Fundraising

What We Do

We support your fundraising journey from start to finish, with minimal drain on the management team, so you can stay focused on growing your business. We assess potential gaps and work closely with you to strengthen your investment case and maximise the likelihood of a successful outcome.

We work with you to craft a compelling pitch that highlights your strengths and unique positioning. We help identify the most relevant sources of capital for your business and assess a suitable valuation. We then support the investment campaign, guide you through due diligence, and help you prepare for negotiations and closing.

Note: Where we refer to “investors” or “sources of capital”, this reflects introductions to corporate finance contacts as part of the client’s own fundraising activity.

Our Approach

We apply a rigorous X-ray process to evaluate the key elements of your business that are typically the focus of investors and the wider capital markets: technology readiness, operational performance (prototype – commercial trials – commercial sales), team, total addressable market (TAM), shareholders/cap table, carbon-reduction impact, and financials.

We work closely with you to bring the right balance of challenge, market insight, and creativity, helping to ensure your equity story is aligned with investor expectations and addresses potential concerns.

Note: Where we refer to “investors”, this reflects the expectations of the wider investment market and corporate finance ecosystem – not parties directly managed or advised by NovAzure.

Typical Fundraising Challenges

Do you have a clear Use of Funds?

Investors will want to have a clear plan on how their investment will be used to catalyse development of the business, be that hiring the talent you need for sales or technical development, strengthening your IP or funding working capital as you go to market. A clear Use of Funds plan is key.

What is your Runway now and post funding?

Fundraising for an early stage technology business takes time and you can expect several rounds, as you scale up. It’s key then to have sufficient funds on hand to fund the business for 6-9 months, as you work through the process to raise new growth funding. That ensures that you have a stronger negotiating position. The Runway is also a key part of your Use of Funds plan, ensuring that you have sufficient working capital to fund the business for 18-24 months, before you think about the next Round.

ARE THERE OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING AVAILABLE?

It is important to explore all of the angles and whilst equity funding is the standard approach, it could be that there are other sources of funding available, such as lease financing, loans or project finance, R&D tax credits, grants, etc. Debt funding is usually easier for capital asset, hard-tech based businesses and we have helped clients to structure their offering to open up these opportunities. We also work with partners to support you in securing grants and R&D tax credits.

DO YOU HAVE A CLEAR BASIS FOR VALUATION?

Valuing early-stage businesses often blends subjective judgment with financial metrics, capturing keen investor attention. We’ve refined our valuation tools to craft methodologies that resonate with investor expectations. This includes aligning with potential investment funds that prioritise carbon reduction, ensuring our business model not only meets financial criteria but also environmental benchmarks crucial for attracting eco-conscious investment. This strategic approach supports a compelling, robust dialogue with investors who value both fiscal responsibility and sustainability.