Oliver Alan Stafurik

According to venture culture, pre-seed founders need to👇 👉 Raise £500k - £1m 👉 At valuations of £5m - £10m 👉 To grow exponentially quickly But every year, many thousands of founders 👇 👉 Raise £10k - £50k to start a business 👉 At a valuation of under £1m 👉 Grow at a steady rate We need to stop trying to build a business for VCs There are so many better ways to build.

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According to venture culture, pre-seed founders need to👇 👉 Raise £500k - £1m 👉 At valuations of £5m - £10m 👉 To grow exponentially quickly But every year, thousands of founders 👇 👉 Raise £10k - £50k to start a business 👉 At a valuation of under £1m 👉 To grow at a steady rate We need to stop trying to build a business for VCs

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STARTUP FOUNDERS! 🚀   London's largest Demo Day by Rare Founders IS BACK on 14th October 2024 💥 Want to pitch your startup to a room full of top investors??   If not, then don't even think of applying by 16th August 2024.   👍 Eligibility criteria:   •  Any sector, any location •  Pre-Seed (post MVP) - Seed - Series A stages •  Clear vision for global expansion and actively fundraising •  Pitch deck shorter than 725,376 slides • Enjoy filling out short online forms   📅 Key Dates:   •  Applications close on 16th August 2024 •  Applications reviewed by 40+ investor partners •  Top 100 companies announced mid-September •  Pitching day 14th October 2024 • My birthday 1st December I love presents   💡 Why Apply?   •  Present your startup to hundreds of investors •  Even if not selected, gain significant exposure as your application will be reviewed by numerous investor partners •  Free cups of tea •  Branded pen   APPLY NOW CTA: https://www.rarefounders. com/demo-day It's a top day with great networking and fun people whether you end up pitching or not. Employing the mathematics of talent show judges, it's definitely 500% worth applying. CB x   #startup #founders #investment #DemoDay #pitching #networking #LondonEvents #rarefounders

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Monzo Bank is the latest tech unicorn to achieve profitable growth after years of depending on large amounts of outside funding to fuel its growth. The company has posted a very nice profit of £15m, with revenues growing 2.5x and deposits growing 88%. Of course, like many fintechs they were helped by the higher interest rates in the last couple of years. But Monzo can take credit for being at the right scale when the interest rates shifted (which they did mostly through building the best customer experience in UK banking) and for pivoting to profitable growth at the right time. I've been a Monzo customer since its alpha days and even invested a bit in one of its crowdfunding rounds, so it's safe to say I'm a diehard fan. Still, I have to say they have never been as innovative and productive as they have in the last couple of years, finally building some revenue-generating products popular with customers. We will have to see if this trend continues, as interest rates are expected to fall over the next few quarters. https://lnkd.in/eHZ5Ayf2

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Can anyone recommend a platform that aggregates daily info on which platforms out there (Wise, Revolut, CurrenciesDirect etc) is the most efficient way to change 💷 to 💶 on any given day? Especially for larger transactions - seems a bit cumbersome to go into each individual app to figure out. Does a comparison / calculator product exist out there? 🙏🏼

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Fintech’s IPO Moment – A Sign of the Times? Big moves are happening in fintech! 💡 Monzo Bank is ramping up for a potential IPO, hiring former Nubank and Barclays execs to strengthen its leadership as whispers of public listing grow louder​. Meanwhile, Klarna is making headlines with its formal U.S. IPO filing, celebrating its first profitable quarter​Sifted These IPOs represent a major turning point for the fintech sector. Once known for aggressive growth at all costs, the focus is shifting toward operational sustainability and profit. Here’s what makes this interesting: Monzo Bank: This UK-based challenger bank is laser-focused on expanding its footprint in the U.S. and Europe. Its strategic hires signal readiness for a new chapter of global influence. Klarna: Known for Buy Now, Pay Later, Klarna’s profitability demonstrates that even fintech unicorns can evolve into disciplined businesses, making it a key company to watch. 💬 These developments raise questions: Are fintech IPOs a reliable marker of maturity or simply a strategic cash grab in uncertain times? How will going public impact their ability to remain innovative while meeting shareholder expectations? We’re at a pivotal moment where fintechs must balance scaling with delivering value. Are these companies setting a new standard for the industry?

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South Coast Startups: This is your moment!! I’ve got an incredible opportunity for startups on the South Coast of England. We’re talking intros to top-tier mentors and serious cash for growth—whether that’s through equity or loans. I’m on the lookout for standout startups to match with angel investors, CCs, and Ultra High Net Worth individuals who are ready to back the next big thing. If this sounds like you—or someone you know—tag them, DM me, or drop me an email at dan@danware.co.uk. Let’s take your startup to the next level! #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship #Fundraising #VentureCapital #AngelInvestors #GrowthHacking #BusinessGrowth #Innovation #SeedFunding #ScalingUp #StartupJourney #EquityFunding #Disruptors #FounderLife #StartupCommunity #BusinessFunding #StartupMentorship #InvestorReady #PitchToInvestors #DreamBig

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Are you looking for investors? At foundercentre we have a FREE interactive directory of over 240 UK INVESTORS! https://lnkd.in/ekYQBPZF Filter through which investor best suits your startup needs, and simply start sending applications out. Create a startup profile, and showcase it now! We use specific, targeted questions during the signup stage to ensure that all profiles contain the relevant information in a standardised format for Investors. No more sending back-and-forth emails. Simply copy and paste your unique URL- and Investors can see everything they need about your startup. At foundercentre we are the only FREE startup site to contain centralised directories for everything a UK startup needs. From Investors to Co-Working spaces, founders can now find everything they need, with the click of a button. Grow your startup now for free... #foundercentre #investors #startups #founder #startupspace #ideas

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I often talk about ‘building something offline, before raising money’. This is the perfect example of what I mean👇 One of our portfolio companies Tradeaze UK LTD (it’s a biassed example, I’ll admit), identified a pain point: Co-founder, Jack, is an electrician by trade and saw first-hand the amount of time wasted by tradespeople when picking up tools and parts needed for a job.   To solve this pain point: ↳ Jack set up a Tradeaze iPhone, approached tradespeople on the street, handed out flyers and reached out on Facebook groups to his target audience. ↳ Tradies would text the number, asking for a part or tool. ↳ Jack would then jump on his bike to pick up the part and deliver it back to the customer directly. ↳ After a while, Jack started working directly with merchants providing them with a tablet in kiosk mode, with which the merchant would fill in a really simple form and Jack would receive the order email. ↳ Again, Jack or one of the delivery riders would take the part direct to the tradesperson in need. ↳ Jack continued this way until he got to breaking point and couldn’t handle any more daily deliveries. ↳ This is when he expanded his team to bring in even more experience with his co-founders Joe Blair and Ruben Engel. Since they have raised investment from us and other investors. They were able to prove their pain and solution offline, saving them money and time and proving traction to bring on investors ! Raising too soon, before proving you have the right solution is a huge risk. This is a fantastic way to build a business without needing to raise investment right away. Build offline first ! #businesstips #entrepreneurship #startups

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Episode 335 of Deal Lite Weekly Investment news just hit your inbox If it has not, subscribe at https://lnkd.in/efmz5xBP A good week for the UK. A total of £521 million was raised by 30 UK technology companies during the 7 day period ending 24th November 2024 Among the companies raised investment include: - TalentLynk.ai - MediaTech SaaS Pre-Seed £335k - Heim - HealthTech Seed £2.2 millon - Goodstack - FinTech Series A £22 million - Quanta Dialysis Technologies - MedTech Series E £47.41 million In 2024, UK tech companies have raised a total of £8.7 billion, a fraction of what was raised in 2021. All this data can be access through https://deallite.uk - we have priced subscriptions to be affordable to everyone. #DealLite #UKTechInvestment #TechInvestment #Investment

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So TS Anil is the mastermind behind the greatest turnaround in tech in the last 10 years. Monzo Bank under TS has gone from £40M revenues to £1BN and profitable. But when TS took over Monzo: Had a 40% down round. Had large layoffs and low employee NPS. Had very little runway. Today we have TS on 20VC in the studio. What are the must asks? #Founder #funding #business #investing #vc #venturecapital #entrepreneur #startup

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Monzo Bank is now the UK’s 7th largest bank with over 7.5 million users. What's surprising about this, is that they ✨ still ✨ grow through PLG 9 years after launch... Last year, Monzo's revenue grew 2.3X and new customers increased by 1.6 million - 66% of which came from word of mouth. It also hit profitability for the first time 💸 In the early days, PLG came in the form of their Willy-Wonka-style referral scheme and the bright orange debit card that quickly spread through London and other major cities. The Bandwagon Effect and Scarcity Principle made people wanna bag the cool, hard-to-get card for themselves 🧠🧠 Nowadays, I suspect that strong Product Market Fit and Network Effects drive growth. The Network Effect of the frictionless transfers between Monzo users means that Monzo is better when more people are on it. You’re incentivised to share with your friends. Their value proposition of 'banking made easy' is continuously delivered on too, with easy-to-open pots, seamless UI, good interest rates on savings, piggy banks, round ups & more. I’ve had Monzo for over five years now. I’ve fallen out of love with it at times, and fiercely relied on it at others. But there is a lot to learn about PLG and PMF with Monzo. Interested to see where they take the product in 2024 +. Do you bank with Monzo? Love/hate? let me know 👀

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🚀 Monzo's Incredible Journey! 🌍 Monzo, the UK-based digital bank, is now worth a whopping $5.9 billion! This news comes after Monzo confirmed selling some shares to give their employees more money options. Big investors like Singapore's GIC and StepStone Group bought more shares in this exciting deal. This kind of sale, known as a secondary market sale, is important because it helps employees have more financial flexibility. Monzo’s growth is a sign of how innovative fintech companies can attract major interest and spark big changes in the financial industry. Businesses can use fintech technologies like Monzo's to supercharge their growth, offer better services, and stay ahead of the competition. 🌟 #Fintech #Innovation #BusinessGrowth #Monzo #TechLeadership

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🌟 **Cambridge Tech Ecosystem: A $191 Billion Powerhouse** 🌟 Cambridge's tech ecosystem has reached a staggering valuation of $191 billion, accounting for 18% of the UK's entire tech ecosystem and surpassing the combined values of Spain and Italy, according to a new analysis by DealRoom for Founders at the University of Cambridge. 🚀 📈 **Record-Breaking Fundraising**: In the first half of 2024, Cambridge tech companies have raised an impressive $1.6 billion. This surge was led by mega rounds for autonomous vehicle company Wayve ($1.05bn) and quantum computing giant Quantinuum ($300m). While Wayve's origins were clarified, their significant fundraising remains undisputed. 🌍 💡 **Cambridge's Innovation Legacy**: The report highlights Cambridge's longstanding reputation as a tech and science powerhouse, pioneering technologies like AI and IVF. Cambridge companies have outpaced the rest of the UK and London in delivering value from venture capital investment, producing 16.9x in value for every dollar of VC investment, compared to the UK's 5.4x and London's 4.8x. 🌐 🏆 **University of Cambridge's Influence**: The University of Cambridge is Europe’s leading science hub and a top producer of valuable spinouts. Cambridge alumni have founded notable companies such as Arm, Slack, DeepMind, and Olio. Cambridge leads Europe with 505 alumni founders raising over $10 million each, outpacing Oxford and Ghent. 🎓 🌱 **Accelerating Innovation**: In anticipation of the first Investor Demo Day for the Start Accelerator programme by Founders at the University of Cambridge, 11 early-stage DeepTech companies have completed a 12-week accelerator. This program provides up to £2 million in investment, intensive mentoring, co-working spaces at ideaSpace, and priority lab access at Babraham Research Campus. 🚀 📢 **Gerard Grech on Cambridge's Future**: Gerard Grech, Managing Director at Founders at the University of Cambridge, emphasizes, “Cambridge is a powerhouse of innovation thanks to its combination of groundbreaking entrepreneurs, forward-thinking scientists, research institutions and investors and this data proves that. But we can’t rest on our laurels.” The goal is to support the next generation of venture scientists in building more global tech pioneers. 🌟 ✅ Looking to raise capital for your #VCfund and increase the international pool of your LP #investors?   🤝 Need warm #LP introductions?   📝 Selling #secondaries to increase liquidity?   🧐 Looking for co-investments (Series A/Series B)?   ▶ G+QUANT's link for inquiries and fund decks: https://lnkd.in/gjC_EuTE #CambridgeTech #Innovation #VentureCapital #DeepTech #StartupSuccess #CambridgeUniversity #TechEcosystem #InvestmentOpportunity #FoundersAtCambridge #TechInnovation

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Is Chip the UK's Fastest Growing Startup? 800% YoY REVENUE GROWTH Chip – Your wealth app. is an automatic savings and investment app founded in 2016 by Simon Rabin and Alex Latham. Earlier this year Chip released their 2023 annual report and their 2024 H1 report and both showed SERIOUS growth! 2023 highlights: 🚀 £15.1m annual revenue (vs £1.7m in 2022) 🚀 800% YoY revenue growth 🚀 £3.2m of net losses (down 75% YoY) Since the end of 2023 Chip has continued to see insane growth. Here are the highlights from H1 2024: 🚀 £1.8m monthly revenue, up from £1.2m in January (£22m ARR) 🚀 £4.1bn AUM, up from £3.0bn in January 🚀 274k active customers, up from 218k On a year-over-year basis Chip grew almost 800% in 2023. This makes it faster than any other fintech, and any other startup that I track in my database. The next two contenders, TrueLayer and Moneybox, grew by 189% and 183% respectively. Chip did start from a lower base, however this growth is still remarkable. Chip is also one of the most crowdfunded businesses in Europe, having raised millions through several rounds on Crowdcube. In fact a whopping 30% of Chip’s shares are held by Crowdcube investors 🤯. The company last raised money in November 2023 when it raised £5m through Crowdcube at a £170m valuation. Overall a fantastic set of results - congrats to the team! #startups #founders #tech

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Revolut, Starling Bank, and Monzo have all raised funds across multiple VC rounds to fuel their growth. Funding is one of the key drivers in fintech. What do seed round and series A, B, C actually mean? Here's a quick breakdown: Seed Round: The startup’s initial funding to build a minimum viable product (MVP). Series A: Capital for growth and early scaling, usually involving specialized investors. Series B: Funds to scale operations, backed by more experienced investors. Series C+: Financing for expansion into new markets, often with strategic investors. To put into digital banking perspective. Here are few examples of the deal sizes: Revolut: Seed (2015) – $2.3M; Series A (2016) – $20M; Series B (2017) – $66M; Series C (2018) – $250M; Total: $800M+ Starling Bank: Seed (2014) – $2.4M; Series A (2015) – $12.3M; Series B (2017) – $70M; Total: $100M+ Monzo: Seed (2015) – $2M; Series A (2016) – $22M; Series B (2017) – $71M; Series C (2019) – $144M; Total: $340M+ For a visual overview, check out the infographic below 👇

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The best thing the UK Govt could do to create UK Silicon Valley is to give Tax Breaks to quick win startups , instead of VCs who odds show are more likely to back a failure. Companies like our's that get to profit quickly, have an innovative product and don't need VC money end up at a disadvantage. We're creating jobs and wealth just like the 1% of VC backed companies that do eventually make it. Only we get no govt help. If I did take VC money, the VC's would be handed cash back from the government in the form of Tax Saving schemes like SEIS and EIS. As a profit making startup that has done all the right things, such schemes are not available to us. Instead UK Plc gives the incentives to VCs. Yet most VC backed companies fail. So why not give a Tax Break to those Startups that are proving to perform better than the 1% of VC companies? Maybe then we'll see more UK unicorns. And finally UK Silicon Valley. #Tax #VC #SEIS #EIS #Treasury

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