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Companies: FAQs

Find answers to frequently asked questions

How do I get investors to invest in my startup?

To attract investors, you need a clear and compelling business proposition. This includes demonstrating a real market need, a scalable solution, a capable and committed team and a route to return on investment. Oxford Innovation Finance will help you refine your pitch and connect you with investors who understand your sector.

There are several ways to raise capital, from bootstrapping and bank loans to angel investment and venture capital. If you’re an innovation-led business with strong growth potential, equity investment through an angel network like OION can be a powerful way to raise funds while gaining strategic support.

Equity investment means raising money for your business by selling a share of ownership to investors. Instead of repaying a loan with interest, investors receive shares and benefit from your company’s future success. In return, they often bring experience, networks and guidance to help your business grow.

Angel investors (also known as business angels) can provide vital capital for startup businesses to help them grow and fulfil their potential. An angel investor is someone who invests their own money in a business in exchange for a minority share (equity stake). This means you agree to sell a percentage of your business to an angel investor(s) in return for their investment.

Angel investors, however, can offer your business more than just money. Often angel investors will provide active support by offering mentorship to businesses they invest in as their experience, knowledge, skills and contacts can be extremely valuable to a startup.

The size of investments vary depending on the investor’s experience and risk appetite, and the business opportunity itself. Co-investment with other angels in a network or syndicate is common, allowing investors to diversify their portfolios and to pool their resources to support startups they believe in.

A great pitch tells a compelling story and clearly outlines: the problem you solve, your solution, the market opportunity, business model, traction, team and how much investment you’re seeking. Keep it concise, visually engaging, and focused on why your business is a strong opportunity.

Any UK-based, high-growth business in science, technology, or innovation sectors can apply, provided they meet our key criteria. See “Are You a Good Fit?” section on our Raise with us page.

Yes – our investor network primarily supports companies offering SEIS/EIS investment opportunities.

The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) offers significant tax advantages to UK investors who invest in early-stage companies that qualify for EIS (or SEIS). For business owners, EIS can be a good tool for raising capital as it makes your business more attractive to investors by reducing their financial risk. However, to benefit, your company must meet the specific EIS qualification criteria. You can find out more about the scheme, if your company is eligible and how to apply on the government website. Your accountants can often support your company with the EIS process.

The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) are both government schemes to help small businesses attract investment by offering investors tax relief benefits. The main difference is that SEIS is targeted at startups (e.g. fewer than 25 employees and trading for less than two years), while EIS can be used for slightly larger businesses (e.g. fewer than 250 employees and trading less than 7 years or 10 years for knowledge-intensive businesses). You can find out more about both these schemes and if your company is eligible on the government website here.

There is a presentation fee of £450 + VAT and a small success fee upon investment. The success fee is only charged when an investment is made.

That’s okay. We’re happy to offer early-stage guidance and resources to help you get pitch-ready.

Yes – we often see founders return after strengthening their business proposition. We’ll provide feedback if you’re not accepted initially.

Yes, Dealum is the software partner for our online company portal. Our online platform provides registered companies with a secure and efficient way to share documents, update their company profile, connect with our investors and track their progress.

Oxford Innovation Finance is a proud signatory of the Investing in Women Code and has helped a diverse range of female-led businesses across the UK to secure investment. For example, FA Bio, Albotherm, Learning with Experts, and StudyHall have all recently successfully raised investment with us.

We are proud to have a diverse membership in terms of backgrounds, industries, gender, age and location. Having over 700 investors from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences is an asset as they bring different perspectives, skills and insights to the businesses they invest in.

EIS Fund

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