Posts in Alan Cowley
The right kind of help, demystifying investors and five minimum requirements
The right kind of help, demystifying investors and five minimum requirements

Jessica Dick spends most of her time helping early-stage entrepreneurs navigating the fundraising process. As co-founder of consultancy Five Years Time, she ushers entrepreneurs from technical backgrounds into the world of business. As investment manager at Synergy Growth, she has worked with around thirty different start-ups. What better guest could there be for the Invested Investor? In this episode, Jessica breaks down the issues with the ways many novice entrepreneurs ask for help, and outlines her five minimum requirements for being ready to seek investment.

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Alan Cowley, Jessica DickPeter CowleyJessica Dick, Synergy Growth, Five Years Time, LearnAdapt, Invested Investor, Entrepreneur, DfID, Invested Invest, Entrepreneurship, entrepreneur, Impact, Lean Impact, Advisor, MentorComment
Women in investment, investing without a background in finance, and the importance of due diligence
Women in investment, investing without a background in finance, and the importance of due diligence

Bridget Connell went into investing four years ago without any financial background, and has completed five deals since. In this episode she explains her hands-on style of investing. She has previously worked in technology, so supports tech startups, and she mentors female investors and entrepreneurs through the syndicate Angel Academe. Bridget is a strong believer in doing your due diligence when working on a project; she stays close to each company she works with, and supports them by drawing other investors close as well. She talks here about her desire to see more diversity in the investment world.

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Alan Cowley, Podcast, Bridget ConnellPeter CowleyPodcast, Interview, Invested Investor, Investor, Investing, entrepreneur, Cambridge Angels, Syndicate, Angel Academe, Thinking Partnerships, Coaching, Mentoring, Due Dilligence, Due Diligence Comment
Tech transfer, supporting Cambridge University start-up spin outs
Tech transfer, supporting Cambridge University start-up spin outs

In our first themed podcast, Dr Anne Dobree, of Cambridge Enterprise, outlines the importance of mentoring start-ups that have spun out of universities and that it is paramount to back the business rather than max the investment.

Anne has worked in University technology commercialisation since 1999. Anne first joined the technology transfer team at the University of Cambridge in 2001, and has held a number of roles with Cambridge Enterprise and its predecessors including Head of Technology Transfer and Interim Director.

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Anne Dobree, Podcast, Alan CowleyPeter CowleyAnne Dobree, Cambridge Enterprise, Cambridge University, Pneumacare, Cambridge CMOS Sensors, Aqdot, Cambridge Touch Technologies, Praxis, Peter Cowley, Alan Cowley, Invested Investor, PodcastComment