Investor Readiness is a Journey
By Sawa Nakagawa, Founder, ThreeArrows Impact Partner
Many entrepreneurs say fundraising is one of the key challenges for growing their
businesses and delivering more impact. But many struggle to understand what it actually
entails. Some entrepreneurs think that money will solve all problems when the issue is more
about the business fundamentals.
What we also see in the market is a gap between what the investors are looking for, and what the entrepreneurs are looking for. Investors often say there is not sufficient “bankable deals” i.e. the businesses they see are not ready for investment. Entrepreneurs say there is not enough funding! How do we bridge this gap?
Being investor ready for entrepreneurs is a journey. It requires preparation across many layers – from being emotionally ready for a long and often stressful fundraising process, understanding what kind of funding is suitable for your business needs, to making sure you have taken care of the compliance, tax, and accounts before engaging with prospective investors.
We recognised this challenge faced by entrepreneurs. Last year, we launched the Investor Readiness Programme through the Shared Value Africa Academy in partnership with ThreeArrows Impact Partner, to support purpose-driven entrepreneurs on the African continent. We offered two introductory investor readiness workshops, which were attended by 174 participants.
The introductory session gives a comprehensive overview of what it means to be investor ready, and gives entrepreneurs a tool to answer what we consider to be the most important question before embarking on a fundraising journey: “Do I need funding?” The workshop is highly interactive, creating an engaging environment for the participants to learn.
We are excited to expand our course offering this year in response to the growing demand from the entrepreneurs. In May, we are launching an advanced course for those who have already taken the introductory course and want to learn more about the next steps in the investor readiness journey. The new advanced course goes into more detail about evaluating your business & its ‘investability.’ Participants will also have an opportunity to hear from a panel of investors during this course.
- Introduction to Investor Readiness: Thursday, 31 March 2022 from 11:00-13:00 SAST
- Investor Readiness Class: Thursday, 5May 2022 from 11:00-13:00 SAST
If you are interested in learning how to become investor ready, please sign up through the link. Looking forward to seeing many of you!