The Access to Funding event for the Life Science sector in partnership with Deep Bridge Capital on the 25th July provided insights on the types of investment available, how to get investment ready, and the best ways to expand and nurture your investor network.

What are Access to Funding Sessions?

Access to Funding sessions are a series of meetings with investors and business founders from across the London and Partners network. The sessions are curated to help business founders understand the types of investment available, as well as getting investment ready and looking at how to increase their network with the investor community. The sessions aim to add to scaleup’s toolkit and provide knowledge on how to grow and take their business to the next level.

About Deep Bridge Capital

Deep Bridge Capital (formed in 2010), provides reassurance to investors by enabling them to invest alongside our team of passionate, experienced and fair-minded specialists. They bring value to investee companies through proven experience of building growth businesses, involving our network of investors, technology advisors and industry partners.

Event Agenda

Registration and networking.

Roundtable discussion hosted by Dr. Andrew Round, Investment Director at Deep Bridge Capital.

Networking to close.

Key Takeaways

What Investors Look for in a start-up

• Investors want to know they will get along with who they are working with and that they will take advice and put it into action – they may be working together for 8+ years.
• They want to see that they can raise more capital, and they will also be taking into account how the partnership will effect the rest of their fund.
• Early-stage investors are looking for good returns to make up for high attrition, they look for a good IP position, good margins and they want to know there is a real market.
• A strong pre-clinical position; this may even be a small set of human data in a highly regulated environment – investors need confidence it will work.
• Be upfront an open about what you want.
• Early-stage companies usually need around 8-10 years to incubate and exit, so early-stage LP fund managers must quickly deploy their capital to increase their spread.

Differences between the UK and US

• There is a lot of capital that is ‘stuck’ in the US and potentially ‘looking’ this way.
• In the UK, funding rounds happen in increments, in the US you discuss the amount you need to get from A to B.
• There are a few incubators in the US who will invest in rounds with the potential for better cash flow.

Future Events

Our next Access to Funding event will be taking place on November 19th 2024 with more details coming soon.