Crowdfunding Expert: Enter The Arena

Can you tell us more about Enter The Arena?

As a serial entrepreneur and having raised over £2m in equity fundraising myself from angels, through crowdfunding and via VCs, I knew just how tough it was to raise equity finance, particularly as a female founder. The sad truth is that still, only 2.7% of venture funding goes to women entrepreneurs. So in 2016, I set up Enter The Arena to provide women entrepreneurs with the strategy, skills and support they need to be successful at securing investment. We uniquely offer specialist coaching, training, advice and support in a way that resonates with women. It’s all about demystifying the fundraising process, encouraging and inspiring female founders to embrace their ambition, secure the funding they need, and grow their businesses in the right way.

What services does Enter The Arena offer?

Enter The Arena provides one-to-one coaching and group workshops for female founders who are looking to raise investment. We also have a podcast Fundraising Stories with Women Entrepreneurs sharing the inspiring stories of female founders who’ve been successful at securing finance.

What types of businesses do you work with?

We work with female founders who are building and scaling high-growth potential businesses, across all sectors. Typically they are raising £150k to £1m+ on their first external funding round.

Can you give an example of a campaign you have supported?

Recently, we worked with Sarah Merrick, Founder and CEO of Ripple – the clean energy ownership platform. Working with Sarah, we helped to develop her investment proposal, pitch, and investment strategy – enabling them to raise £860k on Seedrs.