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Oli from Fuel Ventures unpacks the firm's investment strategy across their pre-seed and seed funds, sharing his personal "Venture Playbook" that guides their decision-making process. He reveals counterintuitive insights about founder profiles and what makes a business truly "VC-able" in today's funding landscape.
• Fuel Ventures operates two vehicles: a pre-seed fund (30-40 deals yearly at £250k max) and their flagship seed fund (10-12 deals yearly at £1-2.5 million)
• Their investment remit covers marketplaces, platforms and SaaS model businesses across B2B and B2C sectors
• Oli's "Venture Playbook" includes eight rules developed through investment experience, including avoiding "mediocre founders with good ideas" and requiring total founder commitment
• Previously successful founders often make better investments as they can take bigger risks without worrying about basic financial security
• Fuel Ventures prefers observation rights over board seats to better allocate resources across their portfolio
• Not all businesses are "VC-able" - venture funding requires potential for £50-100M+ in annual revenue and comfort with burning capital
• Different funding sources (angels, corporate ventures, VCs) have fundamentally different expectations and criteria for investment
Know what you're trying to achieve before approaching investors. Save yourself time and effort by understanding if your business truly matches what VCs are looking for or if another funding path might be more appropriate.
Virtual Incubation for new and emerging Founders. Zero to One.
#TRIBE
Community Membership at Canopy
Scribe
Find and connect with angel investors in the UK
Founded by Rob Cossins
Revolut
Business banking from Revolut
SeedLegals
The platform for Startup Legals including SEIS Advance Assurance.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Revolut
Business banking from Revolut
SeedLegals
The platform for Startup Legals including SEIS Advance Assurance.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Note: you can also watch these episodes on youtube.com/@canopycommunity617
View all episodes
By Stewart NoakesSend us a text
Oli from Fuel Ventures unpacks the firm's investment strategy across their pre-seed and seed funds, sharing his personal "Venture Playbook" that guides their decision-making process. He reveals counterintuitive insights about founder profiles and what makes a business truly "VC-able" in today's funding landscape.
• Fuel Ventures operates two vehicles: a pre-seed fund (30-40 deals yearly at £250k max) and their flagship seed fund (10-12 deals yearly at £1-2.5 million)
• Their investment remit covers marketplaces, platforms and SaaS model businesses across B2B and B2C sectors
• Oli's "Venture Playbook" includes eight rules developed through investment experience, including avoiding "mediocre founders with good ideas" and requiring total founder commitment
• Previously successful founders often make better investments as they can take bigger risks without worrying about basic financial security
• Fuel Ventures prefers observation rights over board seats to better allocate resources across their portfolio
• Not all businesses are "VC-able" - venture funding requires potential for £50-100M+ in annual revenue and comfort with burning capital
• Different funding sources (angels, corporate ventures, VCs) have fundamentally different expectations and criteria for investment
Know what you're trying to achieve before approaching investors. Save yourself time and effort by understanding if your business truly matches what VCs are looking for or if another funding path might be more appropriate.
Virtual Incubation for new and emerging Founders. Zero to One.
#TRIBE
Community Membership at Canopy
Scribe
Find and connect with angel investors in the UK
Founded by Rob Cossins
Revolut
Business banking from Revolut
SeedLegals
The platform for Startup Legals including SEIS Advance Assurance.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Revolut
Business banking from Revolut
SeedLegals
The platform for Startup Legals including SEIS Advance Assurance.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Note: you can also watch these episodes on youtube.com/@canopycommunity617