Category: News

Together with hundreds of other angel investors, founders, and tech industry leaders, AIN has signed an open letter to the Chancellor, presenting a case for reversing the forthcoming changes to the definition of High Net Worth (HNW) individuals for investment eligibility.

At Angel Investment Network, we are committed to democratising the startup ecosystem, connecting the world to enable investors to back the great businesses of tomorrow.

In order to ensure those connections can flow freely, it is imperative to reduce barriers for startups to raise funding and for investors to access deals and invest. read more

MAGIC AI, the UK’s first AI personal trainer, is on a mission to combat obesity through its innovative fitness platform. Founded in 2021, the company utilises cutting-edge holographic technology and a wall mirror to create an immersive fitness experience at home.

In our latest Behind The Raise interview, co-founder Varun Bhanot shares his personal journey from being overweight to a transformative training experience, which inspired him to democratise personalised training. 

He discusses the problem MAGIC AI aims to solve, its appeal to investors, celebrity endorsement, and valuable tips for raising investment. Varun also reveals how he discovered a close-to-home connection in the AIN database. read more

In this guest post Adah Paris, chair of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England provides insight into how founders can manage workplace wellbeing.

Whether you are a founder or investor it is vital to think about the mental health and wellbeing of everyone involved, including yourselves. The emotional and physical demands of leading a startup require a laser sharp focus on wellbeing.

At MHFA England®, we know productivity and wellbeing fuel each other. We believe organisations of all shapes and sizes, including startups, can purposefully design wellbeing into their business model. As founders and investors, you have an unrivalled opportunity to ensure inclusion, wellbeing and high performance go hand in hand.  read more

In our latest fundraising top tips article Xavier Ballester, Director of Brokerage at Angel Investment Network, gives us the lowdown on the 5 Ps of impressing angel investors.

Fundraising in 2023 is tough. With a re-evaluation of so many businesses and investors being far more cautious about deploying capital, startups need to change their strategy to succeed. However, with 15 years of experience in helping startups raise investment one thing I know is how adept startups are at adjusting strategies in the face of ever-changing market dynamics.  read more

Welcome to the first of our new mini-series ‘Inside the Accelerator’. The series will showcase and delve deep into some of the exciting and diverse accelerator programs leading the way in their respective fields. This is part of our commitment to using our platform as a means of supporting the startup ecosystem beyond funding alone.

We aim to educate founders on navigating the landscape and growing in a more challenging climate. On behalf of our members, we’re looking forward to exploring the benefits and challenges of joining accelerator programs, as well as the impact that accelerators have on the startup ecosystem. read more

In our latest Behind The Raise interview we interview Nick Torday, co-founder of Bower Collective, a sustainable consumer technology business dedicated to combatting the global plastic waste crisis. Bower Collective aims to create a more sustainable world by eliminating plastic waste through the delivery of a wide range of award-winning natural household products in BowerPack™, their unique reusable packaging system. Nick discusses their mission-driven approach, the growth they have seen and scale of the investment opportunity, how they have coped with global supply chain challenges and his top tips for raising investment. read more

Fusion technology holds the key to unlocking a clean energy revolution by replicating the energy generation process of stars right here on Earth. With the world’s continuing reliance on carbon-creating fossil fuels, the urgent need for sustainable alternatives has never been greater. This is where fusion steps in, offering both an investor opportunity and the potential for game-changing startups to address critical energy transition needs. 

In our latest Sector Focus article Dr Melanie Windridge, world renowned physicist, CEO and founder of Fusion Energy Insights gives us the low down… read more

Arrears, an innovative startup specialising in AI-driven global payments and finance operations, has been named as AIN’s Startup of the Month. The pioneering debt collection platform developed by Arrears leverages advanced AI technology to streamline and enhance the debt collection process for SMEs across the USA.

It was selected from close to 150,000 startups currently raising on the platform with AIN’s expert panel of judges praising the business for ‘effectively utilising innovation to solve a real-world problem.’  read more

In a more competitive funding landscape, angel investors are critically evaluating startups with a more ruthless lens than ever. It is crucial that founders don’t get their fundraise off to a false start by having something that is a fundamental red flag for a potential investor. Understanding and addressing these common concerns can significantly boost a startup’s chances of securing funding.

We spoke to angel investors and experts on our network to get their take. From a lack of passion and commitment to inadequate industry knowledge, we delve into the key indicators that may raise doubts in the minds of angel investors. read more

“Never give up” was the message businessman and former jewellery magnate Gerald Ratner delivered at the launch of the Scale Up Awards by Business Leader magazine. AIN were in attendance to watch the launch of the awards with several prominent speakers discussing the challenges and opportunities faced by scaling businesses.

Ratner is the former chief executive officer of the British jewellery company Ratners, who famously demonstrated the power of negative PR when he notoriously made a speech jokingly denigrating two of the company’s products at an Institute of Directors conference.  read more

When it comes to investing in startups, investors are not only evaluating the potential of the business idea but also the qualities of the founders behind it. Startups can have an innovative product, a large market opportunity, and a sound business plan, but without the right team behind it, success can be elusive. This is even more the case in 2023 with investment more difficult to secure.

Based on several interviews with prominent angel investors, we explore the key traits that investors look for in startup founders. From passion and grit to adaptability and communication skills, we delve into the qualities that can make a startup founder stand out and increase their chances of securing investment. read more

The life of a startup is exciting but also tough and this past year has seen a combination of challenges. Many tech firms’ valuations have been radically reduced and we have a more difficult funding climate with investors having more strenuous criteria in the startups they back.

Many founders are needing to change plans quickly, look at longer runways and make really difficult decisions on staffing. All the while working harder than ever to raise funds. This can create real pressure and have a negative impact on mental health. read more

In June 2022, MASTER Plant Holdings (“Master Plant” or the “Company”), an emerging force in the European cannabis industry, raised £500,000 in a seed funding round with Angel Investment Network (AIN), the world’s largest online angel investment platform.

Following this investment, Master Plant will aim to licence and redevelop a pharmaceutical distribution facility in Guernsey designed to develop high quality medical cannabis, unique strains and wider products for European distribution. read more

A pioneering Australian payment platform for hospitality called Payo has been named as AIN’s Startup of the Month. The platform was singled out from close to 150,000 startups currently raising on the AIN platform for having ‘a winning formula’ as an investable proposition. The business was given the accolade after a judging process involving AIN’s expert panel, combined with a high number of connections from investors.

Payo is a payments and software solution for small and medium restaurants. It solves the problem in hospitality of venues needing to use 4-6 different payment systems with an all-in-one solution enabling venues to make payments more simply and cheaply. The Payo founders came up with the idea following more than 10,000 conversations with venue owners and operators over the past decade in various roles.  read more

In our latest Guest Post, Justin Eames, Head of Innovation at digital product development studio fish in a bottle discusses how startups can create an ideation process to boost innovation.

Many studies show that startups who adopt an ideation process are more likely to succeed than those who don’t.

If coming up with great ideas is key to the success of your startup, then considering how you can manage and improve that can give you the competitive edge.

This is particularly true for digital startups, where the complexities of software development makes getting from ‘great idea’ to ‘great product’ especially challenging. read more

At AIN we believe that promoting female entrepreneurship is central to economic growth and meaningful innovation.

This IWD we wanted to celebrate female entrepreneurs and at the same time, acknowledge the need to boost both the number of female startups and also female investors to ensure we can truly democratise angel investment.

According to research from Pitchbook female-founded companies in Europe have received just 1.3% of VC funding since 2017.

Having more diversity across the whole startup ecosystem would help. Research by Beauhurst and the UKBAA found just 14% of female angel investors are women, but having more women investors could help to shift the dynamic. read more