Raise: Q4 2026
If an investor asked to see your deck, numbers and company records tomorrow, would you be ready? In four weeks you’ll find the gaps that slow a first round, fix them and leave ready to raise.
- Free for startups
- No equity taken
- Run by Growth Studio
What you’ll leave with
Your Raise-Ready Pack: a deck, financial model and data room that stand up to an investor’s first checks, your SEIS or EIS advance assurance application ready for HMRC and a shortlist of investors who fit, plus a before-and-after readiness check you can rerun before every round.
Why now
Investors are backing fewer early-stage companies. Seed-stage deal numbers fell by 27% in 2025, and seed-stage companies took longer to raise (British Business Bank, July 2026). When investors are this selective, it pays to have your answers ready before the first meeting.
Tax relief is part of being ready, but only part. HMRC received 4,085 SEIS advance assurance applications in 2025-26, up from 3,285 the year before (HMRC, May 2026), and it usually asks who your investors will be. This Sprint works through SEIS and EIS alongside your story, your numbers and your records.
Who it’s for
- UK startups at pre-seed or seed stage, in any sector
- Founders planning to raise from angels or early-stage funds in the next 6 to 12 months
- Companies with early proof, such as first revenue, paying pilots or growing use
How it runs
16 November to 14 December 2026. A workshop each week, with discussion hours and a cohort chat in between.
Week 1
See your startup as an investor does
Kick-off and quick-fire networking with your cohort. Run a readiness check against what investors look at before a first round, then choose the gaps that matter most for your raise.
Week 2
Tell the story and back it with numbers
A workshop on your deck and the financial model behind it: how much you’re raising, what it pays for and where it gets you. Then a Discussion Hour where founders and experts test each other’s story.
Week 3
Get your house in order
Your cap table, company records and data room, and how SEIS and EIS work, so your advance assurance application is ready for HMRC.
Week 4
Plan the raise and check again
Choose the investors who back companies like yours, plan how you’ll run the round, and rerun your readiness check with expert review. The Sprint closes with the cohort’s awards.
Who you’ll meet
The Growth Studio team and specialists in early-stage fundraising, startup finance, tax and company law, with feedback on your work each week and a cohort of founders getting ready to raise.
What it costs you
Nothing. Sprints are free for startups, and no equity is taken.
Here’s how that goal gets into your calendar.
- 1
Find the Sprint that fits you
Look through the open Sprints for an outcome your business needs. Each one tells you what you’ll be working towards, and applying is free.
- 2
Apply to join your fellow founders
Every Sprint has entry requirements so the work suits the startups taking part. Your cohort will be working towards the same outcome, with experience of their own to share.
- 3
Make room and get stuck in
Each week brings a hands-on workshop, a discussion circle and time to get to know your cohort. You’ll complete a deliverable, then build on it the following week. When something has you scratching your head between sessions, take it to the cohort chat.
- 4
Finish with something you can use
Depending on the Sprint, that could be a finished trade pack or a submitted certification application. You’ll also know who to call when you need another founder’s opinion or an expert’s advice.