WELCOME TO THE world-leading FORTUNIS GLOBAL ACCELERATOR
Are you a Founder with an early-stage product or idea that’s getting ready for investment? Apply here to join our exclusive 6-month Accelerator Programme.
Purpose and Aim
The exclusive Fortunis Global Accelerator Programme exists to assist Founders in getting their start-ups up to speed and ready for investment and onwards to market-entry.
Our aim is to achieve this through the tailored application of our unrivalled expertise, experience and networks over a 6-month period, leveraging our proprietary management system to deliver a bespoke programme unique to each Founder.
Why choose Fortunis?
The leading Fortunis Global Accelerator Programme offers a world-class growth accelerator programme, providing unrivalled benefits to UK and international start-ups. Whilst admission to the Accelerator is highly selective, successful applicants can enjoy unique access, insights, assistance and exceptional networking opportunities not openly available to other start-ups currently in the market.
Our Approach
AS A MULTI-STRATEGY FIRM AND A LEADING UK IMPACT INVESTOR
Fortunis is passionate about developing disruptive technologies and innovators whose ideas positively and measurably impact both current and future societal problems and have the potential to become global solutions.
But all ideas start small and grow: this is where Fortunis excels. Focused on materially supporting and contributing to Global Britain, we attract, develop and support the very best technology solutions here in the UK, whether the start-up originates from the UK itself or indeed from anywhere else around the globe.
Here in Fortunis we have a great team of highly experienced professionals who specialise in identifying the very best and most promising tech and science-based concepts and then accelerating them to navigate successfully through the early, and highest-risk, stages of their lives.
WHAT THE FORTUNIS GLOBAL ACCELERATOR CAN DO FOR YOU AND YOUR INNOVATION:
If your application is successful, you will be invited to enter our exclusive Accelerator: you will be matched with one of our expert Investment Directors who will develop and implement a tailored and progressive support package suitable to address all your current and projected business needs and more. It will include regular progress meetings, as well as support with financial assistance (potentially in the form of investment) or advice on how to set up your company here in the UK. We can also help with your UK visa application if you need it; with your legal advice; and much, much more (please see the Programme Workstreams for more details).
Uniquely, we can introduce you to leading industry game-changers and give you extremely privileged access to some of our networks: exclusive networks that are precious to us and potentially very valuable to you. Put simply, these networks could prove critical in unlocking the full potential and scalability of your innovation.
Programme Workstreams
Advice and Support: growing your business
Fortunis Accelerator start-ups will enjoy access to a dedicated Fortunis Investment Director. This director has significant experience in building and scaling new businesses and will provide that vital early-stage consultation every new start-up needs. Regular meetings (at least one hour per month) will be established, along with the provision of ad hoc or emergency support as and when required.
Fundraising: the road to investment
Whilst our start-ups often join our Accelerator with some of their own funds, they will usually require further investment early on and, if the acceleration is successful, they will invariably seek assistance in positioning themselves well for subsequent investment. Fortunis can help get you in front of the right investors and may, in some cases, even invest themselves.
Cost-control: watching the pennies
Early stage Accelerator start-ups will need to keep a close eye on their costs and outgoings, to ensure they develop and grow within their means and avoid the trap of over-spending. The Fortunis Global Accelerator will provide rigour and impose cost control measures to minimise the risk of this happening.
Legal support: getting the detail right
Our start-ups will invariably require legal assistance: contracts will need drafting; registration with Companies House and so on. Our start-ups will benefit from our law firm partnerships and relationships.
PR, Communications and Marketing: showing you in the best light
We will get our start-ups on their way with their PR journeys. We will help with effective content-writing; attention-grabbing graphics; practical web design and news items.
People: building the right team to deliver
Where we see the requirement, we can assist in identifying and placing key people to join, assist or partner with our start-ups to ensure they have the right people in place to deliver against their targets.
Visas: building your brand in the UK
Many of our start-ups will be seeking the opportunity to develop their ideas here in the UK. As foreign nationals, they will need to go through the UK visa application process. As a Home Office official Endorsing Body, we are extremely well-placed to facilitate visa applications and we have a 100% success rate to date.
Location, location, location: getting you settled
We are happy to work with our start-ups and signpost them to our partners who specialise in locating new companies in suitable locations where they can develop their businesses. This may include living accommodation, laboratory access, and other specialist facilities as required.
Networks: it is all about who you know
This is perhaps the key area of support where we make a real difference to our start-ups. The Fortunis team have some unique and extremely valuable access to exclusive networks who will be pivotal in the development of early stage innovation. These networks include representation from the UK Government, professionals and business, investors, universities, and the military.
Commercials
Fortunis can provide financial flexibility when it comes to the commercial aspect of the Accelerator: we believe both parties must believe in the arrangement and collaborate to succeed.
So whilst there may be certain variations, the standard arrangement is as follows:
Duration: 6 months (potentially up to 12 months, on a case-by-case basis)
Management fees: £5,000 per month (may be loaned for the duration, ie £30,000).
Initial investment provision: up to £20,000 for 6-8% equity, dependent upon the start-up’s current valuation.
Existing creditors: Fortunis will look to clear this if the amounts owed are not too high. This is managed on a case-by-case basis.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The Fortunis Global Accelerator acts in the best interests of the selected start-up, supporting and growing it in order to get the start-up ready for investment.
It achieves this through intimate and regular support and advice; assistance with the essentials such as legal and PR support; and – importantly – connection with our extensive and unique international network.
The 6-month Accelerator Programme will be bespoke, tailored to each individual start-up and designed to match development effort to identified and agreed business objectives.
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If you are the Founder of a start-up that has a product or service that is on the cusp of entering the market and has some early traction, and is at the pre-seed or seed stage of funding, then the answer is now.
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We believe so – absolutely. It is our mission in the Fortunis Global Accelerator to help your start-up succeed. But don’t just take our word for it – please get in touch and we’ll introduce you to some of our other Founders and you can hear it directly from them.
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Fortunis is focused on science, technology and innovation, with particular interest in life-sciences and biotechs. Importantly, we like to help start-ups who have ‘Impact’ at their heart – solving real societal problems with globally-scalable solutions.
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As outlined, Fortunis will help you put in place all the elements that a new start-up needs to get to the investment stage without delay.
Importantly, Fortunis will help you navigate around the frequent mistakes start-ups make in the early stages, thereby avoiding inefficiencies and inertia.
The relationship is one of coaching and advising, preventing the start-up becoming dependent upon Fortunis. This independence and the principles we will develop together will get the start-up ready for investment and beyond.
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Fortunis will develop a 6-month bespoke Acceleration Programme for you and your start-up. And, subject to negotiation, Fortunis will potentially cover any existing debts; advance up to the total management fee of £30,000; and provide an initial investment of up to £20,000 for 6-8% equity, dependent upon the start-up’s current valuation.
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In short – no. All collaboration and partnership will be tightly governed through clear and agreed contractual agreements between you and any third party. Fortunis will guide you on this.
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We believe that typically a 6-month acceleration period is required to project a new start-up with initial market traction to being ready for investment and the subsequent scaling-up. In some cases this may be reduced but it is unlikely to be extended beyond the 6-month mark.
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As a minimum, the Fortunis Accelerator will assist, coach and advise you in your Acceleration Programme: this will include help in building those key relationships with key investors. But given that over time, and across all parties, people, strategies and business objectives can all change, we are unable to offer any guarantee of investment success.
