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scouch1's avatar

I have worked for most of my life for US technology startups opening for business in EMEA. I have had several attempts at creating my own businesses along along the say, a successful Microsoft Gold partner with a friend, selling primarily to the FTSE 100. A software company that was designed to inject relevant advertising into applications (two years before Apple, Yahoo, Google, Microsoft spent about $6bn on acquisitions in that space), I'm actually glad I didn't do that one as I would be very much hated by users everywhere, anyway to my point... the Banks are NOT helpful to SMBs, and UK venture capitalists do not understand the meaning of the word venture. At another stsrtup, working out of the Plug-and-play tech centre on Wolf Creek in San Jose, we had lunch time 10 minute pitches to VCs pretty much every day of the week. The equivalent of a Regus office with full service hosting, and services to help you succeed at a new company. You could call it an incubator I suppose. Never seen anything like it in the UK, A & B rounds, access to great potential board members, and help IPOing or exiting via a sale. Okay so its a particular industry but honestly until the UKs VCs stop being sure-bet capitalists and Banks start helping businesses reach the next stage and don't just arbitrarily remove over drafts, nothing much will change.

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Simon Barrett's avatar

An interesting article, glad I found you on X

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