Panel Overview:

This panel brings together leading venture capitalists and angel investors to cut through the jargon and provide honest, practical advice to early-stage founders. It’s designed for those at the beginning of their startup journey (pre-seed to seed) who want to understand not just how to raise money, but how to build businesses that investors want to back.

We’ll explore what investors are truly looking for (beyond the deck), how they assess potential, what makes a founder irresistible (or forgettable), and how to build momentum before and after raising capital.

What will we cover?

1. Founder-Market Fit: The Real First Check

  • What makes a founder stand out beyond the idea?

  • Grit, obsession, storytelling. What traits do investors bet on?

  • Examples of red and green flags from previous pitches

  • How personal story and vision come into play

2. The Deck is Dead: What Investors Actually Read

  • The one-pager, the data room, the intro email. What matters most?

  • What does a great “pre-product” pitch look like?

  • The worst slides people over-focus on

  • How to create momentum without overhyping

3. Timing the Ask: When to Raise and When to Wait

  • What makes a business “investable” at pre-seed or seed stage?

  • Building traction vs. building hype

  • Bootstrap vs. raise. How to decide?

  • Advice for founders raising during uncertain markets

4. The Power of Warm Intros & Strategic Networking

  • How founders can build authentic investor relationships early

  • Investor networks, angel syndicates, and community-led rounds

  • Should you DM on LinkedIn? (Spoiler: sometimes, yes)

  • How diverse and underrepresented founders can hack access

5. Beyond the Cheque: What Good Investors Should Bring

  • What founders should expect from their early investors

  • Smart money vs. passive capital

  • Red flags in investor behaviour

  • How to navigate the power dynamic with confidence

Beyond inspiration, you’ll leave with practical advice and actionable takeaways to help you grow, adapt, and thrive in your own entrepreneurial journey. Whether you’re a startup founder, creative entrepreneur, or future leader, this series is your opportunity to connect, learn, and level up alongside a dynamic community.

Location – Mortimer House by Maslow’s 5th Floor

Doors open at 6:00 PM

6:30 PM Intro and welcome from David Loughlan and Jessica Willis, Co-Founders @ Founders500

6:35 PM Panel

8:00 PM Networking

Doors close at 9 PM

Meet the panel:

Jem Stein, is the founder of Daring Capital, an impact investor syndicate backing early-stage, purpose-driven founders, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, with over £1.9 million invested since its launch in September 2023. Previously, Jem founded and scaled The Bike Project, a social enterprise supporting refugees, growing it to £2.5 million in annual revenue and earning awards such as Social Entrepreneur of the Year. He also sits on the social investment committees of two major charitable trusts. This series offers not just inspiration but practical, actionable advice for founders, creatives, and future leaders ready to grow, adapt, and thrive.

Carmel Rafaeli is the Founding Partner of The Table, a global community of over 280 investors co-funding early-stage climate ventures led or co-led by women. She backs climate-positive startups across sectors, with a focus on inclusion, intentional capital, and measurable environmental impact. With more than 15 years of entrepreneurial experience spanning fashion, tech, and sustainability, she began investing through small angel deals to support overlooked founders and accelerate climate solutions. Today, she provides capital, mentoring, and strategic advice, with a particular emphasis on financial storytelling and founder-investor alignment. She is also a Venture Partner at The Conduit Connect and a trusted advisor to early-stage founders. Carmel believes inclusive innovation and smarter capital allocation are essential to solving the climate crisis.

Dan Bowyer is a Partner at SuperSeed VC. Dan has more than 20 years of entrepreneurial experience, having built and exited 2 startups and angel invested in many more. He’s most passionate about connecting people, product and process, creating something from nothing. At SuperSeed Dan looks after partnerships and portfolio companies, alongside new and existing investments.

Thank you to our founding partner Signal for making this event happen.

You can also listen to these sessions on the Founders500 Podcast:

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