Last night we presented another of our events for TechHub and this was the best yet! Over 100 eager tech entrepreneurs came together at Campus London with the promise of learning how to lead their startup to success by learning about critical tax incentives and financial insights.
By the time the event officially got underway it was standing room only and so Neil Driver (Davis Grant) didn’t waste any time introducing the expert speakers!
Steven Sandford (Davis Grant) shared some key insights regarding futureproofing your business including potential VAT complications. The message that stood out to us was to have knowledgable and trusted support services and keep them in the loop ahead of your business decisions.
Steven Sandford @slsandforduk partner @davisgrantltd The best startup & growth accountants in the UK @TechHub @shak pic.twitter.com/1F95T4xZlO
— Frank Meehan (@frank_meehan) June 28, 2016
Mutaz Qubbaj (Squirrel) took to the stage next to talk through experience of raising funding for his amazing product. Perhaps the most crucial lesson from Mutaz was to raise investment, not when you most need it, but when you least need it.
Next up was Dr Sarah Malter (Grant Central/Harvey) who spoke about unlocking funds through grants and R+D tax credits. She spoke about the need for good preparation by StartUps. Having a clear idea of the end product, projected cash flow and understanding your technology readiness level (TRL) gives you the ability to assess the options open to you.
Sarah also spoke about R+D Tax Credits open to Limited Companies and the importance of talking to your accountants to prepare eligible costs and to receive cash. This is something we know well at Davis Grant – we helped our clients receive over £600,000 last year and we’re already on track to beat this in 2016.
Last to the stage was the highly anticipated Frank Meehan (SmartUp). Speaking from long experience he spoke about the importance of finding the right co-founders from your business. It’s crucial to understand that investors make decisions based on the people not the product. If you are on your own, Frank’s golden rule means that you aren’t going to get investment.
You’ve got to be really tight on your story for funding! Especially the team. @frank_meehan @TechHub @davisgrantltd pic.twitter.com/X8CC7lzfvM
— Mutaz Qubbaj (@MMQLondon) June 28, 2016
The event was rounded out with a very productive Q+A session and then some really engaging networking with everyone keen to get more information from our experts and share their thoughts.
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Davis Grant would like to thank everyone for making the evening such a success. Particular thanks to our amazing speakers and our friends at TechHub!
Resource Links
R&D Tax Credits Factsheet (Davis Grant)
Futureproofing Your StartUp (Steven’s Deck)
Funding made simple (Sarah’s Deck)