Simon Holland

A top FIVE trend in #startup ecosystems right now

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Numbers & insights from a deep tech venture studio that launched 11 companies (all are active) in the last 7 years, reaching £85M valuation across the portfolio: 1. Post Urban, initially bootstrapped by Luke Robinson, an academic with a PhD in physics from Cambridge, now operates with external funding from a UK-based fund. 2. Launched 5 companies during the first 5 years and 6 companies during the last 2 years. 3. All 11 completed pre-seed rounds; 1 of them got Series A, 2 of them are approaching their Series A. 4. The startups have collectively raised ~£25M in venture capital, in addition to receiving grants. The total valuation of the 11 companies is ~£85M, half of which have not yet undergone subsequent funding rounds. 5. Initial equity splits: the venture builder 20%, CEOs of startups 35% (vests over 4 years), CTOs – 20-25%, employees 10-15%. 6. The initial valuation of startups was £2 million, with £300K invested by the venture builder. The last 2 startups were at £3.5-4M initial valuation. 7. Building deep tech ventures requires significantly higher initial funding because these projects need more time to develop demonstrable products. Two portfolio companies hit £1M in ARR. 8. The venture builder has increased the capital for the last 2 startups to ensure they reach meaningful milestones. The CEOs of the startups were able to secure additional funding through their networks, £350K and £450K, respectively. 9. The deep tech investor pool is smaller than that for sectors like SaaS, which requires a stronger proof of concept and market readiness to attract funding. 10. 3-4 times, potential customers became investors in Post Urban Ventures. This is a great approach because it secures investment and validates the concept by gauging whether these potential customers truly believe in the solution and its market necessity. 11. They don't start with a technology or an idea; instead, they integrate insights about global problems and, by actively engaging with advisory boards, founders, and industry experts, identify pain points and align them with technological solutions. 12. They do not bring universities in as co-founders but source scientists or professors to contribute to research and development. This involves leveraging academic expertise to support the technical aspects of startup projects until a prototype is developed. 13. The studio maintains strong connections with major academic institutions, including Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College, and UCL, supporting its deep tech focus and facilitating access to new technologies and potential founders. 14. Areas of focus in deep tech: AI (Knowledge Graphs, NLP, DNNs, Computer Vision, Edge AI, Active Learning), Quantum Technologies, Biotech, AgTech, Enterprise SaaS. Watch the full interview to gain insights into the portfolio companies, handling IP collaborations with universities, key challenges, and team construction: https://lnkd.in/dCi7fZ7G

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Struggling with how I feel about the $200 million investement in Flo yesterday.. On one hand at least the #economic benefit of #FemTech is being recognised. It is clearly #investible! (But, it isn't like women haven't been saying that for decades now or anything..☝️). I hope this means I no longer have to defend the commercial benefits of improving women's health for our entire #global #economy.. when this #disparity in women's healthcare, means that currently over half the population are limited from contributing to the #economy during their most productive years! 😡😡😡 But on the other hand, it is #disappointing that out of all the incredible #FemTech companies that exist, which are founded by brilliant women founders - that the one that gets the biggest #valuation and #investment is the one founded by two #men.. What #angered me the most, was I saw comments from men such as "maybe they just had a really good pitch..", - how about as commercially minded as these founders may be - they will never have as good domain expertise as a #woman, when it comes to managing #reproductive #health, and the #barriers that #women experience every day in the #health-#care #system. If this doesn't highlight the #gender #bias in the investment landscape, I do not know what does. https://lnkd.in/gae_f8SR #genderbias #investment #genderequity #femtech #startup #entrepreneur #reproductivehealth #womenshealth #venture #success #acheivement

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📋 15 Cheat Sheets on Marketing, Sales, Fundraising, Pitch Decks, and More 🔹 Pricing and Packaging Software 🔹 Five Prospect Stages 🔹 2024 Fundability Benchmarks 🔹 Leadership Transitions 🔹 SaaS Monetization Steps 🔹 Essential Pitch Slides 🔹 Paul Graham’s Investor Guide 🔹 Investor Question Types 🔹 TAM, SAM, SOM Explained 🔹 Comprehensive Pitch Deck Guide 🔹 SaaS Sales with MEDDICC 🔹 Identifying the Right Customers 🔹 Anatomy of a Perfect Pitch Deck 🔹 Prioritization Frameworks #Marketing #Sales #Fundraising #Business #CheatSheets

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Bite-Sized Guides: Navigating NHS DTAC for Startups with Naq 🚀 The first series of videos for founders + operators in healthtech with Nadia Kadhim is now LIVE on Peerr We appreciate time and resources are incredibly valuable for founders. So we want to help you save hours searching across the internet crawling through lots of websites, documents and videos (if you find any!) for a trusted, true source of information around compliance and regulation but broken down into manageable bite-sized videos. We will be sharing more videos over the coming days and weeks - link in the comments!

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Fundraising, its the hardest it’s even been. Fundraising along most stages of a business cycles have been very tough. Speaking to fellow founders, or even funds raising capital - money is harder to come by. But, it’s not impossible. I recently closed an additional round of £300k from angel investors to help us for our next stage of growth. Here’s some suggestions to anyone looking to raise funds in this climate: 1. Do a rolling close, you can bank the money in whilst raising the rest. Don’t wait for a target - it only takes one investor to pull out for you to be back at square one. 2. A company in the same industry that has just raised? Speak to them for tips, intros and more 3. Targeted approach to relevant investors with personalised intros - most are happy for cold DM’s 4. It’s a numbers game, make your life easier - use tools that can scale your outreach when you’ve figured out 2 5. Go back to existing funders or those you may have engaged with before, it’s easier to raise from people who are familiar with you 6. Hustle, engage with pitching events, angel networks and people who are connected to the ecosystem Do these 6 things and give yourself 6 months from when you start. P.S - the word from credible VC investors is that in the next 9 months, there is a LOT of dry powder becoming available. Exciting times ahead to build exciting products, services and businesses. ♻️ Repost this to help others who might be fundraising, too. Follow Dhruvin Patel for more.

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🤑 WHAT A WEEK! Female Founders in Europe came out swinging with capital raised hitting almost €350M!!!! This includes a few noteworthy Series A and Series B rounds: 🎟 Series A: Elisabeth Rizzotti and newcleo securing €135M Caroline L. Benn and LoQus23 Therapeutics Ltd securing £35M 🎟 Series B: Oana Andreea Jinga and Dexory securing $80M Lara Campana and Resolution Therapeutics securing €76M I LOVE seeing these big tickets and rounds!! A few observations from reviewing the rounds: 1. Seed rounds were hot with more than 25 2. Quite a few foodtech brands securing capital 3. Nearly 50% of the HypeCorner are UK based #HypeCorner Another massive congratulations to these female founders and their teams for raising capital to fuel their growth: 🇬🇧 Adaora Oramah - Founder & CEO of AMAKA Studio 🇫🇷 Cindy Michel - Co-founder & CSO of CardiaMetrics 🇩🇪 Marie Kober Co-founder & CEO at senvo 🇱🇹 Jekaterina Govina - Co-founder & Head of Partnerships at AMLYZE 🇬🇧 Elisabeth Rizzotti - Co-founder & COO of newcleo 🇬🇧 Caroline L. Benn Co-founder & Chief Scientific Officer at LoQus23 Therapeutics Ltd 🇬🇧 Oana Andreea Jinga Co-founder & Chief Commercial & Product Officer at Dexory 🇷🇴 Diana Baicu Co-founder & Robotics Engineer at Adapta Robotics 🇫🇷 Anela Boese Co-founder & CCO or stellar // 🇬🇧 Lara Campana Co-founder & VP Research Operations at Resolution Therapeutics 🇩🇪 Carmen Rommel - Co-founder of BIOVOX GmbH 🇬🇧 Gulsah Gulser & Gonca Gulser - Co-founders of Quin AI Link to the full post in the comments below! 👇 ☀ Have a wonderful weekend everyone! ☀ _______________________________________________________________ 👋 Hi, I'm Jen, Fractional CMO & Fundraising consultant for early stage startups 🙌 Hype woman for female founders with Unstoppable 📩 Building something EPIC? Get in touch, I'd love to help! #femalefounder #founder #startup #fundraising #showherthemoney #fundher #investment #VC #womenintech #AI #Biotech #healthtech #climatetech #SaaS #greentech #fintech #womeninleadership #investment #WomeninVC #deeptech #greentech

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This is an excellent article (loong one, pls note) on a step by step guide to hitting PMF or product-market fit. Love how PostHog cofounder 🦔 james hawkins visualises PMF akin to a game, with 5 levels and how to jump levels. More relevant for B2B / SaaS founders than B2C given James' experience w Posthog. One quibble would be keeping the ICP definition process on Level 5, whereas it should be something that you freeze on with picking the problem (his Level 1) ideally. While James describes this as getting to PMF, in my #pmfplaybook this is actually PPF or product to problem fit. In my definition, PPF + MMF (GTM Motion to Market Fit) = PMF. Repeatable scaling post this stage (5 reference customers) via a scalable GTM playbook is what is truly PMF. But this is my opinion against his opinion + track record of building to $20m ARR. This is a truly masterful resource for iterating to PMF. Every B2B / SaaS founder starting out or an aspiring B2B / SaaS founder should eyeball / read this. https://lnkd.in/ghGhBn-v

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Last month, I attended an event by GP Bullhound and was surprised to see #Flo as a unicorn candidate—a non-AI consumer-facing app. My initial reaction was, "Okayyyyyy, let’s see." And here we go! Yay, a new non-AI unicorn 🦄 on the market, and it addresses a female-centric topic. The internet couldn't be more divided—yay, femtech! Nay, tech bro raised from finance bros! I started using Clue before Flo even entered the market. I never switched, although I've been tracking more with the ŌURA ring recently. Honestly, I didn't feel the need to switch until I started working with Gen Zs. My Gen Z colleague praised Flo's cute, Gen Z-friendly app vibe and design. Clue, a German company and app, faces immense skepticism from investors regarding anything consumer-facing. But why? Data, insights, market trends, etc., all stem from consumer-facing companies! Just check the app stores—how many trending apps are made in Germany? How can we foster innovation if we can't directly reach consumers? You don’t need to understand #TikTok to recognize its power!

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Anthony's innovations have had a massively positive impact on so many in the UK tech ecosystem. I think it would be wise for the UK Gov (and Rt Hon Rachel Reeves) to pay attention. #capitalraising #startups #fundraising #founders #venturecapital #investors #vc #vcfunding #technology #startup #tech

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Here is a roadmap to success that every thriving company follows: 🛠️ Phase 1: Building Products Users Love It all starts here. Crafting a product that users can't help but fall head over heels for is the cornerstone of success. At Presto, we're revolutionising oral health, currently immersed in Phase 1, where we're building a product that creates magic for dentists and lab technicians. After all, if your users aren't raving fans, what's the point, right? 💡 Phase 2: Maximizing Opportunity with a Solid Company Once you've got a product that's turning heads, it's time to level up. Building a company that can ride the wave of opportunity your product has created is key. It's about maximizing every ounce of potential and turning it into something truly remarkable. 💰 Phase 3: Harvesting Profits for Future Growth Now, it's time to reap the rewards of your hard work. Harvesting the profits of your core business isn't just about padding your pockets – it's about fueling the fire of innovation. Investing in transformative new product ideas ensures your company stays ahead of the curve and continues to make waves. Each phase is like a piece of a puzzle – interconnected and essential for the bigger picture of success. But here's the kicker – most startups stumble right out of the gate because they miss the mark on Phase 1. Creating a product that users love enough to ditch the competition is no easy feat. It's about understanding your audience, tapping into their needs, and delivering a solution that knocks their socks off. So, if you find yourself in Phase 1, chin up! Success in this phase means you've struck gold – discovering a demand so high that your small team can barely keep up. But remember, when that happens, it's time to shift gears. Phase 2 awaits, where you'll build the company of your dreams and leave a lasting legacy as a founder. Here's to embracing the journey, tackling each phase with its highs and lows, and paving the way for a future filled with success! 🚀✨ BTW, we're actively seeking seed pre-revenue investors who believe dental care needs a ground-up rebuild. If you're looking to diversify your portfolio into healthcare, let's chat. #startupjourney #digitaldentistry #oralhealthcare #healthtech #dentaltech #Investors #seed

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The shift in Series A to Series B graduation rates is a stark reminder of how the startup landscape has evolved, particularly post-2020. The "sugar rush" analogy fits well—easy access to capital led to rapid growth and inflated valuations. But as interest rates have gone up and funding has become more selective, startups are now having to return to solid business fundamentals. For MedTech and FemHealth startups, the journey from Series A to Series B was never easy, even in more favorable times. Now, with the additional pressure of financial conservatism, these companies must show not only potential but tangible progress in product-market fit, regulatory paths, and revenue generation. This is where smart money, strategic partnerships, and a clear focus on health outcomes can differentiate those startups that are essential from those just chasing the next round. With venture capital taking a closer look at impact and sustainability, founders should focus on aligning with investors who understand the long-term value of innovation in healthcare. For founders currently raising, it's about knowing that this is a marathon, not a sprint. Yes, the competition is tough, but it also means there's an opportunity for those who stay nimble, pivot intelligently, and keep an eye on profitability and growth potential without sacrificing the mission. What do you think will help startups stand out the most as they aim for Series B in today's market? 🚀 Thank you Peter Walker for your incredible insights!! #MedTech #FemHealth #VCFunding #SeriesA #SeriesB #HealthInnovation #Founders

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FOCUS ON THE PRODUCT, NOT THE BRAND!!! As early-stage founders, there's a constant temptation to pour time and energy into branding. The belief is that a strong brand increases product value. This can unintentionally lead to neglecting the core: building a great product that delivers superior value to customers. I used to have a tailor with fancy packaging. Initially impressed, I ordered several items. Unfortunately, the clothes were terrible, and his handling of the situation sealed the deal – never again. Another tailor delivered my clothes in a simple plastic bag, but the quality was outstanding (and he was even more expensive!). I felt I got value for money and will definitely go back, packaging be damned. While a strong brand is crucial for scaling, it shouldn't be the initial focus. Branding can always come later. Focus on building the product, listening to customers, solving problems and achieving that product:market fit. Spend more time, energy and resources on that. Once you have that clarity and momentum, it's easy to layer a good brand on top of it. Especially in this part of the world, genuinely solving problems and satisfying customers isn't always a priority. People pay lip service to it, but their actions betray them. Be different, stand out, you will be glad you did! What are your thoughts? Share your experiences in the comments below!

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UK venture capital fuels startup triumphs The UK is home to some of the most successful venture capital firms in the world. These firms specialize in providing funding and resources for startups, as well as guidance on navigating the early stages of business ownership. Some of these VCs have made massive investments into early stage companies, leading to their incredible growth and successes. UK's venture capital expands global investment reach The UK venture capital landscape continues to grow. With some of the top firms in Europe being situated in the UK, It's no surprise that there are a number of venture capital firms from the country which are leading the way when it comes to investing in European and global startups. Here two of my favourite lists please comment like and share :- Mountside Ventures’ list of 50+ VC firms with fresh capital and UK focus: https://lnkd.in/dAFrtNaz . https://lnkd.in/e7nwKMBv

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Health Tech founders often come to me frustrated that they just can’t get hospitals to buy their product. Even though the founder feels that they are solving such an obvious problem for the healthcare system. In my experience, here are the 3 main reasons why hospitals won’t buy your product… and I’ll use shoes as an analogy. 𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 Suppose you looked at my shoes. They’re really worn out. Ripped. Sure it’s annoying when water gets through or my exposed toe gets scratched. But I don’t really care about my feet that much… so my threshold for buying better shoes is really high. Similarly, say you have a solution for recording a patient encounter and summarizing the visit for the patient. While it can be a bit frustrating when verbal instructions my clinicians provided are forgotten and patients need to call us back, it’s not frustrating enough for me to install an entire solution for it. It’s not a true problem for me. You call it a problem… I call it an annoyance. And I don’t spend money to fix annoyances. This is where most Health Tech companies get stuck… most potential customers view you as a Vitamin instead of a Painkiller. You either need to solve a different problem or find an adjacent customer type for who you actually solve a problem for. 𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺... 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 Suppose my shoes are so worn out, that I’ve decided it’s a problem I need to solve. I’m convinced I need to buy a new pair of shoes soon. But… it’s more important that I save up for getting my car fixed. That’s a bigger priority for me right now. Similarly, say you have a remote patient monitoring solution to cut readmissions. Sure, my hospital's readmission rate might be bad. I agree with you - it’s a problem that really has to be fixed sometime soon. But that’s a next year priority… because my hospital CEO told me to focus on reducing length of stay this year. So yes, I agree it’s a problem… but it’s not a priority to fix right now. Maybe next year. 𝟯. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆... 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 Oh look at that, I’ve got some slippers in my closet. I’ll just wear those. Sure I probably shouldn’t use those to run or play tennis or go out in the rain… but, maybe I can? I mean it’s “free” since it’s already in my closet. Similarly, say you have a patient portal that has more advanced features than what my hospital’s EHR vendor offers. I genuinely believe yours is better. But… I just spent hundreds of millions of dollars on this EHR and patient portal. I know it’s not the same… but maybe it’ll be good enough? Only one way to find out… and yes, that may take months to years to validate. So… let’s stay in touch, but give me some time to try this other option out first. ***** What would you add to the list?

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This guide outlines the funding journey from Pre-Seed to Series C and beyond: - Pre-Seed: Focus on concept, team, and initial validation. - Seed: Prove market fit and scalability. - Series A: Demonstrate revenue growth and user base. - Series B: Scale operations with solid financials. - Series C+: Prepare for major expansion and exit strategies. Insight: Each funding stage builds on the previous one. Early rounds focus on validation and product-market fit, while later stages emphasize scaling and financial stability. The goal is to show continuous growth and potential to attract investors. Subscribe to ‘Siliconnector’ Telegram channel for insights and news from Tech world and Silicon Valley: https://t.me/siliconnector

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⏰There is a Tick Tock pulse in fundraising and sales⏱️ If Tick is fundraising, Tock is sales. ❌ The problem is most founders go Tick Tick Tick > Tock Tock Tock ❗️Now the next Tick will be much harder because your valuation has now priced in all that past revenue (fair) but without a clear line of sight to future revenues that drive venture-scale growth. 🕥This can prolong the fundraising process as investors wait to see your next batch of contracts come in. 💡One solution is to fundraise after signing a contract but before servicing it. In other words, pre-A/B rounds. It’s a short window but this is the Tick Tock pulse that works incredibly well if you get it right. Here’s the narrative: 1️⃣We have $x in signed contracts and will have to service them over the next 12 months 2️⃣We’re raising now so we can focus on pleasing our customers when the time comes. 3️⃣For this peace of mind, we’re willing to take a 20% discount on our next round valuation given the contracts are already signed. 4️⃣Of course, you are welcomed to join after we’ve closed the revenues. We might be raising at 20% discount to the following round by then. 💡As an added benefit, founders get to focus on one thing at a time - fundraising > sales > fundraising > sales (Tick Tock Tick Tock!) ➡️As with most things I share, works for B2B deep tech. I think? 🧐 💸Don’t try this at home (consumer tech).

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"Is there a fast way to sell to the NHS as an early stage HealthTech Startup?" A founder asked me this sincerely yesterday. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫: Generally No. Let us review the position of this founders startup: 1. First version of MVP ready. 2. Compliance almost done (DTAC). 3. No current evidence yet (Pilot in 2-3 months hopefully). 4. Looking to sell to primary care/ generate leads ASAP. Which to be fair, is where many founders find themselves. ______________________________ There are 4 main factors why I say no. 1. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐇𝐒 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝. - There isn't a single unified way to reach out to all 1250 Primary Care Networks (PCN) and the 42 integrated care boards in the UK. - If selling to GP clinics, there are 6311 clinics that you will have to approach one by one if not going through the ICB and PCN level. 2. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐇𝐒 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐧𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 (𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐂𝐁 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥) - First off, the NHS is cash strapped. Meaning it will need significant proof to justify buying any new solutions. - A lot of software solutions are often bought in bulk (EHRs, Video Communication) at the ICB level and distributed. - But those often are from established companies with substantial experience and evidence. (Note, evidence in this case does not mean just published clinical studies in peer reviewed journals. But real world case applications) 3. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐇𝐒 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠. - Even if a procurement decision is agreed upon at the board level, it still takes a while for procurement to complete. - The shared experience points towards a sales cycle of approx 6-12 months at the higher levels. 4. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭. - Established channels for HealthTech companies to scale such as the NHS Innovation Accelerator takes time for its benefits to be shown. - Joining national procurement frameworks like the G-cloud or Dynamic Purchasing Systems takes time and vetting as well. (Same for applying for any tender) _________________________________ Does this mean one should abandon all hope selling to the NHS? Certainly not. But it does tell founders to: 1. Prepare for the long run. 2. Prioritise developing evidence for your solutions. 3. Develop great assets that communicate your product's value proposition. Lead generation follows a great product with a track record. Overnight successes rarely happen overnight. To those in my network that have been there and done that, 🙏 What advice can you give? Grace Gimson | Raj Kohli | Alexandra Eavis | Patrick Harding | Liam Cahill

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