Download our first funding guide; what's impact-linked finance and how does it work
For founders seeking the best alternatives to VC
Hello folks! I’m Esme, the founder of Considered Capital. This is the 14th issue of The Considered Club - a bi-weekly newsletter for founders seeking the best alternatives to VC. Welcome to the 62 people who signed up this week! The most clicked post from last week’s issue was on equity-free funding alternatives. If you’re not subscribed yet, you can do so by clicking the link below.
If you read our last issue, you’ll have seen the poll we ran asking what fundraising guides you’d like to see us create. With the help of all of you we now have a whole list of guides to be writing. I’ve loved reading all your ideas so please keep them coming!
Given the overwhelming response we had, we needed help deciding what to create first and one of our Alternative Funding School alumni suggested we share the Funding directory we use during the course. If you’ve completed the funding school you’ll know how useful this guide is.
‘The Considered Directory', therefore is our first guide! It’s for those in search of funding alternatives and includes, for now, non-equity funding for UK based companies. In the future we plan to create Considered Directory 2.0 with more funding opportunities in more countries.
You won't use all of the options in this guide to fundraise; some routes won't suit you. However, you'll learn what opportunities exist and where you can look to access them. It's then up to you to decide which funding routes are an excellent fit for your business.
Pop your details in below and our new and exclusive Funding Directory will land straight in your inbox for FREE!
(It won't be free forever, so grab your copy now!)
If you’ve just discovered The Considered Club, this newsletter is for early stage founders seeking the best alternatives to Venture Capital.
Money
Grants & Prizes
Black Founders Fund | receive up to $100,000 in equity-free cash for Black-founded startups in Europe
Future Economy Competition | access £25 million in loans for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises from Innovate UK
Cambridge Social Innovation Prize | up to four winners receive £10,000 to develop the skills, resources and networks to scale the impact of their work
Equity-free Accelerators
Impact Shakers | a nine-month virtual accelerator for underrepresented founders to grow and scale their impact business
Women of Impact | a 12-month accelerator for women-led UK social enterprises to access £60K plus of free legal support
The Digitising Creative Industries Programme (DCI)| an innovation accelerator that supports creative ideas from the digital world for a democratic Europe
Allia Accelerator Challenge | 6 months of direct mentoring and expertise sharing for 3 UK Social Enterprises with a prize pool of £30k
Now that you know your funding options are, why not join our ‘Alternative Funding School'?
I’ve designed the school to provide practical hands-on support for founders raising mission-aligned funding.
You’ll be in good company studying alongside other founders who share your values and who are also searching for the perfect funding fit!
With the Alternative Funding School you'll gain lifetime access to:
Five live sessions led by Esme
£4000+ worth of bonus material
Hours of video training
Exclusive worksheets and exercises
Six weeks of 1:1 guidance
By the end of six weeks, you'll have a complete fundraising database and be more than ready to start applying for funding.
Secure your spot today! Cohort 4 starts May 16th.
Insights
Pioneers Post | discusses impact-linked finance, the youngest kid in the impact investing family
Sifted | explores the current revenue based funding landscape in Europe and compares competitors
Daisy Ford-Downes | tells us what alternative exists beyond equity
Finally, if you’re in London on Monday March 28th, Zebras Unite London are hosting an event on dreaming up alternative funding instruments. Not one to be missed!
Until next time! Thanks for reading.
Esme
Founder, Considered Capital
Want more? Join me on LinkedIn.
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