Fundraising Stories with Women Entrepreneurs

Join Julia Elliott Brown, Founder & CEO of Enter the Arena as she sits down with Nicola Piercy, the Founder of Stripe and Stare, the world's most comfortable knickers sustainably sourced from trees. Nicola shares her life as a serial entrepreneur, from founding Stripe and Stare with co-founder Katie Lopes to getting £3.6million in investment.Whilst gaining angel investment, Nicola experienced a devastating personal loss—her husband's unexpected passing. Despite the immense grief, Nicola persevered, meeting investors and navigating the complexities of running a business. Her journey shows the strength, dedication, and resilience required to overcome adversity in both personal and professional realms.Since then, Stripe and Stare went on to gain their first major venture capital round of £1.8m from the Business Growth Fund as well as a further shareholder and customer “crowdfund”.Tune in to discover the unique journey of Stripe and Stare, the brand's commitment to sustainability, and the remarkable story of Nicola Piercy's triumph over personal tragedy while building a globally recognised and eco-conscious business.How to navigate VC term sheetsWhy you need to do due diligence on investorsHow to not take investor rejection personally

Being new to the world of investment, Lisa mapped out local experts in the North East of England that could fill certain knowledge gaps. It was after discovering who could add value to the business that she “accidentally” found her Angel investors and went on to successfully close her round with £225K of funding.Listen to Lisa's investment journey to find out what she learned along the way and her tips that might help you with your own fundraising endeavours.In this episode, you'll discover:The value of having advisors from the startWhy you should think of raising investment as a sales processHow to select the right route to investment 

Like many women starting businesses, the motivation for Rebekah Brown's entrepreneurship, MPowder, was in response to her own experiences and spotting a gap in the market. She was struggling with a multitude of symptoms during perimenopause and felt there was barely any information on how to deal with it.Since then, Rebekah has listened to the stories of many women to understand midlife better, launching several supplements to help enhance the stages of menopause. Rebekah credits the co-creation community as the driving force behind the success of MPowder. As consumers feedback and share their stories, they help the team understand what they should be thinking about next.So, how hard was it to find investors ready to fund a menopause business? Rebekah reveals all about her experiences as she talks through her fundraising journey with our founder and CEO, Julia Elliott Brown.In this episode, you'll discover:How accelerators can help you begin conversations with investorsWhy it's normal to feel confused by the investment worldWhy storytelling during pitches is the key to getting investment

Being an entrepreneur is an incredibly turbulent journey. Polly McMaster is the founder of modern luxury workwear brand, The Fold, and she's been experiencing the highs and lows since 2011. As Polly says in this episode, “that's something you have to have your eyes wide open to, when you go into it”.So how did Polly approach her fundraising strategy and stay sane throughout the process? All is revealed as she talks to our founder and CEO Julia Elliott Brown about her experiences.In this episode, you'll discover:Why a simple approach to raising investment is key How to deal with the immense stress of fundraising Understanding when you just need to get the deal over the line

Biscuit Tin won the COVID response competition from Innovate UK, being one of 800 out of thousands of applications which gave the business runway through the pandemic. With no marketing budget, Sheila used partnerships to get the business to market and has been on Dragon's Den which has certainly helped with PR and awareness. She used the media opportunity to cleverly run the true investment campaign in parallel and raised from a mix of angels and VCs.Since then, Sheila's been on a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, with a large US investor pulling out at the last minute, the UK economy crash and then, an all-consuming crowdfund for £150K. Sheila is still on the fundraising journey, looking for further investment to propel Biscuit Tin forward.How to keep moving forward when it's tough raising investmentHow to get the most from PR opportunities when fundraisingWhy too many voices can hinder your funding journey

No investors wanted to “touch the business with a barge pole” fourteen years ago, when the company was started by Cindy, due to fear of being associated with SexTech. However, Cindy saw an opportunity in the market. She feels sex is essentially a recession-proof industry and the niche of “socially acceptable” sex, which normalises it and allows people to publicly share sex and advocate for this is needed in society.Cindy managed to get one private angel investor to invest $3 million. Things are slightly better now than 14 years ago thankfully, but there have still been many challenges due to restrictions around marketing and other elements. The longer-term goal for the business is to create “sex education” content in collaboration with experts through the platform. She's currently raising investment to achieve this ambition.In this episode, you'll discover:How to be resilient when raising investmentWhy you need to market yourself and your brand constantly to raise successfullyWhy the investors who get it, will champion you in every way! 

Katy secured a pre-seed funding round from several angel investors. She remembers hearing from multiple people “That's not possible" and is really glad she didn't listen to that advice and instead pushed to get on board the right angel partners that fully believed in the vision.The relationships Katy has built have been fundamental to the success of the business - with the next round of investment of £2 million propelling them to new heights alongside stock financing of £1 million. While stock finance is not for everyone, Katy's deal structure has been a perfect marrying of both funding types that has allowed Luna Daily to scale quicker.In this episode, you'll discover:How to build your dream teamStart with your brand positioningWhy you need to stay nimble in your fundraise

As digital nomads, Vivi and her co-founder had the ambitious goal of building a global empire. With Vivi being from an investment banking background, she had some financial skills, but starting a business was a whole new challenge. It's why being humble is core to the culture of the business now, and not knowing everything is okay.The co-founders started with £60K to bootstrap their company which allowed them to launch a website, start marketing and recruit internal developers. Then they secured £300K through family and friends. AltoVita went on to raise £1.6m from angel investors globally. Key to their success were a few highly engaged ‘anchor' investors who really resonated with the product. Vivi confirms herd mentality is not just a myth.Most recently was their Series A round. During the process, they walked away from some of the term sheets they were given by investors which was a difficult decision. When starting up a company, Vivi thinks you should truly consider investment market fit - not just product market fit.

Lucy started raising for Loanhood by building a rewards-based Crowdfunder and receiving a grant from NatWest. This helped establish the brand's community and opened their eyes to the crowdfunding ecosystem. After some questionable advice, they tried to raise £400,000 from VCs who, from the get-go, said, "No, you're not ready for this. You haven't got any traction”. The founders also wanted to crowdfund via Seedrs as the business has a a major community aspect, so it made sense to go this route. They got commitment and went live in a way that felt poorly timed before several investors pulled out, and they decided to close the round when it didn't exactly work out. Lucy believes you must be honest with yourself in this situation – there's no shame in backing away and refocusing when the time is right. Thankfully, talking to other founders was invaluable and helped Lucy, and the team figure out the next steps - reaching out to Angel investors. After many LinkedIn messages, their lead investor reached out to them, which was a game changer, and the domino effect began.In this episode you'll discover:Why rewards-based crowdfunding won't work for everyoneHow important advice from the right people isWhy there's no shame in failing a funding round and starting over

Stamena's co-founder is her daughter, which occasionally means sparks with their differing yet complementary approaches to business. The first thing they did was research the market, to validate their idea and strengthen the vision. Then they found a shop to rent and purchased stock but just before the agreement signing, the owner pulled out. At this point, they were bootstrapping and got a small startup loan from the British Business Bank. As many founders do, Stamena underestimated how much capital they were actually going to need in the very beginning. So they crowdfunded and owe much of their success to showing their loyal community a burning passion for the business.Looking back, Stamena believes she made a mistake in not enlisting experts to help with the marketing of the crowdfund. As a new business owner, spending money can feel like a luxury. Changing your mindset to think big and getting professional support to help with your fundraise is Stamena's top piece of advice to budding entrepreneurs.How to use  your passion to win investors overHow to remove a ‘fearful' mindset Why you should never neglect your health and wellbeing during a fundraise

Linda had no experience in raising investment before starting the company, but luckily, her manager at Microsoft become Spinview's chairman and championed the business, which helped elevate Linda. He advised her on how to go about doing a pitch deck, standing in front of an investor, and what kind of things they were looking for. This valuable support she received made a huge impact on the success of the initial investment round.Linda has been spinning many funding plates with a mix of grant funding, equity funding, the government Future Fund and taking on debt. With all of this complexity within the business, Linda stays sane by developing healthy habits which give her clarity and thought space. Linda reiterates that you shouldn't underestimate the need for supportive people around you when building and funding a growing business.What champions of your business can do for youHow expressions of interest can give investors confidenceWhy finding the right investors is fundamental for success  

Vineeta founded the company in 2021 after 15 years in drug development in major pharmaceutical companies and is a co-inventor on 13 granted patents and 4 filed patents. Biotech start-ups like Vitarka Therapeutics need funds for research and development from the get go and Discovery Park Ventures invested £150,000 as part of a seed round. More recently, Vineeta raised over 500,000 dollars of investment through the IndieBio New York Program as the only UK firm in the cohort. 

Abbie launched the business in 2016 with her co-founder and sister Maizie, with Abbie managing design and Mazie heading up the brand. The sisters grew up in a family lingerie manufacturing business with their mum as a successful entrepreneur which was understandably inspiring. However, with the family's successes came some pressure for Beija to be profitable and get to a good place - fast. Beija is now an independent company with over 30,000 customers and an incredible rate of repeat purchases - a metric described as “the soul of e-commerce”.In 2021, Beija launched its crowdfunding campaign after considering different ways of raising investment. While crowdfunding definitely felt scary, Abbie was confident that their loyal customers were behind them. They launched the crowdfund during the pandemic with less than half the funds already secured which is certainly a risky move, but thankfully it paid off when over 300 investors invested a total of £480,000.In this episode you'll discover:How your valuation can impact the success of your crowdfundHow to communicate your unique edge to investorsThe value a lead investor can bring beyond just money

When Gabi overcame her fear of the ocean, a love of the ocean emerged, so the inspiration behind the brand was born. Being out of your depth is a common part of entrepreneurship! By taking a different approach to developing a product, and beginning with storytelling, Love Ocean differentiated itself in the kids' bath product market. Gabi has raised over £600K from a mix of crowdfunding and friends and family. She found the complex financials needed for investors daunting so brought on financial partners that advised her to “Never try and blag your way through a financial answer”. Gabi advises working with experts, and coaches/ mentors to unlock the financial confidence needed to alleviate the pressure many female founders face when raising investment.In this episode you'll discover:How facing your fears can show you what's possibleHow to use founder passion to succeed at raising investmentWhy mentorship and coaching make all the difference

Alexandra needed investment early on to launch, buy stock and begin marketing. Interest from family and friends led to her first round of £50K. Freedom Underwear launched in 2020 and Alexandra went for a second raise 6 months later. She realised the responsibilities as founder change as soon as you've launched from making bras… to finance, ops, and everything in between.Finding investors to commit to her second raise was a challenge, and finding female investors was especially hard. Alexandra raised over £100K via the ‘next layer of the onion' - her further-extended friends and family network. While it was scary opening up to more people, it worked!Alexandra would like to see more transparency about what investors actually want so that entrepreneurs don't have to spend the little time they have stumbling around in the dark.In this episode you'll discover:How to take the risk and put yourself out thereHow to build your story and have effective conversationsWhy being authentic will win over investors

They both felt strongly that the current offering isn't fit for purpose and wanted to create sexual wellness products to address the problem. They went about starting the passion project with thorough market research and surveyed 2,000 women on sexual health and buying habits.Funding the business as two female entrepreneurs and Farah being from a Bangladeshi Muslim background, came with an array of challenges, naysayers and inappropriate comments from “old school” male investors. While the consumer brand is tech-enabled, it's not tech/ SaaS which is typically “sexy” for many VCs so this type of investment didn't work out early on. On reflection, Farah believes everything happens for a reason and is happy to have angels, micro funds and family offices as investors as it has allowed them to learn the true definition of ‘capital preservation'. In this episode you'll discover:Why you'll always be raising investmentTips for reaching out ‘cold' to potential investorsHow to get a thick skin

Before starting up Flytographer, Nicole was happy in her global marketing job at Microsoft, but had the idea and simply couldn't shake it. What started as a side hustle has grown into a global business, selling over $20 million in photo shoots and capturing millions of priceless memories.There was an inflection point for Nicole when she needed to make a decision - to take the leap from side hustle to giving it everything. She asked herself, “what would my 85-year-old self say about this situation?” and went full force into the startup.Nicole's first experiences with pitching were demoralising with many male investors saying they simply didn't “get” the product. Nonetheless, Nicole secured angel investment and has raised several rounds since. While Nicole feels that there's a lot of pattern matching in Silicon Valley, it can be positive: it forces you to build a stronger business because you don't get the pass that others might get. In this episode you'll discover:How accelerator programmes can kick start your fundraising journeyThe level of traction you need to secure a “yes” from investorsHow important it is to master your pitch

She started her fundraising journey with a friends and family round, which she found difficult, conceding, “it was horrible asking for money”.Gayle was repeatedly told by investors that she wouldn't get investment as a single female founder and needed a co-founder. Since then, she realised through a “baptism of fire” that this isn't true. Gayle is fully capable of succeeding and taking the sustainable fashion world by storm with Untagged.In this episode you'll discover:Why confidence really is everythingHow powerful your founding team isWhen the best time to raise investment is

Since 2017, terrible* has worked with 500+ creators, who've used their data and technology to manage their entire merchandise supply chain, helping them generate five times more revenue and 50% more profit than they would anywhere else.As a female founder, Tersha experienced every single fundraising horror story: being asked out on dates by investors, constantly interrupted and undermined mid-pitch, and told she didn't have what it takes to succeed.With all that being said, Tersha has learned a huge amount from two successful raises and getting the company to £127k in monthly revenue. During the most recent round, Tersha secured £300K out of the £1m they were trying to raise via angels and a boutique VC in the US. Interestingly, working with investors across the pond highlighted serious differences in the music industry and how business is done in the US.In this episode you'll discover:How to deal with female founder bias from investorsWhat to do when you get rejectionsHow long you really need to raise investment 

Yang previously worked for a VC fund and realised as an entrepreneur, the tables were now turned. Seeking VC investment was the plan after a successful Kickstarter campaign landing JustWears £150,000. But, without ‘enough traction', VCs just weren't ready to invest. In hindsight, Angels were the better route as their expertise and passion for supporting entrepreneurs made Yang grateful to have gone down this path.Since then, Yang has turned down Dragon's Den investment and closed a huge £2.6million round from Pembroke VCT. By having a crystal clear strategy and answers to every investment question, including the exit plan, JustWears are killing it and got that VC investment they deserve. In this episode you'll discover:How to stop taking rejection personallyWhy there's no downside to trying How to create a winning strategy to fundraise quickly 

They now have a team of over one hundred staff, 15 retail stores and a thriving international online business. Krisi always dreamt of having a direct to consumer model and brick and mortar stores and vehemently believes it's all about building the business you truly want. Even if that means turning down lucrative wholesale deals from supermarkets like they did.Krisi has learnt a thing or two about successful crowdfunding. During their first campaign, Bird & Blend was overfunded in just 24 hours and most recently, they raised over £1m with over 1,600 investors. In this episode you'll discover:How building the business you actually want will give you successWhy you should anticipate the impact of an investment raiseGetting the right blend of your financials and storytelling

Priya Downes is the Founder of Nudea, a sustainable underwear brand creating beautiful designs focussed on fit, comfort and looking great. The digital-first brand has grown exponentially since it started in 2019, acquiring over 15,000 customers and generating half a million pounds in revenue in the process.Priya has raised £750K so far from angel investors after self-funding to launch the brand and get it off the ground during the pandemic. By researching and mapping out investment deals in the same industry, Priya was able to approach the most suitable investors. After nailing the first one, Cornerstone Partners, she found it so much easier to get other investors on board. Priya highly recommends putting an advisory board together as soon as possible. Not only do advisers bring their expertise, they're great ambassadors and will shout about you and your brand.In this episode you'll discover:How to create an investor mapWho your advisory board should be made up ofHow to build confidence for your fundraise

Adventure Tours UK was initially self-funded whilst Claire focused on building the brand through partnerships and PR trips that told a story and made it clear they were “going places”. With immense support from a business mentor, they went out and successfully found investors who really understand their goal to firmly stamp the UK onto the adventure travel map.Then, Covid hit in 2020 and travel was cancelled. Amazingly, the investment didn't fall through because they had the right investors onboard who felt a strong moral commitment to them. When your investors feel more like partners, you know they're the right fit!In this episode you'll discover:The importance of building a strong brand at the startWhat a business mentor can do for youHow to find investors that feel like partners

Martha started the brand on a shoestring budget and grew it to 7 figures with no external investment. She recently raised £220,000 through crowdfunding for the first time. With an amazing community behind the brand, they were fully funded in just two days with no lead Angel investor money. Incredible!Seeking investment is no longer something that makes Martha feel daunted and she's excited to do it again in the future. We love to see it! But looking back, could or should Martha have considered raising sooner, boldly stating her ambitions as a female founder to scale the business faster?In this episode you'll discover:The importance of communication for a successful crowdfunding campaignHow to test the waters with ‘expression of interest'How to start your fundraising journey and get support 

Virginia Gardiner is the founder, CEO and inventor of Loowatt, a waterless toilet addressing the fact that 40% of the world doesn't have a toilet, and the rest of us are using solutions that aren't sustainable.Virginia has been on quite a journey. She started the business as an engineering and humanities graduate with three male co-founders who came from experienced corporate backgrounds, and who are now ex-co-founders. Loowatt received initial investment via innovation grants, angels and then mostly recently, via crowdfunding. Crowdfunding was Plan B when agreed VC investment didn't come though a “blessing in disguise”, as Virginia feels moved by the 800+ individual investors now supporting Loowatt's mission.In this episode you'll discover: What to look out for if you're considering using “introducer” services How to avoid VCs leading you down the garden pathThe increased sense of responsibility when crowdfunding 

Kike Oniwinde is a Forbes 30 under 30, World Economic Forum Shaper, and has won three national pitch competitions. Kike has been a high achiever since she was raised in East London, throwing the Javelin for GB whilst crushing her grades. In 2020, she raised £900,000 through crowdfunding for her business, BYP Network, a platform that empowers and connects black professionals to each other and to corporations. As a black female founder, Kike's achievements haven't come easy though, and she experienced push back from VCs making her feel like they “just didn't want to invest”. However, Kike met Angels who believed in her venture and decided to get her community investing through a crowdfund.In this episode you'll discover:How to set your valuation based on growth potentialHow to control timescales during your investment roundWhy you should take part in pitch competitions (even if you hate the idea!)

Fundraising expert Julia Elliott Brown, the CEO of Enter The Arena talks with Tiffany Kelly, the founder of Beyond Bamboo.Tiffany has always been deeply passionate about the environment. She saw an opportunity for an online marketplace where consumers and businesses can source ethical and sustainable goods. This includes upcycled, restored and recycled as well as new products.Over two years in the making, Tiffany quickly realised that in order to grow, it was time to develop new technology and scale the team. With the goal of attracting an audience who normally purchases from Amazon, she knew how important it was to replicate the brand experience: from customer service to search to providing a seamless customer experience.Having had great success with a friends and family investment round, Tiffany shares some practical tips on approaching your pitch and the effortlessness of securing investment from investors with a shared passion. In this episode you'll discover:How to pitch on your friends and family roundChallenging limiting beliefs and thinking bigTips for creating your pitch deck

Fundraising expert Julia Elliott Brown, the CEO of Enter The Arena talks with Kim Palmer, founder of Clementine.Amidst a sudden onset of panic attacks at work, Kim Palmer discovered the power of hypnotherapy as a game changer for staying calm. As a passive option for busy brains, hypnotherapy provides a relaxed and accessible way to find calm and change habits.Realising that she could help women worldwide, Kim achieved her long-held dream of building a business and launched Clementine in 2017, a hypnotherapy app to help achieve calm moments throughout the day.  After huge initial success, growth plateaued and Kim decided it was time to fundraise. Daunted by pitching, Kim set her own rules and approached pitches as conversations with the goal to find a good fit.What happened next was a huge call for any founder. This masterful manoeuvre has freed Kim up to use her strategic skills to stay ahead of what's happening and get creative about the next phases of the business.In this episode you'll discover:The resonance of building a product out of life experience  Playing to your strengths and knowing when to engage helpTaking charge of your pitchFor the full video interview, go to https://www.enterthearena.co.uk/e45-kim-palmer-clementine-knowing-when-to-bring-in-expert-help

Jess and Lou Alderson have tapped a fresh niche in the online dating market using Myers-Briggs personality profiling for a perfect match. They've taken their market by storm and in a short time, managed to raise over £700,000 in investment.Launching in January 2020, the sisters have gone from strength to strength despite the global pandemic. With the goal of building a marketable product as quickly as possible whilst they were still holding down full time jobs, Jess and Lou started with a 'friends-and-family' round. Then, with some early traction under their belt, they were ready to quit their jobs and undertake a more significant raise to launch a paid membership package and expand within the US market.With some big last minute hurdles including extreme money laundering checks, a disappearing investor payment and various unexpected hurdles, they managed to close their investment round on the very last day of the tax year.In this episode you'll discover:The benefits of fundraising through friends and family for your starting roundDifferent questions from different investors – why you need to be prepared for varied points of interestThe importance of a lead investor to kick start your investment rounds 

Fundraising expert Julia Elliott Brown, the CEO of Enter The Arena talks with Heinin Zhang, founder of YHangry.Heinin Zhang, Founder of YHangry, and her co-founder Siddhi Mittal recognised that people no longer entertain at home. In Heinin's words “Millennials, as ‘Generation Convenience', have killed the dinner party!” They established YHangry as a private chef service at an affordable price, offering an in-home complete service to take the hard work out of entertaining and have raised £1.1m of investment.Just as the business was taking off, the Pandemic hit. It would have been easy to admit defeat, how do you maintain a business with social gathering at the heart during lockdown? But Heinin and Siddhi pivoted quickly, recognising that eating and cooking were two remaining pleasures still possible during lockdown. They began virtual cooking classes and batch cooked delivery meals, cultivating their network of chefs while building their brand in the most unlikely time.As lockdown eased, the business began growing 40-70% month-on-month. Demand exploded and it became clear that the business needed to scale quickly. Heinin and Siddhi put together a very detailed plan to execute their fundraising goals, and it paid off with a raise of over £1M. In this episode you'll discover…How to organise your fundraising like a military operationStrategies to find relevant investors rather than wasting time chasing all possibilitiesUsing KPIs to manage your investor CRM

Hele Väärsi raised money early on after founding 9Plus1, when she and her co-founder were still at the idea stage. Bravely seeking investment so early on, Hele strategically contacted VCs who she thought might have an interest in the product. This strategy proved successful as Hele secured investment from Voulez Capital in 2020, a specialist VC for female-founded businesses.In this episode, you'll discover…How to ensure you don’t waste time on VCs who won’t be a good fitStrategies for getting investors to connect with your product or serviceHow to answer prevention-based questions from investors effectively 

Anushi Desai started making snacks with popped lotus seeds as a side hustle whilst working as a management consultant at KPMG. She bravely handed in her notice with the “do it now or it might not happen” mentality and a sense of knowing it was time to do something else.Anushi and her co-founder self-funded to begin with, but as a product-based business, they needed investment early on. VCs offered them money - unusual for a young start-up - but they declined, as it didn’t feel like the right time.Anushi puts successful fundraising down to changing your internal narrative from ‘Asking for money’ to ‘Investors are welcome to join our journey. I’m offering them something of value’. Like many entrepreneurs, Anushi is always brimming with new ideas and gives tips on how to  commit to new things so your ideas are executed.  In this episode you’ll discover…How to discover what type of investment you needHow to change your internal fundraising narrative of ‘asking for money’Why you should say it out loud in order to commit to fundraising

Pip brought her background in marketing and technology to the table whilst her co-founder, Kate, brought knowledge of psychology and family consulting. Their blend of skills were a perfect match for scaling the market changing business.Pip is an angel investor herself so had insider knowledge of how investors operate and what they look for. She reached out to those known to have an interest in companies impacting the world. After an SEIS friends and family round plus their first angel round, Pip and the team were preparing for the next angel funding round when they ended up in the high court! Court turned out to be a positive, cementing the business’ potential and Amicable raised investment during 2020, bringing the total to £1m. In this episode you’ll discover…Why the blend of skills between co-founders matters so muchHow to use angel investors’ different interests to your advantageThe significance of timing in your investment funding round

After growing the business organically for the first few years, Jennifer found an angel investor who not only invested money into Stitch & Story but mentored Jennifer and supported her to raise further investment rounds.In 2020, to help fast-track growth, Jennifer went on the hunt for venture capital investment, and made sure she did her due diligence on potential investors to get the right fit. Through all of this, Jennifer learnt to master her limiting beliefs, and nail the balance of building a start-up along with parenting and family commitments.In this episode you’ll learn:How investors can help you grow your mindsetWhy it’s important to conduct your own due diligence on investorsHow to recognise when your limiting beliefs might be holding you back

Ashleigh founded Bagboard as one of three co-founders who had never raised or run a business before. They initially funded it pre-launch through a ‘friends and family’ round of £500K, before raising £600K via crowdfunding in 2020. But the investment journey wasn’t easy. At the start of their crowdfunding campaign, they just weren’t getting the response they needed from investors. Why? Because their narrative simply wasn’t resonating. Ashleigh also found there were some differences in how investors treated her male co-founders, compared to how they treated her as a female founder, and wanted to face up the challenge.In this episode you’ll discover…Why it’s important to understand what investors are looking forWhen it’s okay to react and respond to investor feedbackHow scrutiny can be a positive thing

Mamamade was born in March 2019 and Sophie bootstrapped the business for around a year. Instagram was incredibly powerful in getting the word out and growing the start-up organically. Sophie didn’t let “perfection be the enemy” - brilliant advice from her husband to just get the product out there and refine afterwards.In 2020, at the start of lockdown, Sophie started raising investment via angels, meeting them online via Zoom calls. They raised £300K and the virtual experience was positive; with Sophie wondering, “how many meetings would we have had in person to get it over the line?”. Sophie had thought about seeking external investment since she started the business, but now thinks it’s wise to wait until the business is at the right point and you have happy customers on board.In this episode you’ll discover:Why you shouldn’t let perfection be the enemyWhat it’s like to raise investment virtuallyHow you’ll know the time is right to seek investment 

In 2020, Nicki raised over £150,000 of investment via crowdfunding to help her rocket fuel the growth of the brand, and she did it right in the middle of lockdown! Crowdfunding certainly isn’t a quick fix; it can be just as time-consuming as the traditional investment round, although it often happens faster. Nicki managed to juggle motherhood, run her business and raise investment all in tandem by getting super structured with her time.The exposure from crowdfunding can feel scary, and even more so when you’re raising investment during a pandemic, but Nicki pushed her fear to one side and kept positive by focusing on her ‘Why’; there’s a lot to be learned from her approach! In this episode you’ll discover…How to raise investment during a lockdownHow to manage feeling exposed when crowdfundingHow to juggle responsibilities and stay focused 

Patricia and Randa met through a local Facebook group, showing how it’s possible to find business partners in unlikely places. They attempted a first round of investment early which didn’t work out because of the common investor feedback “We need to see traction”. They bootstrapped for some time, building the product and getting several retail customers onboard.After multiple successful rounds totalling £300k, Patricia learnt that being pregnant whilst raising investment is possible and it’s best to address the elephant in the room transparently. She also learnt that it’s not just about money when it comes to finding the right investors; there are other factors.In this episode you’ll discover...Why it’s best to address the elephant in the roomWhat investors bring beyond moneyWhy you always need a plan B

Catherine started the business with her own savings initially, then got a start-up loan from Virgin which was useful, not only for the cash but for the help they gave her with the business strategy. Some entrepreneurs feel nervous about taking on debt, but Catherine believes in being relentlessly optimist.Before the cycling helmet launched, Catherine received a £150K investment from Angel investors from her extended network. Dashel qualified for SEIS, a scheme making it tax efficient to invest in start-ups. Catherine highly recommends using this as investors will get an added incentive to invest.Some investors suggested that Catherine may have undervalued the company and was asking for too little investment. The decision to go big fast, or take it slow can be difficult, but Catherine is happy that she chose to grow slowly.In this episode you’ll discover…Why the start-up loan should be on your list of optionsThe benefits of SEIS to you and investorsHow to make a balanced decision on valuation and investment amount

 In 2017, from her parent’s home in Nottingham, Claire self funded the business and over two years grew her customer base. At that point, it was time to raise pre-seed equity investment via crowdfunding, totalling £85,000.Before Claire went through the crowdfunding process, she didn’t feel confident in herself. After going through the stringent checks Seedrs perform, Claire realised Laza Flora was a very credible business.Summer 2020 was to be the big investment round for Lazy Flora, but that soon changed when Covid hit. Thankfully, there’s been an enormous demand for their urban garden plans as more people spend time at home. Whilst the fundraise didn’t happen, Lazy Flora has grown significantly.Claire recommends networking with other female founders to hear similar stories from others further down the road, to feel more accepted and normal as an entrepreneur.In this episode you’ll discover…How crowdfunding can improve your confidenceHow it feels to manage intense and unexpected growthWhy you can learn from and network with other female founders

Joyce and Raissa began their entrepreneurial journey with few industry connections, after doing a Master’s at UCL in Technology Entrepreneurship, where they won an award that gave their new business a funding grant. By connecting with around 500 potential investors via LinkedIn, they managed to bring on five individual investors for their first round.They’ve now completed three funding rounds totalling £4.5m, including the most recent, from their “dream investors”, global drinks giant, Heineken. Joyce and Raissa believe that you should get on with potential investors on a personal level before agreeing to accept their money and that it’s key to share the same vision. Being co-founders helped them through the lows, by having someone they could always be 100% honest with.In this episode you’ll discover…Why you should get on with potential investors on a personal levelHow you can stick by your valuationWhy you shouldn’t hold back from sharing company financials openly

Merilee founded the business in 2014 and brought on board advisers. Their value was twofold: they invested and were experts in their own areas, advising on aspects of growing the company. She made the decision to raise multiple crowdfunds as opposed to taking a larger sum of money from VCs. Merilee highlighted that raising investment and selling equity needs to be a strategic long term decision.Recently, UnderTheDoormat closed a round of £300K, using the Future Fund. The Future Fund is a convertible loan where the government matches the amount committed by your investors. It serves Merilee as protection for the business, and the ability to capitalise on potential opportunities. In an industry highly affected by Coronavirus like Travel, this is the perfect time for a strong business to consider government funding options like the Future Fund.In this episode you’ll discover…Why strategic board advisers are so valuableWhy you might consider multiple crowdfundsWhat the Future Fund is and how it can be used to raise capital

The business started from humble beginnings when Stephanie discovered she had several food intolerances in 2015 whilst working with Kristina in events management. She began making home-made gluten and dairy-free lunches to bring into work. Realising they could turn these lunches into a business, friends Stephanie and Kristina launched Pollen + Grace.They self-funded the business from their home kitchen for the first 18 months before seeking equity investment. They secured a number of Angel investors and then, later on, launched a crowdfunding campaign in which over 600 individual investors pledged. After this, a Family Office also invested in Pollen + Grace which will help them with new launches and products and more interaction with their customers.In this episode of Fundraising Stories with Women Entrepreneurs, you’ll discover…Why your financial models cannot be overlookedThe amount of pledged funds you need before you officially launch a crowdfundThe benefits of getting a family office investor on board 

Fundraising expert Julia Elliott Brown, the CEO of Enter The Arena talks with Pip Jamieson, the Founder and CEO of The Dots, a professional network for people in the creative industry. Pip has raised £5.5m in investment finance in the last few years, with two major funding rounds and the platform has over half a million members.In 2009, Pip co-founded her first business in Australia, called The Loop, a network to help people in the creative industries network and find jobs. After selling her share of the business, Pip returned to London and decided to start all over again - by building a UK creative industries network.Pip had no professional investors in her existing network in London, so started a serious round of networking, going for coffees with anyone who might be able to help. Whilst there were lots of ‘no’s, Pip secured a cornerstone investor which led to herding in the rest of them successfully and raising £1.5m in the first round.In this episode of Fundraising Stories with Women Entrepreneurs, you’ll discover…Why you should always have an ask at a meetingHow finding a higher purpose helps during the tough timesWhy setting clear boundaries with investors is key

Fundraising expert Julia Elliott Brown, the CEO of Enter The Arena talks with Francesca Hodgson, the Co-founder and Managing Director of GoodBox, which helps non-profit organisations to take cashless donations, by providing them with contactless charity donation boxes, along with software to help them track, analyse and grow the amount of money they raise.Francesca worked as a graphic designer straight after university for World Cancer Research Fund and has always been a creative at heart. After this, she spent nearly 10 years in corporate social responsibility, managing events. Francesca worked with 200+ charities in this setting, and eventually met her business partner. They founded GoodBox after spotting a major gap in the charity sector. They secured an Angel investor at the start, who supported them with the money to create and test the tech which allows charities to take contactless donations.After some success with the initial concept and trial, Francesca and the team needed to raise further money to take the business to the next level. Crowdfunding was the next step through Seedrs. The first crowdfund was in 2018 and was for £2.6m, and the most recent in 2019 for £2.4m.Francesca’s approach to investment was to take networking to the next level. She knew that by reaching out to her network, using LinkedIn and finding others who she might be interested in investing in the business’s mission, she’d find supporters for GoodBox. As well as that, GoodBox were a part of three accelerators that helped the business with invaluable guidance and access to investors.In this episode of Fundraising Stories with Women Entrepreneurs, you’ll discover…Why you should share all of your ideas openly, without being shy or fearing copycatsWhy you shouldn’t let confidence stop you, you’ll always wonder ‘what ifWhy it’s okay to fail

Fundraising expert Julia Elliott Brown, the CEO of Enter The Arena talks with Sarah Merrick, the Founder and CEO of Ripple, an innovative clean energy ownership platform. Sarah set up Ripple to enable household consumers to own their own source of clean power and transform the ownership of the UK's energy assets. Sarah has worked in the wind energy industry for 19 years. Prior to setting up Ripple, she was Head of Public Affairs for Vestas, the world's largest wind turbine manufacturer, and she was also vice-chair of RenewableUK, the UK's trade body for wind and marine energy.Sarah saw a gap in the market and initially went to VCs for investment pre-launch and struggled to gain commitment before deciding crowdfunding was the better option at this early stage. With the world now taking notice of climate change and looking for cleaner energy solutions, it was the right time to gather interest from a wide network of investors via crowdfunding. In 2019, Sarah secured £856k investment for the growth of her business through crowdfunding, and Ripple was awarded Startup of the Year by Seedrs investors and Business Green.In fact, over 1000 people invested in Ripple, showing how important the company's mission is for people looking to make a difference to the world we live in.In this episode you’ll discover…Why you should expand your thinking with ideas that make a real differenceWhy timing can be key for a successful investment roundHow crowdfunding investors invest for different reasons to VCs

Fundraising expert Julia Elliott Brown, the CEO of Enter The Arena talks with Julianne Ponan, Managing Director of superfood brand Creative Nature, a company that creates raw superfoods, snacks and food mixes suitable for everyone including those who are nutrition-conscious, vegans and those who live with a food allergy or intolerance.Julianne started her career in investment banking and was shortly asked by her father, a businessman, to do due diligence on a company he’d invested in that was failing, Creative Nature. He asked if she was interested in taking over the business to try to turn it around.She decided to turn it into a food brand due to her severe allergies to a large number of foods which had caused much distress over the years. Julianne first tried raising investment for the business and failed, unfortunately, so started growing the business organically and landed a contract with supermarket giant, Tesco. She appeared on Dragon’s Den, and ended up turning down investment from Deborah Meaden, a difficult decision to make. However, Julianne realised she was now confident in her mission and was ready to go out and seek investment through crowdfunding. Julianne raised over 500K, smashing her target of £350K.In this episode, you’ll discover:What to learn if you fail a funding roundWhy sometimes turning down investment is the right decisionHow to get over being scared of growing your businessFor the full video interview, go to http://www.enterthearena.co.uk/Fundraising-Stories/

Fundraising expert Julia Elliott Brown, the CEO of Enter The Arena talks with Sarah Henley, the Founder and COO of NextUp Comedy who started a comedy video subscription business three years ago to fill a much-needed gap in the video-on-demand industry.Previous to founding NextUp, Sarah worked in comedy for over a decade along with her three co-founder friends. Sara’s ultimate vision is to build NextUp into the worldwide home of live comedy, using her passion for diversity and equality in the arts to make a mark in the comedy business.In 2019, Sarah and her co-founders raised £760K in investment finance to grow the business from a mix of angel investors, venture capital and crowdfunding. Crowdfunding made perfect sense as a strategy for Sarah as it meant comedy performers and the enthusiastic audience fan base could all chip in and take a stake in the success of the company.In this episode you'll discover:How a "rolling close" strategy can benefit both you and potential investorsThe ways you can approach investors directly through social media platformsHow you can take a positive approach to fundraising by treating it as part of your job descriptionFor the full video interview, go to http://www.enterthearena.co.uk/Fundraising-Stories/

Fundraising expert Julia Elliott Brown, the CEO of Enter The Arena talks with Savannah de Savary, CEO and founder of Built-ID, a proptech company which enables collaboration through innovative technology and empowers communities to have a meaningful impact on property development in their neighbourhood. Savannah brought her idea to life by working on the technology platform whilst still being employed full-time. She was just 23 years old when she took the plunge and gave up her employed role. Asking for investment didn’t come easy to Savannah, but she realised it was necessary to ask for what you want and leave your ego at the door. She initially raised around £1.7m through high-net-worth Angels and a specialist proptech VC that enabled the business to get off the ground, before a further equity raise of £2m. In this episode you’ll discover…Why being willing to listen and learn is an underestimated qualityThe real benefits of having a professional coachHow to switch your mentality to thinking not all investors are right for you, rather than you not being the right investeeFor the full video interview, go to http://www.enterthearena.co.uk/Fundraising-Stories/

Fundraising expert Julia Elliott Brown, the CEO of Enter The Arena talks with Julie Chen, The Cheeky Panda.Julie Chen, The Cheeky Panda, thought of using bamboo as an eco alternative to using paper for creating toilet tissue. Why cut down trees when bamboo is sustainable and grows back every year? Julie went to her home country of China, where bamboo is in abundance and mapped out how to logistically turn bamboo into toilet paper to be shipped to the UK market.Julie’s first crowdfund was a rewards-based campaign for £12K and enabled her to get the business off the ground and start selling online. After some initial success and interest from traditional retailers, Julie raised a significant £500K through equity crowdfunding and carried on taking the business from strength to strength as the world’s interest in being eco-friendly developed.Julie’s last investment round was a whopping £1.5m, with The Cheeky Panda valued at £25m! The success of the business proves that products - even as simple as toilet paper - can be innovative and highly valuable businesses.In this episode you’ll discover…Why crowdfunding is also a marketing toolHow hiring others to help grow the business also helps you grow yourselfHow product businesses can be just as appealing to investors as tech isFor the full video interview, go to http://www.enterthearena.co.uk/Fundraising-Stories/

Fundraising expert Julia Elliott Brown, the CEO of Enter The Arena talks with Joy Foster, TechPixies.After equipping over 100 women with digital skills, through a mix of online and in-person training, Joy realised she needed to get external investment to take the business to the next level. Her extraordinary funding experience started with feeling stressed from trying to manage the business without external investor involvement, to being told she was worth investing in. This fuelled her to have the courage to think big and go for it. She raised £150K from a female-led group of investors and is now scaling her business for the next stage of growth.In this episode, you’ll discover:How to know it’s the right time for external investmentWhy you should be confident when talking moneyHow to think big and then act upon it with courageFor the full video interview, go to http://www.enterthearena.co.uk/Fundraising-Stories/