I am delighted to share highlights from our Female Founders virtual masterclass event last week, focussing on the theme of early-stage businesses preparing to scale and fundraise.

It was great to see this event so well attended and again highlighted the importance of supporting the female founder community on their start up journeys, whether at very early-stage or further along the line with investment raises and approaching exit routes.

We covered a review of the current investment landscape for early-stage businesses and top tips for ensuring a sustainable business model, with our expert panel sharing invaluable insights from their experiences, with brilliant interaction from the founders in the audience.

More virtual, interactive masterclass events are planned in the coming months, focussing on specific topics that support the whole journey from starting up, scaling up, fundraising and exits.

In the meantime, thanks to Anna Sweetman and Susan Millin for joining our panel for this event – please take a look at key takeaways from discussions below and here’s a video of the event …

Anna Sweetman – Investor at Active Partners

Anna is an investor at Active Partners – a leading consumer focussed Early-Stage Fund that invests in category defining brands.

Anna gave practical, no nonsense, simple advice about breaking down key attributes to successful fundraising, including the need for a clear narrative about the problem you’re solving, why it matters and knowing your numbers.

Anna raised the important point about raising money at valuations, where founders don’t get wiped out or have to conjure up unrealistic valuations to avoid getting wiped out that results in an unsuccessful fundraise.

Susan Millin – Commercial & Sustainability Expert

Susan is a transformational leader, with expertise in demonstrating how ESG can positively impact the key value driving levers in a business.

Key takeaways from Susan’s insights revolved around the theme of thinking how founders can add value by doing things more sustainably, keeping the CFO out of the equation at the same time.

Also focussing on what is material and how that aligns with customers and stakeholders, whilst trying to include both these themes in the business at all times.

Sharon O’Connor – Consumer Partner, PACP

As a specialist Consumer Partner at PACP,  I regularly see first hand the challenges female founders encounter on their journeys from start up to exit.

Often the answer to overcoming obstacles can be engaging in external support that helps guide and grow a business just when it needs it to breakthrough to the next stage.

Our partners are all sector specialists who have experienced first hand setting up, growing and exiting businesses successfully throughout their careers, with knowledge and expertise that adds value to a founder’s business proposition in preparation for scaling and fundraising.

Our advisory programmes help founders with market validation, growth strategies and investor readiness, with peer to peer hands on support adding our complimentary skills to their boards.

We have specialist partners covering the sectors of Consumer, Climate, Technology & Data, Property and Health & Life Sciences.

For more information about how Prime Advantage Capital Partners can help with advisory services for founders, please contact me at sharon@pa-capitalpartners.com