Cohort 2 of Venture Forward has officially wrapped and the final workshop delivered one of the most important sessions of the entire programme.
To close the cohort, founders were joined by Marc Shirman, Head of Equity Investments at GC Angels, who lifted the lid on how investors really think and what truly shapes early‑stage investment decisions.
Preparing an investor‑ready data room
Marc opened the session with a detailed walkthrough of how founders should prepare a data room that stands up to scrutiny.
Founders learned:
- what documents investors expect to see
- how information should be structured
- the signals that build (or erode) investor confidence
- and how transparency, clarity and organisation influence decision‑making
For many early‑stage founders, this level of insight is rarely accessible. For Venture Forward, it’s a core part of the programme.
Understanding term sheets- beyond the basics
The session then moved into the key terms in a VC term sheet, not just what they mean, but the nuance behind them.
Drawing on 20+ years of deal experience, from £50k angel rounds to £400m transactions, Marc explained:
- how terms shape founder–investor alignment
- what protections matter at early stage
- how valuation interacts with ownership and dilution
- and the trade‑offs founders must understand before signing anything
These topics are often taught in theory. What the cohort received was the reality, shaped by decades of live dealmaking.
Why this matters
As one of the most active early‑stage investors in the North, GC Angels sees first‑hand how founders succeed and where they struggle.
The final workshop brought together everything the cohort has learned over the past six weeks:
- investor mindset
- strategic storytelling
- financial modelling
- investor engagement
- commercial metrics
- and now, the legal and structural foundations of a raise
This is the advantage Venture Forward was built to give: clarity, transparency and real‑world insight that founders rarely access at early stage.
Building on the success of cohort 1
Last year, 9 out of 30 founders from Cohort 1 raised investment within three months of completing the programme, with a combined value of £2.8m.
Cohort 2 is already showing the same trajectory with founders demonstrating stronger alignment, deeper understanding and a more strategic approach to raising capital.
What happens next
With the workshops now complete, the cohort moves into the next stage of the accelerator- a process unique to GC Angels.
Over the coming weeks, GC Angels will begin:
- investor interviews
- shortlisting
- and making offers of investment
This is where the learning becomes action and where founders begin to put their new skills into practice.
A strong finish to a transformative programme
The final workshop brought Cohort 2 to a powerful close. The founders leave with a clearer understanding of what investors expect, how decisions are made and how to prepare themselves and their businesses for a successful raise.
GC Angels is excited to see what comes next for each founder, and how this cohort will contribute to the next wave of Northern innovation.