Business Angel - Poacher Turned Gamekeeper
Hello! I'm a Business Angel based in the south of England who has also run and raised funds for businesses of my own. We help you optimise your chance of securing Angel funding by: auditing your investability, advising how to position yourself, writing pitch decks and coaching you how to pitch effectively for funds.
What We Do For You
Accentuate the Positive & Eliminate The Negative
Angels receive dozens of pitches a year, most of which we immediately pass on. Sometimes based just on a gut feeling. Work with us, and we will assess you, your idea and your plans, and ensure that you can pitch brilliantly in a way that works for Angels. But we will also look through the other end of the telescope - what about you, your idea or your plans would prevent Angels from investing and what do you need to do to overcome them?
Help You Address The Needs Of Your Angel Audience
As an Angel, we want to support entrepreneurs. But we also need to make a decent return on our investments. 60% of new businesses fold within a year and only 2% ever sell thus allowing us to profit from our investment. You are competing with other founders for our hard-earned (post tax!) money. We will show you how to demonstrate that you are committed to making a good return for investors and being a good investee.
Create A Compelling Investment Story For You
If they are to invest in you, Angels want to hear a compelling story, told with passion and conviction. You need to tell us not just who you are and what your product or service does, but convince us how you are going to grow, become profitable and exit. We will help you devise that story, underpinned by a clear, robust strategy and solid numbers.
Collaborate On A Pitchdeck & Documents That Angels Will Love
Every founder and every business is different. There are many ways to skin a cat. We are not going to be prescriptive and force you to adopt some template. But we will help you build an engaging and compelling pitchdeck, one pager, supporting documents and a data room that will give Angels exactly what they want.
Train You To Pitch Confidently & Effectively
Andrew's main business - Electric Airwaves - involves training corporate executives from the world's biggest companies how to deliver great media interviews and presentations. You may have done lots of presentations in your past business life but this is a new endeavour and we will get you trained by the best coaches so you can shine when the spotlight is on you.
Introduce You To Angel Groups
We are not an FCA-regulated entity so cannot raise funds for you. But we do work with Fair Advisers Ltd (FRN 948164), who are so licenesed and can introduce you to, and intermediate with, potential investors, helping to raise the funds you need in order to grow.
Examples Of Angel Thinking When You Pitch
Can I Invest In This Person?
Can I Invest In This Person?
Can I Invest In This Person?
First and foremost, Angels invest in founders. So the moment we meet you, we start assessing your credibility, your likeability and your integrity. I am looking for any potential red flags: e.g. lack of realism, commitment, transparency, flexibility, dynamism, expertise, willingness to hear things that do not fit your worldview.
Is This A High Growth Idea?
Can I Invest In This Person?
Can I Invest In This Person?
I'm not interested in businesses that will trundle along. I want to invest in ones that once proven, offer explosive growth. Are you confident that you can withstand detailed scrutiny of your claims about the depth and readiness of the market, the state of the competition, the demand for your service or product?
Are Your Figures Credible?
Can I Invest In This Person?
Are Your Figures Credible?
While I don't expect your 3-5 year financial projections will turn out as you expect, I do want to see that you have a disciplined approach to creating them. Are the numbers consistent? Have you thought carefully about your costs? Have you asked for the right amount of money? How will the funds raised specifically deliver the growth trajectory? What underpins the valuation?
Is This Really One For Me?
Can I believe Your Assumptions?
Are Your Figures Credible?
I'm a generalist rather than sector-specific investor. I tend to invest in things I understand and that already have some revenue. Other angels have other motivations - maybe supporting female or ethnic minority entrepreneurs or ideas for a social good. But if you don't want to be dismissed because of a gut-feeling that it isn't right for me, you need to get me hooked emotionally and rationally - show me that this is a game changing idea, solving a real problem for for real people and there's money to be made.
Can I believe Your Assumptions?
Can I believe Your Assumptions?
Can I believe Your Assumptions?
The military is fond of saying that no plan survives first contact with the enemy. Founders like to tell me that they will be profitable within a couple of years. But I need to understand and judge how you will get to profitability. I will test in detail the assumptions underlying your timeframes, product or service availability, your business model, profitability, growth and exit. I will grill you about your priorities, objectives, metrics and accountabilities to understand how growth and profitability will actually happen.
Will I Get A Big Exit?
Can I believe Your Assumptions?
Can I believe Your Assumptions?
What's In It For Me? Every founder says they will exit within five years. Rarely happens! Most Business Angels lose money on most of their investments. Out of every twenty we make, we can expect many to fail, maybe one to exit really profitably and the rest to just trundle along going nowhere. I accept the risk and hope the successful one covers the rest. So while your valuation and growth plan need to be realistic and impressive, I need to believe you care about - and hear you communicate - how you are focused on making me a good return. Now and over the course of my investment. You may even want me to be an NED!
Consulting To Angel Syndicates
We also partner with Absail Group Ltd, to provide support to Angel clubs and syndicates that require help in assessing the investability of the many opportunities presented to them, and the subsequent due diligence process. We:
- sift applicant companies and create longlists and / or shortlists for Angel groups to decide who should pitch to them;
- co-ordinate the 'pursuit group' of angels who have expressed interest in undertaking due diligence on companies following the pitch meeting; and
- identify initial areas and concerns that the pursuit group should explore in more detail.
Who We Are
Andrew Caesar-Gordon
Andrew Caesar-Gordon
Andrew Caesar-Gordon
A Business Angel and former government Special Adviser with over 30 years in the PR business, I have advised many CEOs and organisations in both what to say and how to say it. And having run two businesses and raised debt and VC funding for them, I understand your pain points.
Danielle Restivo
Andrew Caesar-Gordon
Andrew Caesar-Gordon
A technology expert and former Communications Director for the likes of Google, LinkedIn, Vodafone, SAP and Zoe, Danielle has a way with words. Whether for public speaking or written communication, she will add lustre to your content!
Eric Warner
Andrew Caesar-Gordon
Eric Warner
A private equity specialist, Eric had a long career in the City of London and also ran a venture capital firm focussed on sustainable technology and cleantech companies. Since 2015, he has mentored over 30 early-stage businesses with the aim of securing investment from a wide variety of sources. His firm, FairAdvisers Ltd, is regulated by the FCA.