Insights

08
Jun 2015

Points for teams looking for investment

The findings of Intramezzo’s recently launched Talent Capital Report reinforced the fact that investment is intrinsically linked to the quality of a venture’s leadership team. So how can today’s entrepreneurs use this knowledge to ensure their talent strategy is well-aligned with investors’ objectives?

  1. Ensure the venture has a backable CEO

Given investors’ focus on this role specifically, make sure the CEO is highly backable. This means he or she is a good leader who can carry the rest of the team with him or her, can articulate the company’s vision succinctly and with conviction, understands the market inside out, is outward focusing and spends a lot of time with customers (potential or existing) and is open to constructive feedback.

  1. Have a talent roadmap

Work out potential skills gaps in advance of seeking investment. While investors will do their own due diligence and checks, demonstrating an awareness of the team’s current strengths and weaknesses, as well as a plan for what might be needed in future, is a good signal to investors that the management team is managing talent effectively. This process can also help identify whether some of the funding raised should go towards strengthening the team.

  1. Understand the differing objectives of investors

VC investors are seeking financial returns; CVCs, while they may provide a new and ready market for your technology as well as personnel and R&D support, do have more strategic objectives. As Paul Morris of UKTI says: “Ask yourself why a $60bn corporate would put money into a $2m investment – the financial return wouldn’t move the needle so you need to be comfortable with the strategic aims of the investor.”

Click here to read the Intramezzo Talent Capital Report in full.

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Can your leadership team help you reach the next milestone?

It is undeniable that the global tech industry is booming, with investment continuing to flow into disruptive start-ups around the world.

But, to produce a true tech giant, investment is not the only critical factor. Businesses also need world-class leaders to guide them through hyper-growth and give them every opportunity to become the tech unicorns of tomorrow.

In light of this, we have drawn upon our latest research to create an e-Book, explaining how, and why, start-ups can leverage their executive teams in order to grow their business.

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