HOW TO APPLY

We are now accepting applications on a rolling basis!

While the deadline for our June Showcase has passed, applications are open for consideration in our November Showcase.

next application deadline:

TBC

next Business Showcase:

Autumn 2025

STEP 1. WHAT WE OFFER

At Daring Capital, our primary focus is to establish valuable connections between investors and entrepreneurs. This strategic collaboration is the foundation for cultivating investment partnerships that drive innovation and social impact.

£50k to £200k in equity investment

advice & mentoring from angels

hEAVILY discounted legal support from Founder Catalyst

In addition our founders get access to:

  • A pool of interested board members (please note we do not require you to have a board or that we sit on it – this is an optional extra)

  • Support finding customers and partnerships through our exclusive network

  • Our trusted suppliers and infrastructure support organisations

  • Follow-on funding from our network 

STEP 2. HOW WE ASSESS OPPORTUNITIES

we take a founder first approach

We take a ‘founder-first’ approach to investing. Fundamentally, the question we ask is: do we back this founder to solve this problem?

Unlike other investors, we do not ask founders to fill in long forms or produce lots of pointless documentation. We prefer to spend our time getting to know you, your product and your vision.

we score each opportunity

We use this framework to assess founders and companies. We are sharing this for illustrative purposes to show how we approach an investment opportunity. We do not necessarily expect you to cover every base – we just want to give you a sense of what we are looking for.

1: VISION

Is it solving a social problem that is genuinely very painful for those who are affected by it? 

Is it unique (in the sense that nobody else is doing it in this way)?

Is it well informed by the data and evidence?

Is there an addressable market here and is it big enough? We welcome applications from businesses with small addressable markets but we still need to see proof there is one.

2: TEAM

Founder/product fit: are they the right team to make this happen?

Bifocal: can they see both short term detail and long-term vision?

Do they have the right experience to understand the problem and deliver the solution?

Are they passionate about the problem and obsessed with finding a solution?

Are they determined enough to run a business?

Do they have the right blend of experience across the team?

3: Product

We take a ‘design-thinking’ approach:

  • Desirability: will people want it?

  • Feasibility: is it practical to deliver?

  • Viability: could it be profitable?

This section should cover any regulatory or public policy concerns

3: TRACTION

What evidence is there that this will work?

What metrics are they using to measure this?

Where are they on the journey to product/market fit?

step 3. our ELIGIBILITY criteria

OUR INVESTMENT THESIS

Our mission is to invest in extraordinary, underrepresented founders building for-profit companies that make the world a better place.

The businesses  focus on providing necessary, accessible and affordable products and services for underserved/marginalised communities, or improving the socio-economic prospects for those communities.

By ‘underserved/marginalised communities’, we are referring to individuals that face the following challenges:

  • Poverty

  • Discrimination

  • Lack of access to justice

We focus on founders with lived experience of the problem they are tackling because we believe that solutions are more impactful when designed by those with a deep understanding of and familiarity with the issue.

We focus on early-stage businesses which we define as either pre-seed or seed. We particularly welcome applications from pre-revenue companies. Our focus is on this stage because there is a lack of finance for early-stage founders and we believe our wrap-around support can have the most impact at this point.   

We focus on underrepresented founders because there is evidence that individuals from diverse racial, ethnic, socio-economic and gender backgrounds face systemic barriers in accessing capital and resources to start and grow their businesses. We are specifically looking to support the following types of founders:

  • Women

  • Minority ethnic

  • Those from low-income backgrounds

In addition:

  • Your activities generate revenue through traded income (as opposed to philanthropy)

  • You are a for-profit company limited by shares

  • You are eligible for SEIS or EIS (you will need advance assurance from HMRC before we can close the round)

  • You have ambitions to grow your business

  • Your headquarters are in the UK

  • You commit to paying all staff the Real Living Wage

Who cannot apply:

  • Businesses whose main beneficiary group live outside of the UK

  • Businesses whose primary mission is to improve the natural environment or prevent climate change

  • Businesses whose mission is the advancement of religion

  • Businesses with the following legal structures: community interest companies limited by guarantee; companies limited by guarantee; or charities.

The application comprises three key elements. Please provide the following:

  • A short Introduction Video Submission (answering specific questions detailed below)

  • Pitch Deck/Application (in your chosen format)

  • A Cash Flow Projection

step 4. APPLY

What to include

  • Video should be no longer than 5 mins

    You can upload it as a link to youtube/vimeo/google and share it as a private link

    The aim of the video is to understand a bit more about you, your passion and how well you can articulate your vision. It’s OK if some of the information overlaps with your deck

    No slides, props or graphics are necessary - just talk to the camera.

  • 1) What is your vision for this business?

    2) Can you describe what the business does or will do in three sentences or less?

    3) Who is your customer and what problem are you trying to solve for them?

    4) What experience do you have of working with this customer and on this problem?

    5) What have you done so far that makes you think this will work?

  • Your application should address the following points:

    Business summary – A short summary of your business

    Vision – Tell us more about your vision for the business

    Problem – Elaborate on the problem you are trying to solve from both an impact perspective and a market perspective

    Solution – Describe your solution and explain why it’s the right solution to this problem

    Why you – Background about who you are, why you care about this cause and why you are the right person to deliver this solution

    The team -Background about the team

    Competition – Who else is doing this and why are you different?

    Traction – What traction do you have so far? Include any proof points that are relevant

    Fundraising – How much are you raising? What have you raised to date? What will it be spent on? How much runway will it give you?

    Financial performance – If you have revenue, what has been your financial performance to date?

    You Choose the Format

    You can choose to submit your application in the format that best highlights your strengths and preferences. This could be a word document, a PowerPoint presentation, or any other format that would work well.

    Our goal is to better understand your talents and provide a smoother and more efficient application experience.

  • Please submit a 12-month cash flow projection

    It should start at the point you expect to receive the investment and should detail how you will spend it

    You can find a cashflow forecast template here. You don’t have to use it but it will give you a sense of what you are looking for

you choose the format

For your pitch deck/application you can choose the format that best highlights your strengths and preferences. This could be a word document, a PowerPoint presentation, or any other format that would be useful.

Our goal is to better understand your talents and provide a smoother and more efficient application experience.

What our founders say

MORE INFORMATION

Application Timeline

November Showcase

TBC Applications close at midnight

TBC Telephone Interviews

TBC In-person Interviews - Central London

TBC Pitch practice training session, full day - Central London

TBC Pitch practice training session, half day (PM)

Autumn 25’ - Business Showcase, Location tbc

December (4 weeks following Showcase) Money is committed

our fee structure

 DARING CAPITAL FEES

For companies, we charge a transaction fee of 5%.

For example, the company raises £100k from our syndicate. After the raise, we would invoice them for £5k (the transaction fee). 

We are not currently registered for VAT. 

Join a Q&A

Join one of our live Q&A sessions with Founder, Jem Stein.

We’ll be running through the application process step-by-step and answering any questions you may have.

More dates coming soon!

BUSINESS SHOWCASE GALLERY