Small markets. Global capital. Big ambition.

RAISING FINANCE · SQUARE PEG, ROUND HOLE

Match the money to the business

Steady business, pitched to a VC? Square peg, round hole. A fast-scaling platform pitched to a bank: same problem. Not all money is the same, and not all money is right for you. Match the money to the business, not the business to the money.

TYPE OF MONEY

WHAT THEY WANT

FITS

Grants & development finance

Impact, not ownership

Early proof, green and public-good work

Bank & asset debt

Security and steady cash flow

Profitable, asset-backed businesses

Angels

A founder they believe in

First outside money

Venture capital

Very fast growth and a big exit

Businesses that can scale far beyond home

Strategic investors

Market access, and maybe buying you later

A fit with a bigger player's plans

Private equity & family offices

Steady growth and cash returns

Established businesses

Right investor, right money, right time

Right investor

Right money

Right time

Their sector, stage, cheque size and geography fit you They've backed businesses like yours

Equity, debt, grant, or a blend A financial investor, or a strategic partner Their return target fits your plan

After proof, not before it

You know the milestone this money buys Before you're desperate. Investors can tell.

They bring more than the cheque

Get any one wrong and you're wasting your time, and theirs. Do your homework on them, the way they'll do it on you.

Small markets. Global capital. Big ambition. · CIF 2026 closing keynote takeaways · Piers Linney MBE

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