Securing investment is a vital step in scaling your business. In this section you’ll find a variety of FAQs about preparing for funding, understanding term sheets, investor due diligence and completing the process with confidence.
Wherever possible, we would recommend that you ask anyone receiving potentially confidential information to sign up to an NDA. We have a standard template available here which is suitable for investment scenarios.
If you have already signed a Term Sheet with your investors this may include confidentiality wording, so you may not need a separate NDA (though an NDA can still be preferable in some circumstances as it tends to be more detailed).
Note that professional advisors will either be regulated and already under an obligation of confidentiality (e.g. lawyers), or will likely agree in their standard terms to keep company information confidential – so in most cases won’t need to enter into an NDA.
In this case equity fundraising won’t be for you!
You may want to consider using debt financing – there are a lot of options on the market and a financial advisor may be able to help you navigate these.
Grant funding can also be a very useful source of funding for early-stage businesses, particularly in the science, medical and deep-tech sectors where such funding can be more readily available. InnovateUK are often a useful source of grant funding, and the UKRI “Funding Finder” is a useful tool as well. Again, financial advisors may be able to help navigate the options.
As your business scales, legal challenges can quickly become complex. These FAQs provide straightforward guidance to help you navigate the key issues. For further resources, visit our Business Scale-Up Hub, or learn more about how our corporate team can support you with specialist advice.
