP and are actively fundraising in the next six to nine months

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121 businesses supported

£13.9m total amount raised by founders

105 diverse founders supported

What does the programme offer?

The programme offers support and knowledge on early-stage investment, and referrals to mentors and investors. You will have the opportunity to learn from experts about equity and venture debt, fundraising strategy, financial modelling, valuation, start-up loans and most important, how to build a strong business proposition that will attract investors’ interest.

One-to-one support and materials to streamline the fundraising process will also be made available to participants.  

Programme launching January, 2025.

Apply for the January 2025 Investment Ready Programme here.

Our Case Studies

PHINXT Robotics specializes in robotics automation solutions for warehouse operations.

Successfully raised £2m in funding. The round was led by Sure Valley Ventures with participation from Ada Ventures, Atlas Ventures, and Heartfelt Ventures after graduating the programme in March 2024.

Yanwen Chen, Founder and CEO said: “The Investment Readiness Programme was a game changer for us. It helped PHINXT Robotics refine our pitch and improve our financial models, making our value proposition much clearer to potential investors. The programme's workshops and expert feedback enabled us to better understand investor expectations, address gaps in our fundraising approach, and ultimately position the company to attract the right funding. This guidance not only increased our confidence but also streamlined the process, saving us time during the fundraising journey.”