FAQ

• How much do you invest?

  Depends on the needs of the business

• How much equity do you take?

  To be determined

• Can we negotiate the equity taken?

  No.

• Do the founders need to invest?

  Founders should ideally have some financial skin in the game.

• We have already taken some funding can we still apply?

  Yes.

• Are there any legal costs for the investment?

  No.

• Do you charge programme fees?

  No as we are not running a programme of classes.

• Do you provide office space?

  Discounted London office space is available.

• Do we have to use your office space?

  If you can find cheaper office space you are welcome to use that although there is obviously a benefit in being close to us.

• What is provided in the office?

  We provide a desk, chair and internet connection. We suggest you bring your own printer/scanner and stationary for your team.

• Where is your office located?

  Kings Cross area.

• Do I need to provide a full business plan with detailed financials?

  No, we can help you with this.

• How much time will I get with mentors?

  Our mentors are busy people but they will make themselves available to help you when you need it.

• What is the deadline for application?

  There is no deadline.

• When does the programme start?

  On the date we agree with you.

• How long is the programme?

  Strictly speaking it is not a programme so there is no defined length.

• Can I apply if I am not from the UK?

  Yes.

• Do I have to move to London?

  Yes.

• Where will we live?

  It is your responsibility to find your own accommodation.

• Do I need to speak English?

  You must be fluent in English.

• Who owns the IP (Intellectual Property)?

  The IP must be assigned to the company we are investing in.

• Will you sign an NDA?

  No. We won’t share your application outside of our company. We see hundreds of applications and many of them include similar ideas. For this and other practical reasons, please do not ask us to sign an NDA. You do not need to disclose your “secret sauce” if you’re not comfortable doing so. We can only run our business if we have the trust of the tech community so it is not in our interest to share any of your IP.

• Do we need a passport?

  Yes. In order to open a business bank account in the UK you will need a passport.

• Can you get us visas?

  No.

• Do I need to have formed a company?

  No. We can help you with this.

• Do we need to form a company in the UK?

  Yes. It’s easy for foreign nationals to start companies in the UK.

• I’m a single founder can I still apply?

  Yes but we recommend you seek out co-founders who can add real value (capital, skills).

• Are there a maximum number of founders you will deal with?

  No but ideally no more than 3.

• Do I need to have a CTO?

  No, but ideally you should have a strong technical lead who can grow into the CTO role, or a technical lead that is willing at some stage to allow an experienced CTO to take charge.

• What happens if we run out of money?

  We will do our best to help you secure funding so hopefully this won’t happen. Remember, the best defence is excellence.

• Do we have to pay the investment back?

  No, it is a straight-up equity investment.

• Do we have to use your resources?

  No, but we would like to review whoever you use to make sure we are comfortable.

• What sort of online marketing can you help with?

  Branding, Design, SEO, PPC, Display, Social Media, Email Marketing, etc.

• Will it be hard work?

  Yes. It is your company so you set your own schedule and working hours although as an investor and mentor we will be working really hard for you so we expect you to work really hard too.

• What publicity requirements are there?

  All teams must display acceleratr.co on their company website About Us page. acceleratr must be mentioned in any press releases or publicity for a period of 12 months, e.g. “acceleratr backed company Y signs £1,000,000 investment from Venture Capital company Z”.

• Do we need to have a brand and/or website?

  No.

• Can you help us with patents?

  Yes.