Generation-defining
problems need patient venture
Patient Venture
A short term investment approach leads to early exits. Lack of late stage investment results in growth slowing down. We back our founders for the long term and help them reach large institutional investors when the time is right.
What are you building?
Building a generation-defining company requires a lot of time, energy and funding. We focus on three different types of tech company: platform, deep tech and sales engine.
We aim to optimise the long-term funding journey based on these types. We seek capable, driven founders that can articulate their future. Learning from our experience, here’s the journey we expect these business types to take:
PLATFORM
You’re building a solution where the value you bring to the user creates a network effect that drives adoption and growth. As you scale, the direct cost associated with customer acquisition is reduced because it happens virally. Your biggest challenge will be that typically winner takes all.
Here’s how you can grow virally.
Investment will be dedicated to scaling your team and tech resource to cope with growing usage of your product. Well executed platforms scale big. Due to low cost of goods sold and high operating margins you can generate significant leverage, resulting in high valuation multiples. We want to know why your proposition will be winning in 10-15 years time and how you’ll reach that point. Our team has built global platforms and we’ll back you to do the same.
DEEP TECH
You’re working on a fundamental technological leap that can impact industries and requires deep insight into a specific vertical of technology. Technological leaps can take five years to demonstrate potential. So patient investment is needed at the early stage. Funding is used to prove your technology before you begin making substantial revenue. You don’t need many clients to win globally [for example 2-3 global OEMs] and deep tech is often winner takes all.
The market may change every decade or two, so you need to prove you will outlast the next change. It can take a long time to get product market fit and mass adoption, but we’ve been on this journey too and we’re in it for the long term.
SALES ENGINE
You’re building a tech-enabled product that addresses a strong need for people and organisations. You need to build a sales and marketing-led organisation to prove the value of your proposition. Operating costs are typically larger than platforms. Growth in operating margin comes from scaling the customer base.
You’ll need to figure out how to scale revenues profitably over the long term. Revenue is more important in the short term. We need to see the size of your target market at scale. A clear strategy of how you become dominant (or can sustain profitable revenue) is important for building confidence in the opportunity.
What are we looking for?
- Founders that want to build a generation-defining business; re-shape an industry; or build entirely new ways of doing things.
- Companies raising enough funding to fulfil their true ambition.
- Companies with a CTO / Tech Lead as part of the founding team.
- Teams sufficiently incentivised (through equity) for the long term journeys they’re going on.
- A story which articulates your unit economics and vision in action.
We’ve published a template to show what we’re looking for in a pitch deck and a tool we call future gaze to help you work out unit economics.
Our approach
Founders shouldn’t have to spend 6-9 months fundraising at each round. Instead, they should use their skills to scale their company. We operate an efficient, fast, collaborative and transparent investment flow, so founders can take care of business. Get in touch / register on: https://www.venturemarket.org/founders
Review
Quick analysis and feedback
- Share your ambition with ADV through Venture Market
- Three of our investment team review your opportunity based on market, team and timing
- We aim to provide feedback within a couple of days
- You can see the full investment flow here
Discovery
Internal and external discovery
- We meet your team and together discuss your unit economics
- We introduce you to some of our team to speak about your team, tech stack and financials
- We help you reach some relevant external experts (Explorers) who raise the big questions about your startup’s future
- Discovery stage usually takes a week or two
Decide
Investment committee and term sheet
- We aim to get to investment committee within five weeks
- You present your ambition to our investment committee
- We decide whether or not to invest within 24 hours
- We offer you a Term Sheet outlining our partnership proposal
Partner
Strategic milestones and legals
- We agree on some Strategic Milestones for the future of your company
- We complete the legal process together with any other investors
- We back you for the long term and use our network to support your journey
Venture
Market
All founders partnering with us for funding share their vision through Venture Market. Venture Market is being co-developed with 15 leading early-stage funds. It makes collaboration between companies and co-investors easier by digitising venture workflows. Once you’ve shared your vision we review your opportunity and get back to you within two working days.