By Timothy Adler on Growth Business – Your gateway to entrepreneurial success
Foreign investment in UK tech projects fell in 2022, with the number of UK tech projects funded from overseas dropping by 23 per cent year on year.
The number of UK technology projects involving foreign tech investment fell to 234 last year, according to professional services firm EY.
Although Britain remains the biggest destination for overseas investment in the tech sector in Europe, it now has a smaller share of the overall market at 20 per cent, down from 29 per cent in 2021.
VC investment in UK companies falls by a third – Venture capital investment into UK businesses falls by one third in final quarter of 2022, seeing the lowest level of investment since Q2 2020
That said, Britain has hung on to its number-one position for tech investment for the past five years.
This is because software and IT services were the biggest category for foreign investment in 2022, with foreign direct investment (FDI) up 8 per cent – double the rate of growth in 2021 – accounting for 20 per cent of all FDI-backed projects.
Looking beyond the tech sector, the total number of projects involving FDI in Britain dropped by 6 per cent (929).
Julie Teigland, EY EMEIA area managing partner, said that the UK has been impacted by concerns about trade restrictions and labour shortages.
Most active venture capital firms revealed – There were 2,722 equity rounds in 2022 – down 7 per cent on 2021 but higher than years prior
However, FDI into Europe was flat in 2022, rising only 1 per cent compared with 2021, and remains 7 per cent lower than in 2019, just before the Covid pandemic hit.
Despite hopes that FDI into Europe would bounce back in 2021 post-Covid, the aftershocks of the war in Ukraine, weak economic growth, supply chain disruption, rising inflation and soaring energy costs all contributed to stalled foreign investment into Europe.
A C-suite survey conducted as part of EY’s research found that 29 per cent of European businesses have postponed planned investments as a direct result of the energy crisis.
Further reading
UK tech could be worth $4 trillion within decade – Tech Nation says that UK technology companies will be worth $2.6tr if they keep on current trajectory but could hit $4 trillion with Government and investor support
The post London less attractive to foreign tech investment appeared first on Growth Business.
By Kirstie McDermott on Growth Business – Your gateway to entrepreneurial success
What do Ryan Reynolds, Ashton Kutcher and Snoop Dogg have in common? Yes, they’re world-famous, but the trio are also known for their status as angel investors.
Angel investors – also known as private investors, seed investors or angel funders – are high-net-worth individuals who provide financial backing for small start-ups, typically in exchange for ownership equity in the company, and are an invaluable part of the funding ecosystem.
Kutcher is perhaps the best-known of the three for investment, backing companies such as Skype early on, into which he sank $1m into in 2009. Eighteen months later, Microsoft bought the company and quadrupled its value.
Kutcher then went on to co-found A-Grade Investments. Uber, Airbnb, and Spotify are just some of the companies the fund invested in at an early stage.
Ryan Reynolds may be riding high for his co-ownership of Wrexham AFC with Rob McElhenney, but he has also invested in wireless carrier Mint Mobile, which T-Mobile entered into a $1.35bn deal to buy in March of this year.
In 2019, Calvin Broadus, aka Snoop Dogg, became a minor shareholder at Swedish payment provider Klarna, as well as being the face of an ad campaign for the platform.
In the UK, celebrities are just as keen. David Beckham’s DB Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm, and Andy Murray has a “strategic relationship” with equity crowdfunding platform Seedrs. Through this he has invested in more than 40 companies such as ZoomDoc, a “doctor on demand” platform.
While angel investors generally invest smaller amounts than venture capitalists as some of the first investors in a company, they are often interested in supporting innovative start-ups, or those which align with their own personal values or interests.
And of course, they are not all celebrities: in fact, private investors are most often founders themselves, plugged into an ecosystem where their unique understanding allows them to spot a good bet. Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Marc Andreessen are all well-known to have provided seed funding for companies.
In the UK, founders are no less busy spotting opportunities. Below, discover five start-ups that have received funding from the founders of GoCardless, Monzo and Gumtree.
#1 – GoodBox
“GoodBox has the potential to revolutionise the way we donate to charity,” says angel investor Andy Murray. Founded on the insight that a cashless society is having a negative impact on the charity sector, the company is hoping to disrupt the sector and become the future of charitable giving.
Through implementing contactless technology via 8,650 devices across the UK and Ireland, its charity partners have seen an uplift of 64 per cent in their donation income, plus an increase in their cash donations.
#2 – RobinAI
Regtech start-up RobinAI has received angel funding from Tom Blomfield, the co-founder of Monzo and GoCardless. It provides contract infrastructure that is designed to take users’ contracts from draft to signed quickly. Using AI-assisted precision editing, it says it can slash contract review time by up to 80 per cent, negotiate consistently with pre-defined fallback positions, and minimise changes.
#3 – Sidekick
A wealth management platform dedicated to bringing its users the financial products and services typically reserved for the one per cent, Sidekick describes itself as “a modern investment manager for today’s world”. Its app allows you to save funds into a wallet and then select fund portfolios, manage progress and access your funds at any time.
Backed by angel investors Will Neale (the founder of Fonix and Grabyo) and Michael Pennington, co-founder and CEO of Gumtree, the platform is set to launch this year.
#4 – Penny
Aggregating all your pensions in one app, Penny is backed by Hristo Borisov, the founder of Payhawk, a fintech company which became Bulgaria’s first unicorn. Making what can be a headache of a process simple, Penny allows you to move your old pensions into your new Penny pension account in one tap, with the company handling the paperwork and taking care of all the admin.
#5 – Koyo
A credit check lending start-up, Koyo is the UK’s first open banking-powered lender and says it does things a bit differently, saying “only relying on credit checks is old fashioned, unfair and ineffective.”
Koyo offers easy loans with no need for payslips or bank statements, quick access to funds – and there are no penalties for paying loans back early. It has received angel funding from Matt Robinson, the co-founder of payments unicorn GoCardless, as well as the real estate platform Nested.
For thousands of jobs in growth sectors, visit the Growth Business jobs board now.
Kirstie McDermott works for our job board partner, Jobbio. Based in Dublin, she has been a writer and editor across print and digital platforms for over 15 years.
More on angel investors
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The post 5 successful start-ups backed by angel investors appeared first on Growth Business.
Small businesses are the backbone of the economy, providing jobs and driving economic growth. However, they often face challenges with accessing banking services, which can impact their ability to grow and succeed. In this article, we will discuss some of the issues small businesses face with banking services and how they can overcome them.
Issue 1: Limited Access to Credit
One of the biggest issues small businesses face is limited access to credit. Many banks require businesses to have a certain level of revenue or number of years in business before they will consider lending money. This can be a major hurdle for small businesses, which often have limited resources and are just starting out.
Additionally, banks may require collateral or a personal guarantee from the business owner, which can be difficult to provide for small businesses. This can lead to a situation where the business is unable to get the funding it needs to grow and expand.
Solution: Alternative Financing Options
To overcome the issue of limited access to credit, small businesses can explore alternative financing options. These can include peer-to-peer lending, crowdfunding, and microloans. These options often have more lenient requirements and can provide funding more quickly than traditional banks.
Additionally, small businesses can look for banks that specialize in lending to small businesses. These banks may have more flexible requirements and be more willing to work with businesses that are just starting out.
Issue 2: High Fees
Small businesses also often face high fees from banks. This can include account maintenance fees, transaction fees, and ATM fees. These fees can add up quickly and eat into the business’s profits.
To avoid high fees, small businesses should shop around for a bank account. They should look for banks that offer low or no fees for account maintenance, transactions, and ATM usage. Additionally, some banks offer fee waivers for small businesses or startups, so it’s worth asking about this when opening an account.
Another solution is to use online banking services, which often have lower fees than traditional banks. Many online banks also offer fee-free accounts for small businesses.
Issue 3: Limited Access to Financial Services
Small businesses may also have limited access to financial services such as international payments, foreign currency accounts, and merchant services. This can be a major issue for businesses that operate internationally or sell products online.
Solution: Look for Banks with Global Reach
To overcome this issue, small businesses should look for banks that have a global reach. These banks will be able to offer international payment services, foreign currency accounts, and other financial services that are necessary for businesses that operate internationally.
Additionally, small businesses can use third-party payment providers such as PayPal or Stripe to accept payments online. These providers often offer a range of merchant services and can be integrated with most ecommerce platforms.
Issue 4: Limited Customer Support
Small businesses may also face limited customer support from banks. Many banks have long wait times on the phone or limited hours of operation, which can be a major issue for businesses that need immediate assistance.
To overcome this issue, small businesses should look for banks that have dedicated small business teams. These teams will be able to provide more personalized support and answer questions more quickly than traditional customer support teams.
Additionally, small businesses can use online banking services, which often have 24/7 support available via chat or email.
In today’s digital age, it’s important for businesses to have a strong online presence and effective communication channels with their customers. One of the most popular ways to achieve this is through live chat platforms. These platforms allow businesses to engage with their customers in real-time, providing quick and efficient support.
One such live chat platform is i-genie, and we are currently offering a fantastic discount for new sign-ups. Until May 31st, 2023, i-genie is offering a 30% discount to all new customers who sign up for their services.There’s a 7 days trial.
This is an excellent opportunity for businesses of all sizes to take advantage of the many benefits that i-genie has to offer. With its user-friendly interface and advanced features, i-genie is designed to enhance customer communication and increase customer satisfaction.
One of the key benefits of i-genie is its ability to provide instant customer support. With the platform’s live chat feature, businesses can respond to customer inquiries and concerns in real-time, ensuring that their customers feel valued and heard.
Additionally, i-genie offers a range of customization options, allowing businesses to tailor the platform to their specific needs. From chatbot integrations to branding customization, i-genie can be customized to fit the unique needs of any business.
Another benefit of i-genie is its analytics and reporting capabilities. The platform provides detailed insights into customer interactions and behavior, allowing businesses to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to improve customer satisfaction.
With the 30% discount offered by i-genie, businesses can take advantage of all these features and more at a reduced cost. This is a great opportunity for businesses that are looking to improve their customer communication and increase customer satisfaction without breaking the bank.
In conclusion, i-genie is a powerful live chat platform that can help businesses enhance their online presence and improve customer communication. With the 30% discount offered until May 31st, 2023, now is the perfect time for businesses to sign up and take advantage of all that i-genie has to offer.
A merchant cash advance is an alternative finance method where you sell a portion of your future sales to your provider in exchange for a lump sum upfront.
In this arrangement, sometimes known as a business cash advance, the provider will be taking a percentage of sales made through your card terminal on a regular basis.
Common uses for a merchant cash advance include, but are not limited to:
Equipment
Stock
Working capital
Staffing costs
Repayments are typically made over three to 18 months, according to the British Business Bank.
Merchant cash advances have been around since 1998, but they’ve made their mark on the alternative finance industry since. “We are seeing an increasing number of providers of this type of loan facility in the market,” said Todd Davison, MD of Purbeck Personal Guarantee Insurance.
How does a merchant cash advance work?
Applications for merchant cash advances tend to be much quicker than traditional loans, with approval taking hours rather than weeks. Most applications are done online, direct with the provider.
Before you apply, ensure you’re able to show necessary documents. You won’t need a business plan but you’ll need some sort of proof of card transactions, such as bank statements. Providers will also want to see basic details like your business’ name and your average monthly turnover as well as how much funding you want. You must be a sole trader, partnership or limited company based in the UK. To be eligible, you’re likely to have been trading for a minimum period – three months, for example.
The final point on the eligibility front, you’ll be looking to take in a minimum sum (say £10,000 a month) in card sales.
Once you’re approved, you get your cash within 48 hours. Repayments will be quoted along with a ‘factor rate’, which is a fixed equivalent of APR and acts as a multiplier. They usually start at 1.1 but can go beyond 1.5. This will be decided by the lender based on how long you’ve been in business and how your card takings fluctuate month-to-month and year-to-year. So, if you get £20,000 at a factor rate of 1.2, you’ll be repaying £24,000 overall.
Between 10 per cent and 25 per cent of card transactions goes to the lender and that’s automatically deducted daily, weekly or monthly.
Is a merchant cash advance a loan?
It could be said that this is essentially an unsecured loan. However, as financial providers are purchasing a percentage of your future card sales rather than traditional lending, merchant cash advances are much murkier and more difficult to define. As such, they’re usually not classed as loans.
To give you some idea, we’ve compared a merchant cash advance to a traditional business loan.
Merchant cash advance
Business loan
Repayments based on card terminal sales
Repayment sum agreed upfront
Approval normally within 48 hours
Approval can take several weeks
Don’t need good credit score
Need an strong credit score
No security needed, but assets can be seized if you default
Asset needed as collateral
No interest late fees
Interest, admin and late fees charged
No need for business plan – but will need receipts/ credit card processing statements and business bank account statements
Business plan required
No benefit to paying back early
Early repayment saves on interest and can boost credit score but may incur early repayment charges and you may miss out on tax benefits
Can have a high APR
Lower APR
Unregulated market so providers can decide what they want to charge
Lenders regulated so held to more conservative interest rates and being more upfront about charges
Who offers merchant cash advances?
As it’s a growing market, we’ve included just a few providers below, along with some need-to-know features of their merchant cash advance packages.
Over 90 per cent approval rate with same day offers
Apply in five minutes or less
Is a merchant cash advance right for my business?
Merchant cash advance is a quicker and more flexible arrangement that works with your cash flow, as long as you keep an eye on it. If you have a good month card sales-wise, remember that a higher percentage will be taken and factor that in.
On the plus side, they don’t have any late fees attached to them, nor is there any need to offer up assets, such as property, as collateral. You may have to present a personal guarantee though. “Most [MCAs] come with a requirement for personal guarantees, hence the demand we are seeing for Personal Guarantee Insurance (PGI) linked to these facilities,” said Davison. “PGI protects the business owner’s assets should the business fail.”
Bear in mind that the merchant cash advance industry is unregulated, so they’re not under the same rules as traditional loan providers in terms of how much they can charge. It goes without saying that you’ll need to be on top of rates as well as the terms and conditions. It is also one of the more expensive forms of finance, with equivalent APR rates that can reach 200 per cent. Overall, there’s greater risk with fast finance, so be prepared for greater consequences.
So, is a merchant cash advance right for your business specifically?
Firstly, think about what type of company you have. Managing director Forbes Burton, Rick Smith, has some insights: “How this normally works is that a vendor will pay off the loan quicker if they have a high volume of sales, but [merchant cash advances] are particularly effective for businesses that have seasonal highs and lows such as tourist attractions, holiday destinations and those that cater to a particular time of the year.”
Make sure you’re clear on what’s expected from the agreement. “Businesses generally need to check repayment terms with lenders as this can vary hugely from provider to provider, so being sure of your terms before you even start will be invaluable,” said Smith. “Lenders will look into your history of transactions to base their loan amount on as standard, but they’ll also base it on other information as well so having as thorough records as possible available is really important.”
One other thing to be careful about is that providers may turn you down depending on the card terminal you use. However, as merchant cash advances become more prevalent, this applies in fewer and fewer cases.
Finally, this type of finance could be a suitable option if you’re need of a short-term solution and have been turned down by other providers. Geoff Whiteland, director of British Business Investments, said: “Merchant cash advance can offer a transparent and aligned financing option for smaller businesses, including for some which might otherwise be unwilling or unable to raise finance through traditional methods.’’
“As with any financial decision, it’s important for businesses to carefully consider their options and choose the MCA provider that is best for their needs,” added Rob Straathof, CEO at Liberis. “When looking for an MCA provider, businesses should pay attention to important factors such as fees, repayment terms and the provider’s reputation. By doing so, businesses can ensure that they are getting the best possible deal and can manage their finances effectively in the long term.”
Further reading
What is SEIS tax relief and how to claim – The Government has just raised the amount you can raise through the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) to £250,000, which offers a golden fundraising opportunity to startup founders
What is venture debt? –What is venture debt? How do you get it and who are the providers in the UK?
Early-stage investors are rewarding start-ups with strong sustainability credentials, according to research commissioned by Amazon.
UK venture capital and private equity investors say greener companies can command a 15 per cent valuation premium, whereas start-ups with a poor sustainability track record could see their valuation drop by up to four per cent.
The study found that over the last 12 months, 81 per cent of investors have requested more details about the sustainability credentials of the start-ups they are investing in, citing personal values and their own organisation’s ESG (environmental, sustainability and governance) commitments as driving factors.
Where concerns lingered over just how green a business is, more than half (56 per cent) dropped the investment opportunity.
Generally, investors cite concerns about the sustainability of a business’s logistics throughout the supply chain and responsible waste management processes.
Nicole Lowe, a director at KPMG, said at the time that European cleantech deals would likely accelerate in 2023 as countries work to meet decarbonisation targets.
However, the report from Amazon found the volume of current and upcoming ESG regulation is deterring 70 per cent of investors from investing in start-ups focused on sustainability.
To take the next step in growth, 83 per cent of investors said start-ups need better support to embed environmentally sustainable practices, while the same percentage said that over half of start-ups they see lack the right technology and know-how to operate more sustainably.
John Boumphrey, Amazon’s UK country manager, said: “Today’s research highlights the clear premium given to businesses with strong sustainability credentials and illustrates how environmental impact is increasingly guiding investment decisions, as investors seek out solutions to address today’s climate and waste challenges.”
What does it mean to be a “good” business? That was the question posed by entrepreneur and business guru Jeannette Pearce MBE before Deborah Meaden discussed green business at the SME XPO in London.
Profitability? Sustainability? For serial entrepreneur Pearce, it’s about giving as you take. You may become philanthropic if you make it big, but what’s to stop you giving as you grow? Doesn’t doing good make you good?
“Find your good,” she urged the group of start-up founders. Whatever that may be.
When Deborah Meaden stepped onto the stage, it was already clear what her “good” was. It’s what a founder hopes Meaden wants to hear when they add, “Oh, and it’s environmentally friendly” at the end of their Dragon’s Den pitch – confirmed by a hopeful glance from their co-founder.
Deborah Meaden is famously very eco-conscious and, it appears, always has been. She wrote a thesis on climate change at university. As the head of her holiday park business early on in her career, she erected a sign saying the grass would not be cut but instead be left for wildlife. It also saved her a maintenance bill.
“It was all against the tide at the time, customers didn’t care,” she acknowledged.
But now, she said, it’s the consumers driving the change – and that it’s imperative to incorporate “planet-positive” aspects into your business. Covering sustainability, net zero and greenwashing, here are the key takeaways from the business leader’s talk.
‘Trust is the most important thing you have got in your business. That can be lost in an instant and it takes a long time to get that back again.’
Deborah Meaden at the SME XPO in London
#1 – Don’t be tempted to greenwash
Greenwashing is when a business overeggs its green credentials, purely to reap the marketing benefits.
“Greenwashing doesn’t work anymore,” Meaden said. “If you do that, you will never get that trust back.
“Business has been a huge driver to move people towards a greener future. But consumers lose faith because of greenwashing.
“The fact is, all businesses are getting it wrong,” she added. “The reason people trust me and my businesses is because we’re honest. Dock & Bay came onto Dragon’s Den and were using micro fibre towels. They’re not good at all. Now, they use 100 per cent recycled plastic.”
Dock & Bay offers quick-drying towels and swimming shorts made from recycled plastic bottles, enticing the dragon enough to invest £75,000 for a 10 per cent stake in 2017.
“Trust is the most important thing you have got in your business,” she said. “That can be lost in an instant and it takes a long time to get that back again.
“My advice is: decide what you offer and deliver it in an honest way.”
#2 – Focus on biodiversity to net zero
The challenges posed by climate change are well established, but the effect of biodiversity loss on business is often overlooked, despite half of global GDP being moderately or highly dependent on nature.
Changes in biodiversity affects supply chains, and new legislation is on the horizon that means organisations will have to be more transparent about environmental impact. This will mean companies will have to assess and disclose their dependencies and impacts on the environment.
“Anyone focusing on net zero is missing the trick,” Meaden said. “If you’re behind the pace when the biodiversity-to-net zero tsunami hits, you’re in trouble. But if you get it right, you have got the leading edge because not a lot of people are.”
Biodiversity protection and net-zero goals do go hand-in-hand. A 2021 study from Natural England showed that a hectare of woodland absorbs as much carbon dioxide each year as 13 flights between London and Rome.
The report found peatlands and natural woodlands are habitats which have the greatest capacity to store carbon, while saltmarsh and sea grass meadows have a “significant role to play” in helping the UK reach net zero by 2050.
Smaller actions businesses can take include investing in natural capital projects, reviewing purchasing habits and habitat restoration on site.
“The planetary impact is the top priority going on in the world right now, but if you get this right, you will win against your competitors.”
#3 – reassess your supply chain
“I also say look at your supply chain [to be planet-positive]. To do that, you need to look at your contracts,” Meaden said.
“One tool is The Chancery Lane Project, which comes up with clauses to include in your supply chain contracts.
“The biggest impact you can make is with supply chain because you’re also making a statement to them.”
There are various supply chain tools and certifications available to businesses. Examples being Scope 3 from the Carbon Trust, which partners with institutions to pave their way to net zero, and the B Corp movement – a certification which demonstrates a business is meeting high standards of social and environmental performance.
“But it’s not good enough to just say you’re B Corp,” Meaden added. “Robust procurement processes are needed. Look for tools. There are whole organisations out there.
“Reach a fair agreement and be prepared to walk with your feet if they don’t [fulfil environmental promises].
“It takes too long for governments to set goals and targets,” she concluded. “You need to tell consumers what your sustainability means – there isn’t one definition for sustainability. Otherwise, we’re entering a world where we will just miss targets.”
SEIS (Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme) was launched by Chancellor George Osborne in 2012 as a way for small, early-stage companies to raise money through individual investors.
For startups, SEIS helps you raise money you need to grow when your startup is at an early stage by offering significant tax breaks to company investors, making a potential investment into your business more attractive.
Startups can now raise up to £250,000 through the SEIS scheme.
Liam Hallam, a SEIS expert with digital equity management company Vestd, says: “Hopefully the new £250,000 ceiling increases investment in seed companies. That’s the goal of SEIS. On top of that, the investor can now match the £250,000 with a further £200,000 of their own – doubled from £100,000. If you find an investor with deep pockets, they can back you more than they could have done previously.”
Just over 2,000 companies raised £175m through SEIS in 2020-21 with 64 per cent of businesses raising more than £50,000 and 39 per cent receiving investments of over £100,000.
Companies in the information and communication sector accounted for 41 per cent of all SEIS investment in 2020-21, while businesses registered in London and the Southeast accounted for the largest proportion of investment, raising £120m (68 per cent of SEIS investment).
To date, the SEIS has raised over £1.5bn worth of investment, with nearly 16,000 companies raising money through the scheme to date.
What is SEIS tax relief?
From April 6, 2023, an individual investor can invest up to £250,000 per tax year. This will allow the investors to claim up to a maximum of £125,000 income tax relief on qualifying SEIS investments made in one tax year. At 50 per cent, SEIS is one of the world’s most generous tax reliefs.
The investor will also benefit from a capital gains tax exemption on any profits that arise from the sale of shares after three years.
SEIS tax reliefs in full
50 per cent income tax relief
Any profits from the sale of SEIS shares after three years is exempt from capital gains tax
Inheritance tax does not apply to SEIS shares held for at least two years
If SEIS shares are sold at a loss, investors can offset that loss against their capital gains tax
Pro tip:An SEIS investor who has more than 30 per cent of your company or has voting control cannot invest in a company through SEIS.
What kind of companies can use SEIS?
Has up to 25 employees
Less than three years old
Less than £350,000 in value
Incorporated in UK
Never received investment from a venture capital trust or EIS (see below)
Not listed on a stock exchange or have plans to list at the time SEIS shares are issued
No control over another company that isn’t a qualifying subsidiary
Not be (or have been) under the control of another company
In order to qualify for SEIS, your company must carry out a qualifying trade. Most companies do, but there are some exceptions.
What is a qualifying trade?
If over 20 per cent of your trade involves these areas, you do not qualify:
Coal/steel production
Farming/market gardening
Leasing activities
Legal/financial services
Property development
Running a hotel
Running a nursing home
Generation of energy, such as electricity and heat
Production of gas or other fuel
Exporting electricity
Banking, insurance, debt or financing services
How can my investor make a profit?
Investors must hold shares for a minimum of three years if they want to use the 50 per cent write-off. If they sell before that, the 50 per cent tax break can be withdrawn.
Investors then exit in much the same way as any other investor, such as selling their shares to another investor or exiting as part of a follow-on fundraise. The company can also buy back the shares from an investor, just not through EIS.
What’s the difference between SEIS and EIS?
SEIS is targeted at raising investment in early-stage companies, while the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) helps more established businesses raise funding.
You can raise up to £12m through EIS, rising to £20m if you are a “knowledge-intensive company” (KIC).
EIS investors can claim a 30 per cent tax break if they invest up to £1m each year (rising to £2m if it’s a KIC), compared to 50 per cent for SEIS.
The qualification criteria are also different, with EIS allowing investment for companies with up to 250 employees and up to £15m in assets.
To qualify for EIS, you must have been:
Trading for less than two years
Fewer than 250 employees
Have less than £15m in gross assets
Can you claim both SEIS and EIS?
Yes, but only once you’ve exhausted your £250,000 SEIS allowance. If you want to raise more than the SEIS limit of £250,000, you can always start taking on EIS investment once you’ve hit the SEIS funding limit.
What can I spend SEIS investment on?
You can only spend the funds you raise through SEIS on either:
Expenses that are going to help grow your company, such as hiring new employees or marketing your business.
Research and development that is going to help you grow your company, such as developing a new product or researching ways to improve an existing one.
Also, you must spend the money you raise through SEIS within three years.
Applying for SEIS Advance Assurance
Founders can apply to HMRC for “Advance Assurance” so that prospective investors can be reassured they will qualify for tax relief.
Liam Hallam says there are several things you can do to help get that Advance Assurance:
Be familiar with SEIS guidelines, including eligibility criteria
Have a solid business plan, which will help HMRC decide if your company is eligible
Investors on board in principle before applying – having a few names and how much they want to put in is helpful
Be clear about the risk-to-capital condition – detail what the money you’re going to raise is going to be invested in, which has to pose a risk to investors’ capital. For example, putting the money on deposit in a bank would not be risky but spending the money on a new sales team or marketing campaign would be
If possible, include financial statements for the past three years
Says Hallam: “Being consistent throughout the application is key. Make sure the business plan aligns to what you’re spending the money on and it’s going to help growth.”
HMRC is taking between four and six weeks to make Advance Assurance decisions.
Case study: how Seafields raised £150,000 through SEIS
Seafields has raised £150,000 through SEIS for research and development in the UK, Germany and the Caribbean
Seafields is a hyper-scaled aquafarm operation growing sargassum, a type of seaweed, in huge volumes capturing vast amounts of carbon – one more way for the planet to reach net zero.
About two years ago, climate scientist Victor Smetacek approached co-founder and CEO John Auckland with the idea of growing vast seaweed farms which could be used to capture carbon and sunk to the ocean floor.
The startup bales the seaweed and sinks it to the bottom of the ocean, where it will sit with all that locked-in carbon for thousands of years.
‘Without SEIS, the danger is that some really good business ideas don’t get lift-off’
Seafields co-founder and CEO John Auckland
The beauty of this carbon-capture scheme is that it is a virtuous circle: the seaweed feeds itself from the seabed, which means it is not stripping the Earth of resources.
John Auckland, co-founder and CEO of Seafields, explains: “There are not many areas on land where we’re not already growing crops for human consumption. Algae is fast-growing and the ocean is vast, so you’re not competing with other food sources.”
The company will primarily make money through the use of carbon credits. However, Seafields will also sell of nutrients from the seaweed for sale as part of livestock feed or be converted into naptha, the fuel which is used in disposable lighters and in plastics.
Seafields raised £150,000 through SEIS for research and development in the UK, Germany and the Caribbean. The company is now raising a further £500,000 to £1.5m using EIS as part of a raise on the Crowdcube crowdfunding platform.
Auckland himself comes from a crowdfunding background, having founded crowdfunding agency TribeFirst in 2016, helping startups raise mostly SEIS and EIS at pre-seed and seed stage. He sees crowdfunding as a form of marketing and a very public way for startups to launch themselves.
We sat down with Auckland to discuss Seafields’ experience of using SEIS and what advice he would have for other founders.
What was your experience of using SEIS?
We used SEIS to get much larger investment faster from our sole investor. Because you are limited to raising £250,000 through SEIS, as a founder you can create that all important “fear of missing out” because if once it’s gone, it’s gone.
What would your advice be to other founders wanting to use SEIS?
As a founder, it’s really important that you understand the rules. I have seen some companies get the order wrong and have had to turn down SEIS investment because they accepted EIS investment first. That’s a no-no.
What is the process for applying for SEIS?
The process is pretty easy. You fill out an electronic form. However, I would recommend using an advisor because once HMRC rejects you, they won’t review you again.
There are three types of SEIS of approval/rejection: there’s an approved first time, a we-need-more-information-before-we-can-approve-you, and then there’s an outright no. Most end up in the first two brackets. But if you get the application wrong – for example, you can’t use SEIS application for stock purchases, because they’re not risky enough – as I said, you cannot reapply. I would recommend using a platform such as Seedlegals because they review your application. It’s much cheaper than paying an accountant, which can cost up to £3,000.
What should I be aware of in putting together my application?
HMRC has started asking for you to have your first investor lined up before you obtain pre-approval, and that investor has to be investing 20 per cent of the amount to be raised.
A letter from a crowdfunding platform is also sufficient, so if you’re going through the crowdfunding process, they can give you that letter which will enable you to get pre-approval.
Without named investors or a letter of acceptance from a crowdfunding platform, you can’t even begin the SEIS process for SEIS.
What supporting materials should you include?
It’s good to include a pitch deck as part of your SEIS application, but there’s a slight difference between the deck you put in front of an investor and the one you send an assessor because the investor wants to see the excitement – and the potential exit – whereas the assessor wants to see risk. Bizarrely, the assessor wants to see how the investor will lose all their money!
How long does the SEIS approval process take?
It used to take three to four months but in my more recent experience you get a response within one month. What slows the 28-day turnaround down is getting the application wrong o if you don’t have the documents in place, so you get pushed back down the bottom of the pile. But if you make it easy to say yes, HMRC says yes really quickly.
How helpful has SEIS been for Seafields?
Increasing the SEIS fundraise ceiling from £150,000 to £250,000 has been a big improvement.
The £150,000 limitation was quite a prohibition when everything has become so much more expensive over the last couple of years. Getting a website, getting your branding done, all those things are suddenly 20-40 per cent more expensive than they were a few years ago.
What SEIS is brilliant for is that it lets an investor take a true punt on an idea or on a founder before any traction has taken place. A lot of businesses need more cash than they can raise through bootstrapping or raise money through family and friends. I mean, we’re building seaweed farms in the ocean, a new type of aquafarming infrastructure which has never been done before. Without SEIS, the danger is that some really good business ideas don’t get lift-off because they don’t have enough of a cash runway.
With so many layoffs happening across the tech ecosystem, it’s understandable many people fear hiring has dried up and think tech is a wobbly career prospect these days.
The fear is evident: Google Trends data shows that search interest in the term “layoff” is spiking.
But while mega-corporations have laid off some serious numbers over the past 12 months, in many cases these redundancies were driven by a need to amend over-hiring during the pandemic, which given recent economic factors necessitates a correction.
While that is of little comfort to those who have lost jobs in the sector, most layoffs represent a smaller percentage of a much larger workforce. Meta, for example, is letting 13 per cent of its employees go, whereas Google’s parent company Alphabet is culling around 6 per cent per cent of its global workforce.
The types of jobs that are being shed are worthy of note too. A recent report on layoffs found that job cuts were mostly in finance, construction, technology and real estate. Drilling down further, those working in roles such as customer service, sales, IT and operations were most at risk.
“Sales is the most common role, accounting for 20 per cent of laid-off tech workers,” Layoffs.fyi founder Roger Lee confirms. “Recruiting and HR are the functions most disproportionately affected relative to their size; it’s becoming quite common for companies to lay off 50 per cent or more of their talent teams.”
Crypto and digital assets
There is plenty of life in the old tech dog yet, however, and many sectors and job roles are experiencing growth, including in alternative finance. In 2022, the government announced its vision to become a global hub for the crypto and digital assets industries.
User penetration will be about 32 per cent by 2027, according to Statista, with revenue growth set to rocket to a projected $3.77bn by the same year.
A number of important centres are emerging, with Glassdoor identifying London, Leeds, Bristol, Cambridge, Glasgow, Belfast, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester as thriving blockchain hubs.
If you’re looking at alternative finance jobs, there are plenty of opportunities available. Third Republic is seeking a Kafka platform engineer in London to work on products that facilitate the mainstream adoption of crypto assets.
In this role, you will be responsible for maintaining infrastructure, enabling data-driven decisions. You should have previous experience in a DevOps role, a passion for cryptocurrency, and can use Kubernetes to manage infrastructure releases.
Blockchain
With its initial applications in cryptocurrency, blockchain has huge future potential. It is predicted to become one of the fastest growing sectors this decade. The expected growth of Web3.0 and its reliance on blockchain technology to power its applications should spell more employment opportunities too.
Already extensively used in the wilder finance sphere for payments, remittances, digital identity, smart contracts and asset management, it also has applications in manufacturing and supply chain management, offering better ways to do traceability, transparency and accountability.
The healthcare sector uses ledger technology for secure sharing of medical records and data management, and global governments are using it for voting systems, land registry, and identity management.
There are numerous other applications: in real estate, where it can be used for property listings, property transfers, and mortgage processing, as well as retail and gaming.
IBM is a company that considers itself an early adopter of blockchain technology. It employs more than 3,000 researchers across six continents, to do pioneering work in areas such as cognitive computing, augmented intelligence, quantum computing, and blockchain. Want to work there? You can explore all of IBM’s open roles here.
Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending
Another good bet for career advancement is the P2P sector which over the last five years has grown just over 24 per cent per year on average. In 2022, its total market size in the UK was around £283m.
There are numerous P2P lenders operating in the UK market, each with its own unique proposition: Assetz Capital funds small and medium UK businesses, BridgeCrowd offers bridging loans for the property sector, and Funding Circle specialises in funding small businesses.
Zopa is the original UK (and global) P2P company. Founded in 2005, it has grown steadily and now offers deposit accounts, personal loans and credit cards.
The company gained a full banking licence in 2020 and is hiring for a range of roles across technical and non-technical disciplines. Python developers may be interested in this backend QA engineer – Python/Kotlin job, whereas those with more traditional retail banking experience might be tempted by this compliance manager role.
Kirstie McDermott works for our job board partner, Jobbio. Based in Dublin, she has been a writer and editor across print and digital platforms for over 15 years.
