Alex Latham

"CAZOO GOES UNDER AFTER $8BN FLOP". That's how The Times put it this morning. Well, there you have it. Another British startup flop. And all because they believed in unicorns, took the VC shilling and fell for the dream of listing in the US. To those UK founders at the start of your journey, please remember you're building a business, not writing the plot for the next Netflix hit. 🚀 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐬 🚀 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝-𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰 ---------------------------- 😊 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 • 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 25+ 𝐲𝐫𝐬 📌 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬+𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 #startups #angelinvestors #fundraising #founders #InvestmentReadiness

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📣 Attention all founders seeking investment! 📣 After a busy Q1, we have now opened our Summer investment cohort and are on the hunt for more: 🌍 UK-Based (EIS/VCT Qualifying) 👩‍💻 High-growth tech startups 📈 With a minimum ARR of £500k+ 💷 Looking to secure up to £1.5m by late July Sound like you, or someone you know? Fire across a deck or tag them in the comments below. #venturecapital #venturefunding #tech #seedfunding Blackfinch Ventures

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🚀 Move money fast with our new Instant Card Transfers feature 🚀 Need to ensure your payments are received in minutes, not days? We've got you covered. Instant Card Transfers allow you to pay employees, contractors, and suppliers at home and abroad — all with just their card details. No more account numbers or IBANs. Transfer money to anyone in over 70 countries with ease. The money you send is automatically exchanged at the interbank rate to match their local currency (with fair exchange fees where applicable). And rest assured, there are no secrets or hidden costs — you’ll see all fees upfront before you hit go. To learn more head to→ International Business Payments | Business Money Transfer https://lnkd.in/eA2kdZmy

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🚀 Move money fast with our new Instant Card Transfers feature 🚀 Need to ensure your payments are received in minutes, not days? We've got you covered. Instant Card Transfers allow you to pay employees, contractors, and suppliers at home and abroad — all with just their card details. No more account numbers or IBANs. Transfer money to anyone in over 70 countries with ease. The money you send is automatically exchanged at the interbank rate to match their local currency (with fair exchange fees where applicable). And rest assured, there are no secrets or hidden costs — you’ll see all fees upfront before you hit go. Key Features: - Instant payouts for both local and international payments - Minimal beneficiary info required (only card number and name) - Automatically be given Revolut Business’s FX rates for international payments - ~80 countries with 50 local currencies 

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2024 is no better than 2023. UK Tech investment landscape surely can't get any gloomier than this, could it? Up to date data from https://deallite.uk Please note we only cover UK Tech Companies. #techinvestment #venturecapital #vc #privateequity #equityinvestment #equity #tech #uktech #techcelerate #deallite #deals #techdeals #funding #techfunding #investment #seed #seriesA #preseed #growthcapital

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How to validate an offer on a budget? We recently took on a gentleman running a biz ops optimisation agency. He was trying to sell to other agencies. From selling to agencies, we immediately knew he'd have a tough time getting them to buy. Most agencies' biggest bottleneck is client acquisition, not operations. Any resources they can spare, will be directed to that. So, it would be difficult to sell to them in the first place, and also to command higher prices. We analysed the work he had done - case studies etc - and saw that his expertise could be leveraged in an industry with a lot more purchasing power, and that would benefit a lot more from said service. The financial services industry. M&A firms, VCs, PE firms... You get the idea. They have money to invest, and their operations are more complex than agencies. So we advised him on how to: 1. Optimise his Li profile; 2. Craft the necessary marketing material; 3. Write compelling copy. From sending just 50 messages he received 8 positive responses. 16% PR rate means you have something special! It cost him $0, and a fraction of the time it would've taken to do this via cold email. Long story short: test your offer via LinkedIn if you're on a budget. It works.

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Monzo just passed 10m customers in the UK. That's more than Starling or Revolut. They added 2m new customers in the past 12 months. With 450,000 business customers, and my favorite stat... The average Monzo user has 38 friends who also use Monzo. 🧠 They're slowly becoming the everything finance app. They've mastered product extension. I made the image below to show a non-UK audience how they're gradually taking over my financial life. They've not replaced the big banks directly. They're just there, being awesome and gradually becoming the top of my wallet. 🧠 They're the winners in the UK but nowhere else. Revolut is massive in Ireland and growth economies like Poland and Romania. Monzo's next big geographic expansion isn't obvious. They're still not yet started in the US either. (When I bring them up to folks in the US, people go, yeah I've heard of them but they're not really relevant). 🧠 The best thing they could do for US market awareness is list on the NASDAQ but I doubt they will. Everyone in the US Fintech ecosystem knows who Nubank is, and Nubank keeps crushing. Monzo will list in the UK, because they're nice like that. (Counterpoint, that hasn't been an issue for Wise who listed in the UK, but they're also very well known because remittance).

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Monzo Bank have completely SMASHED Splitwise Inc. by truly knowing its customer. (Hands down the most important thing in marketing). This is how Monzo won: I lived with 3+ friends for around 8 years. For at least 4 of those we kept on top of bills and money-owed by using Splitwise. An app that lets you to track shared expenses. This January I went on holiday with a friend. We created a Splitwise. But after adding 3 payments we were told to upgrade to ‘pro’ to add more that day. Inconvenient. The other inconvenient thing about Splitwise is that it isn’t integrated with any banks. → You have to leave the app to make a payment. → Then go back to the app to click ‘settle up’. So, when I went on holiday last week with two friends... We tried Monzo instead and opened a ‘shared tab’. It SMASHED Splitwise. 💰 You can add limitless expenses 💰 You can easily add payments made on Monzo 💰 You can ‘settle up’ using Monzo directly Monzo knows what’s important to it’s customer: EASE. And, by making things as EASY as possible Monzo keeps it’s customers on their app for longer. So... Sorry Splitwise, I’m a Monzo shared tab girly now. #fintech #marketing #userexperience

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There is no such thing as a saturated market. Just badly positioned products. It’s true. Too many people enter mature markets and try to look and sound like the leader. They exit a year later with an empty Monzo account complaining the market is saturated. Example: Tinder launched in 2012 and dominates the UK dating app market. Just competing with them for demand would be like sitting at your desk ripping up £50 notes. So how do you compete? Like this: Bumble – their spin on it? The app where ladies make the first move. Grindr – the app for the LBGTQIA alphabet mafia. Christian Connection – as conceptions go, this one should be immaculate right? Pure Hook-up – Hello, take your clothes off and let’s have sex. Hinge – Hello, keep your clothes on and let’s have a relationship. Spot a pattern? Exactly, there is no pattern. They’re all doing something different. They’re doing something the leader can’t do effectively. And they’re appealing to a very specific and easy to identify audience. But here’s the thing. The tech all these companies are using is fundamentally the same. What’s different is how they place themselves in the market. It’s not about the product. It’s never about the product. It’s all about the messaging. So if you're struggling to get noticed in your market. Stop tinkering with your product and start tinkering with how you want people to place you. Or DM me if you need help tinkering.

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Techcelerate needs following partners - M&A - Fundraising - Recruitment - Software product development - need a representative in North West We have tech companies exploring funding and IPOs. Please check our partner fees before you get too excited https://lnkd.in/dhyams3Q Please don't email thinking I need above services for Techcelerate itself. We need partners to help our Tech Founders and Tech Companies. I will be ignoring all emails that do not meet this specific need. 😀 Always research before shooting from the hip! Thank you. hashtag #IPOs #techstartups #fundraising #investments #techinvestment

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🚨 𝙅𝙐𝙎𝙏 𝙄𝙉: Hundreds of employees of the digital bank Monzo Bank are being given the opportunity to sell part of their stakes in the company as its valuation soars to £𝟰.𝟱𝗯𝗻. Sky News has learnt that Monzo notified staff on Thursday that it was launching a secondary share sale backed by a number of the world's leading technology investors. Sources close to the deal said employees were likely to sell tens of millions of pounds-worth of stock as part of the deal, which is being launched less than three weeks before Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, is expected to increase the rate of capital gains tax in her inaugural budget. Monzo, which has more than 10 million customers, has become one of Britain's most successful, and valuable, FinTech companies. It employs more than 3,700 people. Earlier this year, it raised more than £500m by selling newly issued shares to a group of investors led by Capital G, a division of Alphabet-owned Google: https://lnkd.in/dztmvN8F That primary share sale valued the business at £4.1bn. More info: https://lnkd.in/dTMvKNJm Find this helpful? [ 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 ] Anything to add about this subject? [𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁] Nice story, Marcel. Next! [ 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 ] 

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I totally agree with Tom Blomfield the founder of Monzo Bank. Most founders I know develop a very clear view of the world and how things should work. They are contrarian, and they will not agree with you just so you’d like them. The best founders are truthseekers, and also truthtellers. Being kind also is not being polite, it is to tell you the truth and try to fix things that are broken. For most people it’s uncomfortable but the best founders are comfortable in being uncomfortable and misunderstood. #founders #contrarian #startups #leaders #entrepreneurship

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15 companies raised Series A in London last month (London TechWatch). 🤯 Whilst these numbers are lower than they should be, it is true that VC funding isn’t suited to everyone. If you think VC funding is your next step, ask yourself this. Is the opportunity truly big enough to excite VC’s and deliver the level of growth they’re looking for? If so, the next question to ask yourself is ‘when?’ Consistency, scalability, momentum are all things that indicate the timing is right for a funding round. Here’s what to consider. Consistency At Series A, consistency refers to your capability to repeatedly deliver growth and meet predetermined milestones over time. This not only reflects the efficacy of the business model, highlighting the reliability of revenue streams and customer acquisition strategies, but also demonstrates the competence of the team in executing its strategy. Consistency in performance reassures potential VCs that the business is capable of weathering storms and adapting to challenges. Scalability Scalability refers to the ability to capture a significant market share without a proportionate increase in resources. Different funds have different return expectations so demonstrating scalability allows them to determine the fit. While you need to demonstrate scalability, your activity should be phased. Double down on the things you know and can evidence and focus on delivering that. Taking this approach and phasing your activity will help de-risk your business for a VC. Momentum Momentum demonstrates business traction including revenue growth and increasing customer acquisition. These metrics provide tangible evidence of momentum, indicating that the company is addressing a genuine need and delivering value to its customers, e.g. they’ve found product-market fit. Being able to demonstrate consistency in execution, scalability in operations, and momentum in business traction, will stand you in good stead to raise your Series A. 

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South Coast Startups: This is your moment!! I’ve got an incredible opportunity for startups on the South Coast of England. We’re talking intros to top-tier mentors and serious cash for growth—whether that’s through equity or loans. I’m on the lookout for standout startups to match with angel investors, CCs, and Ultra High Net Worth individuals who are ready to back the next big thing. If this sounds like you—or someone you know—tag them, DM me, or drop me an email at [email protected]. Let’s take your startup to the next level! #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship #Fundraising #VentureCapital #AngelInvestors #GrowthHacking #BusinessGrowth #Innovation #SeedFunding #ScalingUp #StartupJourney #EquityFunding #Disruptors #FounderLife #StartupCommunity #BusinessFunding #StartupMentorship #InvestorReady #PitchToInvestors #DreamBig

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A literal FOODBANK by Monzo Bank & Greggs 🌭 UK challenger bank Monzo recently set up a unique pop-up in Newcastle for a single day: an ATMmmm that dispensed Greggs sausage rolls instead of cash. As an added bonus, every 100th user of this special machine received a £50 Greggs High Roller gift card. Monzo's VP of Marketing, AJ Coyne, highlighted the popularity of Greggs among Monzo customers, noting that over 80,000 free sausage rolls have been claimed since the introduction of Monzo perks and Monzo Max. He described the ATMmmm as a creative way to celebrate their partnership and emphasize Monzo's unique approach to banking. Greggs' Customer Director, Hannah Squirrell, expressed enthusiasm about the initiative. She mentioned that their partnership with Monzo provides weekly free treats to thousands of UK customers. Squirrell described the sausage roll ATM as the world's first of its kind, offering passersby a chance to "withdraw" a complimentary baked good and providing another reason for customers to choose Greggs. Here's my take on this tactic: Novelty and Memorability: The unconventional nature of a food-dispensing ATM instantly captures attention and creates a memorable experience. This uniqueness ensures the campaign sticks in people's minds long after the event. Viral Potential: The sheer unusualness of the concept makes it highly shareable on social media, potentially leading to organic, widespread publicity at little additional cost. Brand Synergy: It cleverly combines Monzo's innovative banking image with Greggs' popular food offerings, reinforcing both brands' values and their partnership. #marketing #creativemarketing

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I've had 3 conversations with 3 different startups over the past 3 weeks. Each of them have had R&D tax credits pulled back by HMRC months (or in one case 18 months) after they were awarded. You can imagine just how big an issue that is and how much up 💩 creek those startups are without a paddle. Do not rely on HMRC tax credits in your runway projections. They'll take much longer to land, will likely be awarded at less than you estimate and will be much harder to win. And they might even be clawed back.

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Monzo, the digital bank, used a viral waiting list to amass 5 million users before launch! Users could invite friends and "bump" each other up the queue, creating a win-win scenario. They did that by doing Pre-Launch Marketing. Pre-launch marketing is a powerful tool to build anticipation and secure early customers. Here's how to get started (It's a bit more complicated than these points, but it's a good start): 1.       Craft a Captivating Landing Page: This is your launchpad! Highlight your offering and capture leads with a clear call to action (think email signups). 2.       Spread the Word: Promote your landing page across social media, paid ads, PR efforts, and even offline events. 3.       Fuel the Hype: Create a sense of urgency with teasers, countdowns, or exclusive early-bird offers. #growthhacking #prelaunch

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What's the best bank account for UK freelancers? We have a pretty comprehensive guide. Myself and Matt Drzymała have updated one of the most popular blog posts on beingfreelance.com - It's a lot of work, but so useful. A list of the business banking options for those freelancing in the UK, along with amazing comments from freelancers in the Being Freelance community about their experiences. Some of the things they love? Accounts with: - free accounting software - automatic % of money being put into a tax 'pot' - no/low monthly fees - overseas accounts - business savings - easy integrating with our accounting software - built in money management tools - decent customer service It's important to think about how you run your business and then see if the bank you choose helps or hinders you. Some are really geared up for those working with international clients for example. Don't just bank out of habit. We're spoilt for choice in the UK. And it's so easy to switch banks - don't think you can't do it for your business, you absolutely can. ---- The Being Freelance Community is an amazing place to ask questions like 'what's the best bank for my business - any recommendations?'. You're not alone being freelance, come join us! Bonus points if you can tell in the photo which cards aren't actually bank cards 👀

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