With only 2 per cent of early-stage businesses being successful in raising investment, alumnus Oliver Woolley (MBA 1992) is inviting fellow alumni to join him for a talk and Q&A on how to raise equity investment of £250,000 to £5 million in uncertain times, touching on:

• The current investment market post-COVID-19 lockdown
• Business valuation and bench-marking: how to value unquoted businesses to attract investors
• Why investors don’t read business plans pretending to be investment decks
• Business angels v crowdfunding: the pros and cons
• Accessing other sources of investment: corporate venturing, international investors (primarily from China), British Business Bank, etc.
• Hot investment areas: where investment funds are flowing currently
• Making the most of tax incentives: S/EIS and R&D Tax Credits
• Key components of the legal documentation
• Case studies: winners and losers

Oliver Woolley is CEO of Envestors, which includes a network of 4,000 sophisticated investor members who have invested £126 million into 223 entrepreneurs (ranked the most active angel network in the UK, Nov 2020).

Oliver is also a Board Member of the UK Crowdfunding Association (UKCFA) and was a Board Member of the UK Business Angel Association from 2008 to 2014. Oliver is a Member of Court at Imperial College London.