Foresight Venture Capital FAQs

In the first instance, just send us your pitch deck and a cover note for our team to review, you can do this via ventures@foresightgroup.eu.

We love enterprise software, deep tech, and net zero technology with a core focus on hydrogen. We have a global remit, just as long as your business has a UK presence.

If we like your idea, you should hear back from us within 21 days of submitting your pitch. After our first chat, we aim to make our final decision within eight weeks. Note that the steps below can differ slightly at the later investment stages.

1. Firstly, send us your pitch deck with a covering note, you can do this via ventures@foresightgroup.eu. If we think we’re a fit for your business, we’ll set up an introductory call. This first chat (around 30 minutes) includes a general introduction to your team, the problem you’re tackling and the solution you’re proposing.

2. We will spend some time validating your business model and then get you in to present to the wider Ventures Team, this meeting is about 45 – 60mins and we will spend time understanding your go to market strategy.

3. The next meeting is with our Investment Committee, this meeting will be 60mins, and you present your business, explaining in detail the problem you are tackling and the solution you are providing. This is interactive and the Investment Committee will ask lots of questions ranging from market fit, through to financials and go to market.

4. Due diligence has been ongoing for us, but we’ll carry out our internal co-investor and partner due diligence. This might involve speaking to one of your early proof of concept (POC) partners/ customers, to give us a third-party view on your startup’s value proposition. We’ll also go through our know your customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering processes with you.

5. If we decide we’re the right fit for you, we’ll finalise terms and present our offer. We’ll review and sign legal documents on each side, then wire funds, ready to hit your bank account within ten working days.

6. Onboarding – welcome to the Foresight Ventures! We will invite you in for a 45min session to go over the resources and support available to you. We will also look at a 100-day plan that gets you focused on the short-term goals.

A funding round refers to a specific stage in the process of raising capital (funds) for a business or start-up.

During a funding round, a company aims to secure additional capital to fuel its growth, expand operations, develop new products or services, or achieve other strategic objectives.

Funding rounds are often categorised into different stages or rounds based on the company's growth and funding needs. The most common types of funding rounds include:

1. Seed round: The initial funding obtained by a start-up or early-stage company. Seed funding is typically used to develop a business idea, conduct market research, and build a minimum viable product (MVP).

2. Series A, B, C and beyond: These funding rounds occur as the company progresses and seeks additional capital to support its growth and expansion. Each subsequent round represents a new stage of funding, with the letter indicating the order in which the rounds occurred. For example, Series A is the first significant round of funding after the seed round, followed by Series B, Series C, and so on.

3. Pre-IPO round: Some companies opt for an additional funding round just before going public through an initial public offering (IPO). This round helps the company strengthen its financial position and prepare for the transition to a publicly traded entity.

Multiple investors often participate in an investment round for several reasons:

1. Diversification: Investors prefer to diversify their investment portfolio by spreading their capital across multiple companies. Investing in a single company carries higher risks, so by participating in a funding round with other investors, they can reduce their exposure to any individual company's performance.

2. Risk mitigation: Investing in a start-up or early-stage company is inherently risky. By having multiple investors, the risk is shared among them. If one investor bears a loss, the others may still have a chance to recover their investment if the company succeeds.

3. Resource pooling: By pooling resources, multiple investors can collectively provide a larger amount of capital than a single investor. This allows the company to access a greater pool of funds to fuel its growth and development.

4. Expertise and networks: Multiple investors bring diverse expertise, industry knowledge, and networks to the table. Each investor may have different backgrounds, experiences, and connections that can benefit the company in various ways, such as providing guidance, introductions to potential customers or partners, or strategic advice.

5. Due diligence: Each investor conducts their own due diligence before making an investment. By having multiple investors, the company can benefit from the insights and perspectives of multiple parties, which can lead to a more comprehensive evaluation of the business and its potential.

6. Shared decision making: With multiple investors, decision-making becomes a collective effort. This can bring different perspectives to the table, ensuring that decisions are made with broader input and potentially reducing the influence of any single investor.

Overall, having multiple investors in an investment round provides benefits such as risk mitigation, access to a larger pool of capital, expertise and networks, and shared decision-making, ultimately supporting the growth and success of the company.

Seed investing refers to the earliest stage of investment in a start-up or early-stage company. It is typically the initial funding obtained to help a company develop its business idea, conduct market research, and build a minimum viable product (MVP).

Seed investors provide the necessary capital to support the company's initial growth and development.

Seed investing differs from later-stage investments in terms of the company's maturity and the amount of capital involved. During the seed stage, the company is usually in its formative phase, aiming to validate its concept and build a viable business model. The investment amounts in seed rounds can vary widely, ranging from tens of thousands to a few million dollars, depending on the specific circumstances and the needs of the company.

Seed investing is critical for early-stage companies as it provides them with the necessary financial resources to get off the ground, refine their product or service, and gain traction in the market. Successful seed funding can pave the way for subsequent funding rounds, such as Series A, where the company aims to scale its operations and expand further.

Series A is a funding round that typically occurs after the seed stage in the life cycle of a start-up or early-stage company. It represents the first significant round of venture capital financing after the initial seed investment.

During the Series A funding round, the company seeks to raise capital to fuel its growth, expand operations, and execute its business plan. The funds raised in this round are generally used to achieve specific milestones such as product development, market expansion, hiring key talent, and increasing marketing efforts.

Series A funding is usually larger than the seed round, with investment amounts ranging from a few million dollars to tens of millions of dollars, depending on the company's industry, growth potential, and funding needs. The valuation of the company is often higher at this stage, reflecting its progress and potential.

Series A funding is typically led by venture capital firms and institutional investors who provide the majority of the investment. These investors conduct thorough due diligence to assess the company's market opportunity, competitive landscape, team, technology, and growth potential. They also negotiate the terms of the investment, such as the valuation, equity stake, and governance rights.

The Series A round is a critical milestone for start-ups as it signifies validation and potential for further growth. It enables the company to accelerate its development, scale operations, and attract top talent. Successful Series A funding sets the stage for subsequent funding rounds like Series B, Series C, and beyond, as the company progresses along its growth trajectory.

Series B is a funding round that typically occurs after the Series A round in the life cycle of a start-up or early-stage company. It represents the next stage of venture capital financing and is aimed at further scaling and expanding the company's operations.

During the Series B funding round, companies seek additional capital to support their growth, enhance product development, penetrate new markets, and build upon the foundation established in earlier stages. The funds raised in this round are usually used to accelerate growth, increase market share, invest in research and development, and further strengthen the company's position in the industry.

Series B funding rounds generally involve larger investment amounts compared to earlier rounds. Depending on the company's industry, growth trajectory, and funding requirements, the investment size can range from several million dollars to tens of millions of dollars or even more. The valuation of the company at this stage is typically higher than in previous rounds, reflecting its progress and market potential.

Similar to Series A, Series B rounds are often led by venture capital firms and institutional investors who have expertise in scaling companies and driving further growth. These investors conduct thorough due diligence and negotiate the terms of the investment, including valuation, ownership stake, and governance rights.

The Series B round is a significant milestone that demonstrates continued investor confidence in the company's potential and progress. It signifies that the company has successfully executed its business plan, achieved key milestones, and is ready to pursue further growth opportunities. The additional funding obtained in Series B helps the company expand its operations, enter new markets, strengthen its team, and invest in scaling strategies.

After the Series B round, there can be subsequent funding rounds such as Series C, D, and so on, each representing a new stage of financing to support the company's ongoing growth and expansion.

When you’re backed by Foresight, you get more than just a founder-investor relationship. We come with a network of skilled collaborators who can get behind your idea and help power the future of your business. We have venture partners based in the US and Israel and extensive resources to help founders who are based or expanding there.

Foresight has an expansive global network with venture partners based in the US and Israel, which can expedite global growth plans and assist with access to new global capital.

We seek out the very best, and most ambitious, founders and we work hard to put our network, experience, and knowledge to work to support them, and their teams, through every step of their journey.

We are very much a supportive partner, assisting the growth of your business, not just through capital, but corporate governance best practices and generally opening up our network that can assist with business growth and making key hires.

WAE provides technical expertise to Foresight, through access to nearly 300 engineers that advise on opportunities. This is a unique partnership that separates our investment funds from others in the market.

No. The money invested is not WAE’s, and there is no investment criteria stating that WAE would be interested in acquiring an investee company. We like to consider our funds like a CVC but without the drawbacks.

We work as one team. Calls with prospective investee companies are supported by both companies and investment papers are written collaboratively.

WAE can provide ‘value add’ services for the portfolio. This can include technical support, customer introductions and guidance from our business leaders.