How to Find Investors in the UK

Most UK founders who raise early money don't find it through a website form or a cold email to a famous fund. They find it through people: an angel who was introduced by a mutual contact, a syndicate they pitched at after an accelerator demo day, a local network that a friend of a friend sits in. This guide covers how to find investors in the UK as a startup or small business, where those people actually gather, how to approach them, what to have ready, and how to spot the ones you should walk away from.

This is general information about meeting investors, not financial, legal or tax advice. If you're about to raise money, speak to an accountant or solicitor who knows startup fundraising.

First, work out which kind of investor you need

"Investors" covers very different people, and pitching the wrong kind wastes everyone's time. Before you look for anyone, be clear about what you're raising, roughly how much, and what you'll use it for.

• Friends and family. Often the first money in. Quick, but treat it as seriously as any other investment, with proper paperwork.
• Angel investors. Individuals investing their own money, usually at the earliest stages. Many also bring experience and contacts, which can matter as much as the cash.
• Angel networks and syndicates. Groups of angels who see pitches together and often invest alongside one another, so one meeting can put you in front of a room.
• Venture capital funds. Professional funds investing other people's money. They look for businesses that could grow very large, very quickly, and most small businesses aren't a fit.
• Crowdfunding. Raising from many smaller investors through a regulated platform, often including your own customers.

If you run a steady small business, such as a café, a trades firm or an agency, equity investment may not be the right tool at all; a loan or grant lets you keep full ownership. Equity tends to suit businesses aiming for fast growth, where an investor can realistically expect to sell their stake for a lot more later.

How to find angel investors in the UK

Angels are the most common first outside investors for UK startups, and they are reachable if you know where to look.

Angel networks and the UKBAA directory

The UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA) is the trade body for angel and early-stage investment. Its member directory lists angel networks, syndicates, funds and other organisations in early-stage investing, which makes it one of the best free starting points for a list. It also runs regional angel hubs and events.

Use the directory to shortlist networks that invest in your sector and your region. Then read each one's website properly. Most explain how to apply, what stage they back and how often they hold pitch events. If a network asks for a fee to pitch, ask exactly what it covers before you pay.

Angels who are already in your world

The best angel for you is often someone who has built a business like yours. Look at founders in your industry who have sold a company or stepped back from one, senior people at companies you'd love to partner with, and early investors in businesses you admire. Startup news coverage, Companies House filings and LinkedIn will often show you who backed whom.

Don't message them asking for money. Ask for their view. "You built and sold a B2B software firm for dentists, and I'm a few months into something similar for vets. Could I get 20 minutes of your take on our pricing?" is a much easier yes, and advice conversations are how many angel relationships start.

Accelerators, incubators and university programmes

Accelerators give you structure, mentoring and, crucially, an audience. Most finish with a demo day where investors come to see the cohort, and many have their own investor networks. Some invest a small amount in exchange for equity, others are free. Read the terms carefully before you sign, because the equity they take varies a lot.

If you're at or recently left a UK university, check its enterprise or entrepreneurship team. Many run incubators, pitch competitions and introductions to alumni investors. Local enterprise hubs and growth hubs are worth a look too, especially outside London, where they can tell you which investors are active in your area.

SEIS and EIS, briefly

Two UK schemes come up in almost every early investor conversation. The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) give tax reliefs to individuals who invest in qualifying small, unquoted companies. Many angels expect a company to qualify before they'll invest, because the reliefs reduce their risk.

You can ask HMRC for advance assurance, which is HMRC's opinion on whether a planned share issue is likely to qualify. It's optional, but many investors like to see it. The rules and limits change, so check the current gov.uk guidance rather than relying on figures from an old blog post, and get an accountant to confirm your company qualifies.

British Business Bank programmes

The British Business Bank is the government-owned business development bank, and its programmes shape where a lot of UK early-stage money comes from.

• The Nations and Regions Investment Funds provide loans and equity to smaller businesses across the UK through fund managers in each region. The fund pages list who manages the money in your area, which tells you who to approach.
• The Regional Angels Programme invests alongside angel groups and early-stage investors to improve access to equity outside London. The groups it backs are good names for your list.
• Start Up Loans are government-backed personal loans for starting or growing a business, with mentoring included. It's debt, not investment, but for many small businesses it's a better fit than giving away shares.

Equity crowdfunding platforms

Equity crowdfunding lets lots of people invest smaller amounts through an FCA-regulated platform. It works best for consumer businesses with a loyal customer base, because your customers can become investors and champions. Two of the best-known UK platforms are Crowdcube and Republic Europe, which traded as Seedrs until 2024.

Crowdfunding isn't a shortcut around networking. Campaigns that succeed usually arrive with a good chunk of the money already lined up from their own contacts, because strangers are more likely to invest in a round that is already moving.

How to find investors through warm introductions

A warm introduction, where someone the investor trusts passes your name on, is the single most useful route in. Investors see far more pitches than they can fund, and a recommendation from someone they know gets read first.

Start with a list of 20 to 40 investors who back your stage and sector. Next to each name, write down who you know that might know them: other founders they've backed, advisers, accountants and lawyers who work with startups, people from your old job. Founders an investor has already backed are often the best introducers, because the investor trusts their judgement.

Make the introduction easy. Send your contact a short note they can forward without editing.

Our guide on how to ask for an introduction has more templates, including how to ask someone you don't know well.

How to meet investors in person

Events still matter, because investors decide partly on whether they trust you, and that's easier in a room. Look for pitch nights run by angel networks, demo days at accelerators, sector meetups where investors speak, and startup events run by universities and local growth hubs.

At the event, don't launch into your pitch. Ask what they're investing in at the moment and what they've seen too much of. If there's a fit, ask if you can send something afterwards, then follow up within a couple of days. Our guides on how to network at a conference and following up after networking cover both halves.

What to prepare before you approach investors

• A short pitch deck. Around 10 to 15 slides: the problem, your solution, who buys it, traction so far, the market, the team, how much you're raising and what it pays for.
• A one-paragraph summary you can paste into an email or have forwarded in an introduction.
• Your numbers. Revenue, costs, customer numbers and a simple forecast with the assumptions written down. Expect to be asked how you got to every figure.
• The basics in order. A properly registered company, a clear cap table showing who owns what, and IP owned by the company rather than by individuals.
• SEIS or EIS status, if relevant, and whether you've applied for advance assurance.
• Answers to the obvious hard questions. Why you, why now, who else is doing this, and what happens if a big company copies you.

How to approach an investor you don't know

If there's no one to introduce you, a cold email can still work if it's short, specific and shows you've done your homework. Here's a shape that works.

One reason they're the right person, one or two numbers, one small ask. If you hear nothing, one polite follow-up a week or so later is fine. After that, move on and update them in a few months when you have news.

Red flags and investment scams

Founders are targeted by scams too. Be wary of anyone who:

• Asks for an upfront fee before they'll introduce you to investors or release funds.
• Promises guaranteed funding, or funding regardless of how your business is doing.
• Pushes you to sign quickly, or won't put terms in writing.
• Claims to be a fund or adviser but can't show a track record you can check.
• Wants personal financial details or ID documents early in the conversation.

Do your own due diligence on investors. Ask to speak to founders they've backed, including ones whose companies didn't work out. If someone says they're a regulated firm or adviser, check the FCA Firm Checker and the FCA Warning List. You can look up companies and directors on Companies House. Remember that taking money also gives someone a say in your company, so make sure it's someone you'd be happy to work with for years.

Finding the right people faster

The hard part of all of this is the list. Working out which angels back your sector, and who you know that knows them, takes weeks of digging. Linktwos is a matchmaker you text. You tell it who would help, say "an angel who has invested in UK consumer brands" or "a founder who has raised a seed round and would talk me through it", and it introduces you to one well-matched person at a time, with a short reason you should meet. Nobody can cold-message you, and people who are a good fit both ways come first. If you're also looking for someone to build with, see our guide to finding a co-founder, and for advice from people who've done it, how to find a mentor.

Common questions about finding investors in the UK

How do I find angel investors in the UK?

Start with the UK Business Angels Association member directory to shortlist angel networks and syndicates in your sector and region, then look for founders who have built and sold businesses like yours. A warm introduction from someone the angel already trusts is the best way in.

How do I find investors for a small business?

First check whether equity is right for you. Steady small businesses are often better served by a loan or grant. If you are aiming for fast growth, look at local angel networks, regional funds backed by the British Business Bank, and equity crowdfunding if you have loyal customers.

What is SEIS and EIS?

They are UK government schemes that give tax reliefs to individuals who invest in qualifying small, unquoted companies. Many angels prefer companies that qualify. You can ask HMRC for advance assurance, and you should check the current rules on gov.uk with an accountant.

How do I approach an investor I don't know?

Send a short email with one reason they are the right person, one or two numbers that show progress, and a small ask such as a 20-minute call. Follow up once after about a week, then leave it until you have real news.

How can I tell if an investor is a scam?

Be wary of upfront fees, guaranteed funding, pressure to sign quickly and requests for personal financial details. Ask to speak to founders they have backed, and check firms on the FCA Firm Checker and Warning List.