The primary, and best opportunity to get funding is pitching to our Dorset Business Angels (DBA) investors but there are also other ways we can help a business get funding.
Pitches
This is a business presentation lasting ten minutes, with five minutes of questions from investors, called a pitch – similar to Dragon’s Den on TV (but a little more sober). We hold events every 3 months, which you can read about and book to attend here. And the dates are publicised on our News page here.
Other Opportunities
There are five pitches every three months and more businesses approach us than there are available slots. Not all businesses who submit Business Plans to us have viable plans in the view of our review panel. However for those with potential, who are either unsuccessful getting a pitching slot, or for timing reasons, unable to pitch, there are other opportunities we can offer….
Members Page
On our Members Page, open only to signed up investor members, we include deals, and preview these in Member Newsletters.
Partner Networks and Organisations
We have long established relationships with other angel/investment networks who both refer to us and vice versa. We are also careful to ensure that if a business or individual approaches us and it is more appropriate they are directed to a grant, debt, professional services organisation or similar, then we do so. Hence our networking and relationships have always been crucial and effective.
UK Business Angels Association – DealShare
It is a private, members-only platform which we can use as UKBAA members, designed to improve deal flow and create co-investment opportunities for the UKBAA community. The DealShare allows UKBAA members to share deals with one another via a simple online marketplace, either by listing and managing the deal themselves, or by referring an entrepreneur that can be invited to do this directly. NB only UKBAA members will have access to this, which is fine, because that means across that UK angel networks, venture capital groups, crowdfunders and investors – in considerable numbers. Who can then if interested approach the entrepreneur.
It is not directly open to entrepreneurs and you need to have an invitation from one of our members or from UKBAA to upload any content.
Who uses DealShare?
The DealShare is used by all members of the UKBAA including 70 angel groups, 30 VCs, 15 equity crowdfunding platforms and hundreds of individual investors.
UKBAA members are free to research and enquire about any deals on the platform, to add and manage their own deals and to invite entrepreneurs to the platform too.
More on the benefits of DealShare and how it works here.
Pitch Perfect
Experience shows us that face to face presentations are the best option. Considerable sums of money are being sought. However, there are a mix of opportunities available, described above, some of which may be a starting point. To be subsequently followed by a pitch perhaps. The choice is yours.
