Workshop 2 of Venture Forward took place this week in Leeds, bringing the full cohort together for one of the most challenging and transformative sessions of the programme.
Across the day, founders were pushed to deepen their understanding of how investors think, how decisions are made at early stage, and what it truly takes to build a strategic plan for raising capital.
Putting theory into practice: The 3‑minute, one‑slide pitch
The workshop opened with a high‑pressure exercise: every founder delivering a 3‑minute pitch using just one slide.
To mirror real‑world investor behaviour, the cohort was split into three “investor groups” an angel network, an SEIS fund and a Tier 1 VC fund and asked to decide whether they would take a meeting with each founder, and crucially, why.
The exercise reinforced a core principle of Venture Forward: founders raise investment by understanding how investors think, not by perfecting a performance‑style pitch.
Deep dive: How venture capital really works
Led by GC Angels Senior Investment Manager Ranvir Singh, the morning session challenged founders to digest a significant amount of complex material, including:
- the VC ROI model
- how the power law shapes fund strategy
- the impact of follow‑on rounds and dilution
- how these factors influence valuations and investment decisions
This was followed by a detailed exploration of VC metrics, dispelling the common myth that early‑stage investors only care about revenue. Instead, founders learned how investors assess potential, risk and scalability long before revenue becomes meaningful.
Guest speakers Stefano Smith and Rupert Wingate‑Saul added further insight, sharing real‑world perspectives from across the UK early‑stage ecosystem.
Why this matters
As one of the most active early‑stage investors in the North, GC Angels sees first‑hand what works and what doesn’t when founders attempt to raise capital.
Raising early‑stage investment is not:
- a numbers game
- a TED‑style presentation
- a 12‑slide deck delivered to every investor in the country
Founders raise by aligning with the investor mindset, understanding the incentives behind investment decisions and building a targeted, strategic plan for engagement.
This approach is already proving its impact: 7 out of 30 founders from Cohort 1 raised investment within three months of completing the programme.
Looking ahead
Workshop 2 pushed the cohort to think differently, challenge assumptions and apply investor‑led thinking to their own fundraising strategies.
With investor traction already increasing across the group, the foundations are being laid for a strong programme outcome and GC Angels is excited to see how each founder continues to develop over the coming weeks.