Insights
Company Incorporation
Registering or incorporating your company is a key step in a startup's life but it is just a small and relatively simple step in the process of establishing a private limited company. The process is straightforward and can be done online at Companies House. However, it is not a step that you should rush to complete, in fact, for maximum effect and the best results, be completed as part of a considered and logical plan to launch the company and secure funding. Your idea can be incubated in a corporate structure known as a sole trader and only when [...]
Model Articles
By default, companies registered at Companies House are governed by the Model Articles, a generic Articles of Association, which prescribe how the company, a distinct legal entity under UK law, and associated directors and shareholders interact to manage the governance of the company. The Articles describe: Limitation of liability Directors' power and responsibilities, Decision making by directors, Appointment of directors, Issuance and distribution of shares Dividends and other distributions Decision making by shareholders Administrative arrangements Directors indemnity and insurance Central to the Articles is a hierarchy of decision making such that the directors are charged by the shareholders to [...]
Down Rounds
The US legal firm Wilson Sonsini has provided the following guide to navigating down-round financing which can be expected in the current Covid-19 environment. The legal specifics refer to the US market but this can be a useful guide to the issues to be addressed.
Future Fund
The UK government announces additional support for startups in a new coronavirus Future Fund to be launched in May. The government is committing £250m towards a new £500m fund that would invest in high-growth private companies. The government also promised £750m worth of grants and loans to small and medium-sized businesses focusing on research and development. The private sector will be supplying the other half of the £500m fund, named the Future Fund, according to the government. The investment into startups, which will be between £125,000 and £5m, will therefore only come alongside private sector investment to ensure that they [...]
Index Ventures closes $2 billion in funding
Index Ventures announces the close of two new funds with a total of $2 billion in funds. Of this $1.2 billion is for investment in later stage growth rounds and $800 million in emerging startups. As we navigate these choppy waters, we are witnessing the emergence of a new generation of exceptional leaders who, by doing the right thing not only for their business, but for the people it touches, will inspire the long-term loyalty of colleagues, customers and others they work with. Over several decades, we have been lucky to see the entrepreneurial spirit of gifted leaders shining [...]
2020 Tech Nation Report
Tech Nation has released it’s 2020 report — the most comprehensive guide to the UK’s digital tech ecosystem to date. Using a rich mix of official, open and web data, the Tech Nation Report 2020 dives deep inside the themes that are essential to the success of the UK’s tech entrepreneurs. For the full report visit 2020 Tech Nation Report which details that a record £10bn has been invested in UK tech companies during 2019.