Early-stage investing has always been a very human endeavour, after all matching businesses and investors is all about relationships. So, it’s no surprise that the adoption of digital in this space has been slower than it has been in other industries.
But the sector is now waking up to the idea that digital does not mean impersonal. In fact, it can help people to build deeper relationships, faster. Digital goes this by providing new ways to communicate, share information and ultimately makes finding the right opportunity and deciding to invest easier process for investors.
Two ways digital will transform the world of early-stage investing:
- Making it considerably easier for investors to discover deals, complete due diligence and manage their portfolios
In early-stage investments, offline activity is still primary. This is set to change with the introduction of white-label investment management platforms like Envestry for Networks. These platforms allow groups to showcase deals to their investors, in an FCA-regulated environment. Investors can review deal information and documents in a secure area, engage with the management team and other investors and make an investment.
The suggestion here is not that digital will replace offline activities; presentation events and face-to-face meetings will always play a crucial role in any investment decision. Digital will complement these activities in a way that makes the entire end-to-end experience much better for investors.
- Connecting the disparate world of early-stage investing
The landscape we have today is the same landscape we had fifty years ago. We’ve got investment networks, clubs, incubators and accelerators, all of whom actively help investors to find opportunities and scale-ups to secure funding – but they are all closed and separate. Our vision for the future is one in which all these groups connect to one another, without sacrificing control or independence. We’ve built a software platform to do just that. Using an aggregated approach, we can bring the world of early-stage investing together in a way that benefits all of those involved.
For scale ups, it means working with one party and gaining wide exposure rather than promoting a deal through a number of disparate networks. For investors, it means having access to a near unlimited number of deals, all filtered according to interest and managed in a single location – regardless of network of origin. For investment facilitators, it means a greatly improved experience for their investors and decreased operational overheads.
But why is now the time? I’ve delved into the market and industry trends to show why I think 2019 is the year that early-stage investing truly adopts digital.
Results – instantly
Instant gratification spans all areas of our lives: instantaneous validation on Twitter, one-hour Amazon delivery, and 24-hour news. So why should the investment experience be any different? If I can find out about anything in the world from wherever I happen to be, why should I – as an investor – wait for a pitch session to find out about investment opportunities?
The ROBO Effect
Borrowing a term from the retail industry, ROBO (Research Online, Buy Offline) reflects a broad behavioural change. People no longer head to a shopping centre to browse for an item, they go online and find what they want and then go down to the store to get it. In many cases, they opt not to go to the store, satisfied with the information they have found online, and make an immediate purchase. This behaviour isn’t particular to consumers: a study, by Forrester Research, found that 68% of business to business buyers researched online independently and a further 62% say they go as far as developing a selection criteria and vendor list based on digital content.
So, why is it different with investing? When people prefer to get information instantaneously and independently, why do we ask them to wait for a pitch event? Using digital, information on potential investment opportunities and any relevant details can be ready for investors to read at their leisure. Further to that, information can be interactive. Potential investors can ask management teams questions – using online channels – and get answers in real time.
Seeking a diverse portfolio
Digitisation has fuelled the unprecedented growth of start-ups in the UK. This has produced a vast – and occasionally overwhelming – array of opportunities, resulting in a trend showing networks are becoming more niche and sector specific. While regional investment networks have long been part of the landscape, they are joined by networks specialising in – for example – Greentech, MedTech or women-owned businesses. This is not a bad thing, but it has caused further fragmentation.
Experienced investors know, that if they are to get the best chance of a return on their investments, a diverse portfolio is a must. However, such specificity throws diversity out the window, leaving investors only one option – joining multiple networks and doing a lot of leg work to build and manage their portfolios.
Digital to the rescue. With an aggregated platform, regional and niche networks can connect to one another and share deals at the click of a button. This allows networks to protect their greatest asset – their investors – while offering them a broader array of investment opportunities without doing all of the vetting and admin.
Uncertainly factor
By mid-2018, the impact of a looming Brexit was already starting to be felt across the industry. With predictions of economic troubles in the UK in the short term, many investors tightened their purse strings, becoming increasingly selective over which investments to make. Yet, at the same time, reports show that foreign investment is at an all-time high: in 2017, a whopping £6bn was invested over the course of the year, with 396 of these deals involving at least one investor from abroad.
This is another opportunity that could be capitalised by digital. With a digital platform, deals can flow across borders – giving investors the ability to further diversify their portfolios, while giving businesses a better opportunity to find investment.
It’s time to follow the leaders in the field and adopt digital in early stage investing. The sector will reap the benefits.
Key players, like The SetSquared Partnership and Britbots, are already well on their way to adopting digital. Digital disruption has begun so as entrepreneurs and investors you can take advantage of the many benefits.
About the Author
Oliver is CEO and Co-founder of Envestors. Oliver sits on the Board of the UK Crowdfunding Association (UKCFA) and sat on the Board of the UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA) from 2006 to 2014. He is also a Member of Court at Imperial College (London). After completing a degree in Finance, Oliver decided not to become an accountant but instead raised equity and bank debt to start Woolleys Healthfoods. The business comprised three retail catering outlets in central London, three organic sausage shops and a factory in the south-east of England, which wholesaled to 200 establishments including Harrods. In 1997 he sold the business to Northern Foods and moved into early-stage investing.
Web: https://www.envestors.co.uk/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/envestors-llp/
Twitter: @EnvestorsLondon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/envestorslondon/posts/
Do you know when you want to retire? Are you confident that your retirement planning will help you achieve this? Many business owners may find that their planned retirement is delayed unless they take action. The crunch issue is the need to review the fees being charged on your retirement and investment plans. Let me explain why and give you an example to demonstrate what can be achieved.
Hannah Goldsmith is founder of Goldsmiths Financial Solutions and author of ‘Retire Faster’. Hannah specialises in Low Fee Investing and is challenging the way financial services are delivered to consumers in the UK, by enabling each client to understand the nature of investment costs and the impact these costs have on their future lifestyle.