Entrepreneur's guide to landing angel investors in a tough economy

We were referred to FounderCatalyst and told that they were good, but our advance assurance submission received a positive response from HMRC in 25 hours – that is better than good!

The FounderCatalyst platform streamlined our fundraising process, and the team helped us navigate a number of complexities to complete our funding round swiftly. We are now using the amazing ‘agile’ funding feature to top up the previous round over the next few months as and when

I turned to Sam at FounderCatalyst after being misguided by his competitors about eligibility for SEIS as an investor. I have spent three weeks emailing HMRC and my legal team and could not get a straight answer. Sam gave me a definitive explanation the following day. From now on I will be using FounderCatalyst for all my equity funding legal needs!

Phenomenal! Sam and his team at FounderCatalyst helped demystify our route ahead and provided invaluable insight and support in obtaining our SEIS Advanced Assurance. I don't believe we would have done it without him. What's more, the approval only took 5.5 business hours from submission. Far faster than HMRC was advising themselves. I firmly believe this was down to the solid preparation and support provided by FounderCatalyst.

As a solo-founder and 'start-up newbie', the service, support, specialism and community that FounderCatalyst offers is invaluable. From formal paperwork completion to the 'Friendly Founders' WhatsApp chat, I just wish that I had joined sooner...

Founders seeking to raise equity finance - use this service! It is simple to use, reliable and secure, and provides unrivalled value for money. You're in complete control of your fundraising process and timescales.

FounderCatalyst is more than just a digital fundraising platform—it's a true game changer for entrepreneurs. From day one, the level of support we received was unmatched. The team is practically on call 24/7, ready to answer every question we had, and they didn’t just give us answers—they took the time to explain the entire process in detail. This personal touch is worth its weight in gold. One of the standout features is the community. It’s filled with experts, successful ex-founders, investors, and fellow entrepreneurs, all actively engaged in fundraising. And when I say active, I mean good active—it's a highly useful, focused community with zero fluff or random chatter. Every discussion is purposeful, providing real value to your fundraising journey. FounderCatalyst helped us secure an ASA within weeks and managed all of HMRC’s queries seamlessly. The platform made the entire process so much smoother than I ever imagined. If you're looking for a platform that combines cutting-edge technology with real human expertise and support, look no further than FounderCatalyst. It's been absolutely pivotal in our fundraising success!

I had a fantastic experience with FoundersCatalyst from start to finish (and continue to receive ongoing support). They responded quickly to my initial inquiry, providing excellent guides and transparent information about fees, how the platform works, and what to expect. After following their templates and guidance, we submitted our pitch deck and financial forecast, and Founders Catalyst handled our SEIS application to HMRC. We received approval within three weeks, with no complications. The platform is straightforward to set up, offering term sheets, a data room etc., and a wealth of video/blog content to help. For specific inquiries, their ticketing system is incredibly responsive—usually within a few hours. On top of that, there’s an excellent community on WhatsApp, which includes all the FC staff as well as peers who are friendly, welcoming, and happy to answer even our "stupid questions" throughout the entire funding journey. I can't recommend FoundersCatalyst enough. The founder, Sam, is exceptionally knowledgeable and very generous with his time, supporting every founder to succeed in their funding rounds.

The FounderCatalyst team turned my advance assurance application around in just 2 working days and we had a positive response back from HMRC within a week. Their assistance with preparing my Investors Deck and forecast model was invaluable. We highly recommend using FounderCatalyst to other founders!

Sam and his team totally get founders…what FounderCatalyst delivers is not only incredibly good value, but absolutely what every start up and founder needs: brilliant!

FounderCatalyst provided outstanding & much needed support for the ReBorn business, throughout our launch period. In particular, we secured both SEIS & EIS approval - successfully, speedily and more cost effectively thanks to their input. Thoroughly recommended.

The portal is excellent, it is making things much more straight forward than I imagined them to be.

FounderCatalyst have been excellent from start to finish. SEIS/EIS advance assurance support at a fixed rate and with lots of support. The best bit is the ongoing community of support- wouldn't go anywhere else and we'll be engaging in the new products/services which Sam & the Team bring out this year.

Founders always need external, expert support, and never more so than in the area of handling HMRC and SEIS/EIS. This is where the big learning curves come from, and you don’t want to get this wrong - it follows you for a long time. The team at FounderCatalyst are wonderfully human, knowledgable, accessible, experienced and focus on helping the Founder - the human.

Sam was easy to work with and the SEIS and EIS advanced assurance process could not have been easier.

Prior to working with FounderCatalyst, we had conducted the legalities of our first funding round via accountants and lawyers and found a real disconnect between the two. We reached out to FounderCatalyst for round 2 and couldn’t be happier with the service. They are on hand to personally deal with any requests or questions - there is a real accountability of the full process and depth of knowledge that you’re able to leverage. We would not go elsewhere for another round.

Sam and his team are phenomenal, FC is a no-brainer.

FounderCatalyst is simply brilliant. Not only is the platform powerful & user-friendly; the team have a huge amount of real-world experience and go the extra mile to make your round a success. You'd be mad not to use it!

I sent FounderCatalyst my pitch deck and forecast model. They gave me feedback and then prepared a pack to submit to HMRC for EIS advance assurance. I was amazed that HMRC responded with confirmation of advance assurance before 9:15 the next working day!

I had no idea about SEIS/EIS and the team clearly explained the process and took the hassle away by managing it end to end. They turned our deck and financial plan into an SEIS/EIS submission in less than a day and managed to get HMRC approval within two days enabling me to focus on my fundraise.

Extremely competitive and capable platform, it has condensed wisdom built in, and is good value for money. I'd recommend it without hesitation.

The perfect tool for our SEIS funding round. FounderCatalyst helped us make quick work of the legals at an incredibly competitive price.

Sam was so helpful with my SEIS/EIS application, I would definitely recommend FounderCatalyst. Everything was done super quickly which was great for me as I had had imminent investor conversations that depended on my advanced assurance

FounderCatalyst could not have been more helpful and supportive throughout our SEIS process.They worked diligently to help us get advance assurance much faster than we thought was possible. They went above and beyond the basic advance assurance process, and played a crucial role in helping us to secure funding. I can not recommend FounderCatalyst enough.

FounderCatalyst has been absolutely superb in helping me navigate the SEIS/EIS advance assurance process. My business certainly was not vanilla in its application process, but they took the time to brainstorm the best way to conduct our application. The team always act in a very timely manner, with a knowledgeable understanding of the process. Certainly would recommend the FounderCatalyst to any start-up!

Great platform and a great service too. There’s always help at hand and a handy WhatsApp group to be a part of to learn everything you need to know about raising.

Sam and the FounderCatalyst are attentive, diligent and extremely helpful with all things associated with a funding round, particularly, when it comes to legals. Sam has built a supportive and thriving community and that's a testament to his founder-first approach. I'd highly recommend his services to any founder looking to raise investment.

FounderCatalyst has been fantastic - use this service!! We recently raised via CrowdCube and FounderCatalyst was very efficient at sorting out the legal paperwork, which removed all the stress from us. We are a new start-up and they made the legal processes of funding rounds incredibly easy to navigate. They sorted out our advance assurance in record speed. The team is incredibly knowledgeable (not only legal experts but exited founders) and they also have a great community on WhatsApp with other founders.

The whole experience of raising investment with FounderCatalyst has been exceptional. Having been a founder before and as Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Bath and SetSquared, I've experienced either first or second hand most ways of managing investment rounds, through crowd platforms to employing teams of expensive lawyers and advisors. I'd heard about FounderCatalyst and had always been intrigued. So, when it came time to raise our Seed round for Earswitch we thought it time to try them out. The system, simplicity and support made the whole process a doddle and we're now about to start our 4th round on the platform. Very highly recommended!

The intricacies of an equity raise are really niche and difficult to manage. Specifically, the legals that underpin the entire process aren't the sexiest part but are probably the most important. The team at FounderCatalyst ensured that everything was managed seamlessly with Seedrs. I felt in safe hands throughout the raise knowing that they were in the background, lining everything up from a legal perspective.

Wonderful to be in the FounderCatalyst family. We get so much support!

The level of service you receive is not in line with how much you pay. Typical SaaS businesses will take your payment and offer no support but I would argue you receive a lot more support and service than you pay for. Sam is a wealth of knowledge as well

FounderCatalyst offer such an efficient, clear, and helpful process. They make all the clunky bits feel effortless with your help and bounty of free resources. Very grateful for FounderCatalyst.

I am a distiller of award-winning gins that are stocked in places like Harrods, but I know little about the funding paperwork and requirements.  FC helped me to efficiently produce my funding paperwork in 2 days and I got SEIS advance assurance in less than two weeks.

FounderCatalyst helped with a set of 13x individual queries from HMRC on a advance assurance submission we originally completed ourselves. They wrote a professional response letter answering the queries and HMRC replied with confirmation of advance assurance in just a few hours.

FounderCatalyst was an excellent choice, we were delighted with the platform throughout our funding round. From term sheet, legals, due diligence to data room, the process was faultless, keeping deal momentum and presenting a professional interface to our investors.

I've been working with FounderCatalyst all year on several rounds of funding raises. The product is great: providing a slick experience for founders and investors alike. In addition, customer service is fantastic, with very quick turnaround on queries and thorough responses to any questions.

It was a pleasure working with FounderCatalyst. As of the first meeting, Sam was very involved in the whole process and made it very easy for us to get us investor ready faster than we could have ever imagined. We can only recommend the service and are about to use his services soon again.

FounderCatalyst have been amazing, not only did they get the SEIS assurance as promised but the back up and additional services they provide as part of the service are invaluable. The community they create with other founders is also a great source of shared knowledge and support. Couldn’t recommend highly enough, thanks FC!

My initial funding round has involved a foreign investor with stringent compliance procedures - this has resulted in lots of back and forth. The FounderCatalyst team were absolutely amazing going above and beyond the support with platform and explanation of various documents. They were always available to hold our hand to support with all the requirements and the custom inputs required to ensure our documents complied with the needs of the foreign investor. This was really no easy feat!!! I cannot thank the FC team enough as well as the supportive FC community for getting us through this.

FounderCatalyst's Agile functionality is perfect for navigating the messy reality of fundraising. It's incredibly simple to use, and takes the sting out of the otherwise intimidating paperwork. The FC team themselves are always going above and beyond - answering emails and lending a hand at awkward hours.

Such a super-easy to use platform. Opened and closed a round and received the funds within 48-hours! Also, the business owner Sam is knowledgeable and supportive in other areas such as applications for SEIS/ EIS and the cost is lower than any other alternative - I checked!

I'm always happy to recommend FounderCatalyst to other founders - there's so much added value to being a customer! You become part of a great founder community, and Sam and his team are always on hand for support with any burning questions you have around fundraising and legals.

From clicking submit on our SEIS & EIS advance assurance 3rd June 2024 to a thumbs up from HMRC in less than 24 hours is wild. Thanks FounderCatalyst!

We met FounderCatalyst through the Startup 2 Standup Community, and were immediately impressed with their proactive approach to supporting founders. Their guidance from the very start with the advance assurance submission to closing our initial tranche has been truly invaluable, combined with the auto-documentation and flexibility the platform gives you at every stage in the round, makes FC the best choice for pre-seed startups.

FoundersCatalyst has been second to none in supporting our raise, with Sam and the team offering invaluable guidance to ensure a seamless round for us and our investors. In particular, their expertise in navigating complex SEIS/EIS compliance matters has saved us a significant amount of time and stress. I cannot recommend them enough to any startup currently fundraising.

We had a quote from SeedLegals for nearly £9k to do our ASAs and you offer amazing ASA templates and supporting documents for free. Genuinely crazy!

FounderCatalyst's services and support has been instrumental in guiding us through the intricacies of SEIS/EIS advance assurance and our legal paperwork, including clarifying the legal jargon. This has significantly contributed to our early stage growth.

“A Lifesaver for First-Time Founders! As a first-time founder raising funds for the first time, I was overwhelmed by the complexity of documents like the SH01 and EIS3. Founder Catalyst made the entire process so much easier. Sam was incredibly helpful and always accessible, whether via video calls, direct messages, or through the Founder Catalyst WhatsApp group, which is filled with a supportive and knowledgeable founder community.”

Thank you for taking the guesswork out of a very complicated EIS situation and process. It was effortless for me because you made all the effort!

FounderCatalyst was incredible to work with from start-to-end for our pre-seed round. They were meticulous, prompt to reply, and handled numerous customisations. I've used other legal services and platforms which came up too expensive and prone to errors. FounderCatalyst is miles ahead in terms of service, value-for-money and legal expertise.

FounderCatalyst was introduced to me by a former colleague whilst I was exploring personal investment opportunities in companies already using the FC platform. After a briefing with Sam Simpson, I decided to use the platform for my own start-up Soul Padel. The S/EIS process couldn’t have been easier and simpler to understand and Sam’s hands-on guidance was much appreciated throughout. We then launched our SEIS round with FounderCatalyst and being a first time founder, it was enormously helpful to have the structured guides, articles and the hugely beneficial community of founders to tap into. Not only that but the ecosystem of professionals associated with the FC platform enabled me to seek cost effective advice early. We recently closed our first round after securing investment from a single HNW individual, without the use of costly lawyers or lengthy complex negotiations. I can’t recommend FounderCatalyst highly enough. If you are looking to start your own business and raise investment, you need to start your process with FounderCatalyst. It’s much much cheaper than what you’ll find elsewhere but the best thing is, Sam as founder will be your friend, guide and mentor throughout. Nowhere else gives you that level of service. It’s so good, I’ve also invested in FounderCatalyst platform users because I know their governance and structure is sound and very well put together. It’s more than just a service, it’s a community.

We started our new company under our old company. Rookie mistake. This meant we fell outside of the timeline for EIS by more than a few years. FounderCatalyst worked with us on an appeal. Our new company was different to our old one. We had invested into it's development and were turning revenue. We got the thumbs up from HMRC. Was a happy day.

We have used FounderCatalyst to close two funding rounds, their whole team has been incredibly helpful. The SEIS advance assurance process was incredibly slick and the funding dashboard makes it easy to track which documents investors have signed. Their customer service has been unmatched with support every step of the way to answer any questions. Finally, our raise cost less than a 3rd of the price of their competition - amazing value!

FounderCatalyst were first class from start to finish. The help provided in navigating the minefield of SEIS/EIS advance assurance and fundraising legal documentation has been invaluable. They never tired of answered my questions enabling a smooth process for us founders and our investors in as far afield as Australia. I cannot recommend them highly enough.

FounderCatalyst is nothing short of exceptional! I was absolutely amazed when they delivered SEIS advance assurance in less than 3 working hours. The process was seamless, the team incredibly knowledgeable, and their success rate speaks for itself. If you’re a founder looking for the best in legaltech services, I can’t recommend FounderCatalyst enough.

I had little knowledge of the legal processes of raising investment. Our CCO recommended FounderCatalyst and we have both been very glad we chose this route. The FounderCatalyst team led us through the system personally and the online portal, including electronic document signing, was fantastic.

I've got a background in law, so I'm comfortable with the mechanics of a funding round. The FounderCatalyst service is unique though - they give you personal support and use their experience to guide you through the key decisions - something only exited founders and angels investors can provide.

We signed up to FC following a recommendation from several founders I met through startup networks. You and your documents are in safe hands - the real bonus is being able to ask loads of questions and get support on so many random things that aren't directly documentation but necessary for a raise (eg how do you write a valuation document, what do you include in your data room, disclosure). You can ask these both from FC and the FC founder community.

I consider myself fortunate to be introduced to FounderCatalyst prior to our fundraise in October 2022. Having never raised funds before, working with FounderCatalyst was a perfect fit, the in-house expertise on SEIS/EIS was worth the fee alone coupled with the excellent easy-to-use platform and on-tap advice was great. In addition, a 'bonus' feature is being part of the FounderCatalyst group on WhatsApp which is a thriving community of fellow founders that share knowledge, experience, and general advice. A great platform, a great team, and a great community, highly recommended.

Highly recommend FounderCatalyst - they are very knowledgeable, affordable and got our SEIS advance assurance sorted very quickly. They have lots of helpful resources and advice for founders.

FounderCatalyst is a must for ALL businesses looking to raise capital. As a qualified accountant even I struggle with the legalities, paperwork and even dealing with HMRC to obtain advance assurance. FounderCatalyst removes all these headaches and unlike their competitors the co-founders are always on hand to provide valuable support every step of the way. Quite simply they have become an invaluable 'department' of my business and I'm very grateful to be working with them.

Sam Simpson and FounderCatalyst are highly reliable. I know many founders who rate Sam and he has been a great asset to AIS as facilitator. As a founder now, I rely on Sam’s expertise - helping me through my startup journey.

The FounderCatalyst team were on hand every step of the way during the funding round. Unlimited support and entirely responsive. This really helped us closed the funding round swiftly.

We incorporated in 2000 and started trading almost immediately. We recently started looking to expand our business into new territories and needed an equity investment to facilitate that. Unfortunately, attracting angel investment in the UK is very hard without offering SEIS or EIS. We thought the ship had sailed until FounderCatalyst mentioned a little-known EIS provision known as Condition B. Long story short, the FounderCatalyst team successfully secured EIS advance assurance and we are now raising using that scheme.

Can’t thank Sam and the team enough with what was a slightly tricky S/EIS advanced assurance application but I was give very specific step by step advice which I followed to the T and got approval from HMRC in just a few days woohoo, I can officially start my raise now. Thank you!

I am doing a funding round using another legal paperwork provider but hit an issue with our SEIS/EIS advance assurance being queried. I wasn’t entirely confident in the proposed response to HMRC and someone recommended I speak to the FC team. They helped me to improve my response and their support led to a positive response. Amazingly helpful and knowledgeable team, even for someone who wasn’t a customer. I've recommended them to colleagues already and will be switching to FC for our next round!

I’d heard that FounderCatalyst’s SEIS advance assurance was lightning quick from another founder, but they’ve excelled themselves with Archive This Ltd. Full advance assurance received from HMRC in less than 3 working hours.

We were unsure how to approach SEIS/EIS advance assurance, but FounderCatalyst made the process a breeze. Even better, we had a positive advance assurance confirmed by HMRC in less than five and a half hours! Crazy good. Sam and his team are incredibly knowledgable, clear, helpful and thorough. We could not recommend them more!

I’ve been told by another founder that SEIS / EIS advance assurance could take months – FounderCatalyst submitted our advance assurance on the 3rd of October 2023 and we received a positive response in just 24 hours

If you are an early-stage start-up founder looking for legal services to close your round, PLEASE do not look anywhere else. We were working with a legal firm and reached nowhere in 2+ months. A mentor recommended FC and I was able to close the legals in 10 minutes (that claim on the website is indeed true)! The platform, cost and community of founders for getting quick support is AMAZING. And the FounderCatalyst team are approachable and very knowledgeable. Highly recommended.

We closed our SEIS round thanks to FounderCatalyst! Amazing platform and as a result - experience for us and our investors. Thank you for making it happen!

I had a really important meeting with an investor and had realised my cap table needed adjusting since we had made a few changes in the last few months. We had been using another platform for our documentation, but unfortunately, time was of the essence, and I needed something I could send on ASAP, I needed help with it and unfortunately, this was not something they could provide. My first thought was of Sam. I have known Sam for the last few years whilst building Bezzelle and knew that he was someone who could potentially save the day, I can confirm not only brilliant with all things funding, also a super nice guy too! Awaiting the outcome of the investment meeting but he has a new customer for our next funding round! (Sorry in advance for all my share related queries!)

“Such a supportive network and honest, real-life advice and feedback. Perfect for early stage founders.”

“FounderCatalyst have been really helpful for our startups’ investment round. We received advanced assurance for our SEIS/EIS application within 2 days of submitting it through FounderCatalyst, and the various support systems, pitch reviews and Whatsapp groups have been great as well. On top of all that, we’ve also set up all of our legal documentation and data room through FounderCatalyst, which is amazing.”

Having EIS assurance has made all the difference to our raise and working with Sam and FounderCatalyst was key to us securing that. The readiness of the team to answer our questions has made us feel truly supported as we navigate the fundraising journey.

I didn't fully appreciate how good the FC platform is...The Boost page, all the information, it's a real hub!

FounderCatalyst took the extremely complicated SEIS Compliance and Certificate process and made it very straightforward for founders. Extra kudos that it’s bundled for free with a funding round!

The FounderCatalyst platform helped us close our round in hours rather than weeks and they were so hands on and helpful all the way through the process. We were an early adopter of their SEIS1 compliance to SEIS3 certificate process and our investors received their forms in less than 2 weeks, and also commented on how ‘seamless’ the process was. Will definitely be using FounderCatalyst again!

Thank you to FounderCatalyst for making Investment easy and guiding us through all the legal steps required and answering all our queries so quickly. If you are a founder looking for SEIS and EIS approval, looking to understand where to find investors, or simply need support with the legal side of investment FounderCatalyst are the team to talk too.

Sam and the team at FounderCatalyst have been integral in helping @Loha get investment ready. From advice on SEIS eligibility to pitch deck feedback they are very responsive and offer great support to help you reach your fundraising goals. The vibrant WhatsApp community of over 250 founders and investors is a godsend. Thank you FC!

We moved to FounderCatalyst from their rival after our first round - the fee structure in FounderCatalyst suited us much better and the support provided by the FounderCatalyst team has been excellent. They have an automatic tool to import our CapTable and we were up and running within minutes. My next round will cost about a third on FounderCatalyst.

FounderCatalyst were incredible in helping us close our SEIS round ahead of a tight deadline. They offered great 1-1 support through the entire S/EIS Advance Assurance and fundraise process. I couldn’t recommend Sam and the team more highly to any founders raising investment!

Our experience using FounderCatalyst was quick and easy. FounderCatalyst have turned the onerous task of raising funds into an easy process for not only ourselves, but our investors too. I would recommend FC to anyone raising their seed round.

The process with FoundersCatalyst was smooth and efficient. Given my inexperience in the startup world, the team held my hand and explained things to me. The WhatsApp group of exceptional founders has been invaluable. I received my SEIS assurance within three weeks.

Sam and the team at FounderCatalyst are the best in the business. From taking us smoothly (and speedily!) through the complicated SEIS/EIS advance assurance process and providing ongoing support, to creating an incredible and extremely supportive community for like minded founders going through the same process, I can’t recommend FC highly enough!

Helped us close a deal very quickly - no fuss, or costly annual fees.

FounderCatalyst was recommended to us by a trusted friend to help with our SEIS/EIS advance assurance before we opened our first investment round - and this was done at speed driven by the expertise of their team. The platform and team provided all the core information, legal documents and support needed to work with investors and the digital platform for investors to engage - and as a new startup this has been essential and has removed a lot of stress and worry in an area of the business new to us. Throughout the fundraising, FounderCatalyst has been there with endless support. I would fully recommend the FounderCatalyst service as a core part of your fundraising plans and process.

FounderCatalyst is the best platform on the market to help early-stage founders with their fundraising legals. Not only is the platform fantastic, the team, especially Sam, have been absolutely instrumental in helping us close our recent funding round. I can honestly say that without FounderCatalyst and Sam by our side, we wouldn't have been able to succeed in our fundraising efforts.

A big thank you to the FounderCatalyst team for all their help, particularly in light of literally moments before submitting for our SEIS advance assurance, HMRC totally changed the submission format and method. Their team didn’t miss a beat and sorted everything. We received our confirmation of advance assurance in less than a week. Delighted is an understatement!

FounderCatalyst made it simple for me to apply for HMRC SEIS Advance Assurance and set up my funding round. Using helpful templates provided by FounderCatalyst, I spent a few weeks refining my pitch deck and forecast. Once I was ready, it took less than an hour to get everything online and submitted to HMRC. I hit submit at 11am on a Thursday and by 9am the following Monday, I had the good news from HMRC!

We used FounderCatalyst to do our SEIS advance assurance, our initial fundraising round, and subsequent agile round. The experience throughout all this was incredible. The level of personal service and attention to detail is unmatched. I have previously used a competitor service and it doesn't come close to what FounderCatalyst offers. We will continue using them and cannot recommend Sam and the team highly enough.

Sam and the team at FounderCatalyst go above and beyond to aid founders through the SEIS process to accreditation. Unlike their competitors, they charge a fixed fee, no recurring fee, and offer a tremendous peer-to-peer community, which has been invaluable in helping me build my team. It is time for change. Step away from household brands and try FounderCatalyst.

We just raised our first seed round and quite frankly couldn’t have done it without FounderCatalyst. Sam Simpson is the kindest most patient founder I have ever met. The website is so easy to use (and even if you have a question it’s answered in minutes). A very reasonably priced service that I would highly recommend to anyone looking to raise.

The FounderCatalyst team are great. With their process we got SEIS advanced assurance in just 24 hours. Super responsive customer service and a platform filled with really useful freebies and other bonuses. Definitely recommend!

As a first time, solo founder, Sam has been hugely helpful helping me navigate the investment ecosystem.

I used FounderCatalyst to assist with my advance assurance as my situation was unusual. FounderCatalyst built my advance assurance submission for me to save me learning the process, I reviewed and submitted on the 19th of September 2024. I was elated to receive confirmation of advance assurance the very next day.

Highly recommend. Good platform and superb service, plus a fantastic founders WhatsApp group if you want to be included.

Money and time are crucial in the startup world and what keep your company alive. Sam has been absolutely crucial on getting us SEIS/EIS advanced insurance in less than 48 hours. We have worked together efficiently and to the point. Exactly what you need when you're trying to launch your company, meet clients, pitch investors, without forgetting watering the plants ;-)

My experience of FounderCatalyst has been amazing. Great value for money, instant service, professional and personal. I highly recommend Sam and his team.

I’ve completed two rounds with FounderCatalyst and have referred at least five fellow founders for their fundraising legal needs. The team is not only highly experienced and knowledgeable but also incredibly supportive, responsive, and fully understands the fast-paced nature of deal-making for founders. Their founder-first approach and service quality made me switch from Seedlegals to FounderCatalyst after my first round. Highly recommended.

We submitted our advance assurance using FounderCatalyst 28th of May 2024 and had a positive response back by 10am on the 30th. Amazing!

I was dreading the funding process as everybody told me that it's complicated. But with FounderCatalyst it has been very straightforward and I’m wondering what the drama is about?!

The whole experience from entering details and completing EIS advance assurance forms to signing the final legal documents was so simple and intuitive.

I switched from SeedLegals to FounderCatalyst which has proved both cheaper and the customer service is infinitely better. Everything is included in the one off fee so you aren't hit by extra fees you don't expect. The team includes ex founders and investors so you get both technical and tactical support, which wasn't the case with SeedLegals. I also get very rapid responses to my emails, which was a refreshing change.

The best investment we made was using FounderCatalyst for the legal work. It's really good value, the platform was easy to use and we had amazing support throughout from their CEO, Sam Simpson. I would absolutely recommend it to all founders!

They say word-of-mouth is the best kind of marketing, and judging by the people who pop up in every entrepreneur group singing FounderCatalyst’s praises (myself included!), they are smashing it! As first-time founders, there was so much we were nervous about or didn’t fully understand, and FounderCatalyst has consistently made time for us and never laughed at our questions! The founder Sam truly goes above and beyond to share relevant contacts and opportunities for his founders. They handled our entire fundraising journey perfectly and I couldn't have asked for a better partner. Highly recommend.

The FounderCatalyst the platform is brilliant. I was able to login, complete the questions and get to a draft Term sheet in record time. Excellent design.

I joined FounderCatalyst and within an hour they had provided feedback on our pitch deck and forecast, built an SEIS/EIS advance assurance submission for us and then we submitted.  Within an hour - now that’s quality service and what a Founder needs!

FounderCatalyst has proved an outstanding solution for our fundraising efforts. Being new to the entrepreneur world and indeed that of raising investment, the FounderCatalyst platform takes all the headaches (and cost) out of the legal and admin side of the raise, so I could focus on communicating with our investors. The support received from the team was second to none and the instant build paperwork and cap table forecasting made the whole process incredibly organised and clear. While I may not be a fundraising novice anymore, I wouldn't hesitate to use FounderCatalyst again when the time comes for a future investment round.

FounderCatalyst have been excellent in supporting us with our first round of fundraising. The specialist knowledge of the team is exceptional, and the customer service is second to none. It has made what can normally be a painful process, simple. I would highly recommend to any fellow founders.

FounderCatalyst has created an impressively efficient and cost effective way of managing funding rounds.

I wish I had met Sam earlier. I came across FounderCatalyst during a free webinar, Sam was so informative. This is my first funding round and Sam has made this process so easy. Help to understand the process, the rapid responses and attention to detail is excellent, even before I had committed. There was no time pressured 'special deal' deal on price, the pricing is really transparent and they do not take a percentage of your raise. The platform is easy to use and navigate, I have been able to invite my co-founder to the platform too. The templates and resources are also brilliant. Thank you Sam, I appreciate your support and we are excited for the journey ahead. Highly recommended.

Very helpful, super flexible and reasonably priced. Just what any founder could wish for. Highly recommend.

Completing your first funding round can be a daunting undertaking with so many unknowns. You don't know what you don't know. Sam and the team at FoundersCatalyst have held our hands through the whole process, been attentive when we have had queries, and made the whole procedure a lot easier than it may have otherwise been. Second to that, the value for money that you are receiving with FC over its competitors is significant (£1000s). When you are fundraising, you are generally doing so because your cash position is not at its strongest. Knowing that costs for your funding round are fixed, and wont spiral is a relief. We are currently in the Agile stage of our first round of investment, and will be completing more rounds through FC in the future. I'd recommend FC to any founder going into their first capital raise.

Sam and his team are the real deal, they know what they are talking about and offer the best value in town. I can confidently say this having wasted money and been disappointed with another firm (SL) previously.

We're a startup that has been 25 years in the making. I was definitely sceptical that we'd get EIS so hats off to you, FounderCatalyst. EIS Condition B...Who knew?!

Our fundraising was anything BUT straightforward. Without the help from the team from FounderCatalyst, it very well might not have happened at all. There are other very good providers like this in the market, but none of them give the care and community that FC does. As the various wobbles and pitfalls came for us, it became clear we were in good hands. I not only recommend, I implore.

I approached my first funding round as a naive, first time founder with more to learn than I realised. From day 1, the FounderCatalyst team gave their time, knowledge and guidance in abundance. All I can say is that I thank my lucky stars that our paths crossed - I consider myself incredibly fortunate. With FounderCatalyst, you know they genuinely care about the success of the people they work with. They have made the HMRC AA process for SEIS a breeze. They has helped perfect our pitch deck, sanity check our financials and get our ducks in a row for our funding round, as well as give us that all important optimism when things get bumpy. The FounderCatalyst platform gives me and our investors complete confidence in arranging legals. Thank you!

We were initially recommended FounderCatalyst by an advisor to help us through our SEIS/EIS advanced assurance, and they have been nothing short of fantastic ever since. We ran our first fundraise through their platform, and will, without a doubt, use them again for future raises. As an early stage start-up founder I have leant on the team a lot and they have always been prompt (even at 11pm at night!), understanding & right on the money with their advice & support. Thank you FounderCatalyst!

Our EIS time limit had expired and were looking for funding outside the EIS scheme. FounderCatalyst were really interested in the challenge and it was clear from our early conversations that they knew the intricacies of the various options. They identified KIC as a potential alternative for us and provided clear instructions and hands-on support with our KIC advance assurance submission. We received advance assurance within two weeks of our submission. I have no hesitation in recommending them to others.

Swift is an understatement: I joined the FounderCatalyst platform at 5pm and 4 hours later my pitch deck & forecast had been reviewed and my SEIS advance assurance was with HMRC.

FounderCatalyst is not only a great platform but also a great community. I moved to FC after meeting founder Sam Simpson, and straightaway felt it was the right platform to support our needs - their service is fab, the fee structure is fair and transparent, and the platform is straightforward and easy to use. Sam himself is super engaged and responsive, and the FC WhatsApp group is a brilliant, collaborative and supportive community to be part of. Highly recommend!

I was super impressed: advance assurance submitted 03/06/24 and a positive response from HMRC the very next day

I’m so glad I was introduced to FounderCatalyst. They are the absolute go-to team for SEIS Assurance and fundraising legal paperwork. Their advice is succinct, and any questions are answered quickly, usually within an hour which is incredible service. The FounderCatalyst community is super supportive. I’ve seen it grow tenfold in less than 12 months, I guess that says it all…

Agile is sliiiick!

No nonsense. Great price. We send any of our portfolio companies and applicants struggling with S/EIS straight to Sam and co every time!

The process was incredibly easy, and it makes sense why this service exists for start-ups. I would highly recommend FounderCatalyst to anyone considering raising money and needing SEIS/EIS advanced assurance. Whilst it’s unnecessary because the platform is so slick and automated, Sam and the team are friendly and always available to help if investors have any questions. 10/10 service!!

All I can say is ‘WOW!’, the FounderCatalyst team provided copious assistance to prepare my SEIS and EIS advance assurance submission. HMRC replied the very next day with our advance assurance

Great platform for founders to raise a round.

This is the first time we have raised investment for Trove. It can be daunting to keep on top of all of the requirements and documentation. We are so happy to have the support of FounderCatalyst - their technology is user friendly for both founders and investors. Moreover the team are so responsive in supporting any questions. It is clear they understand founder needs having been successful entrepreneurs themselves. We would highly recommend FounderCatalyst and look forward to working together on future funding rounds.

As a first-time founder, the process of raising equity investment can seem like a complex puzzle. The FounderCatalyst platform has guided me through the process of generating investment documents, collecting signatures from investors, tracking funds and closing the round. When I needed that extra help solving the puzzle, the team were just an email away addressing queries with patience. Furthermore, they also simplified the mystical ritual of the S/EIS advance assurance application to make our investment opportunity shine even brighter.