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Financing and Growth Strategies for Cyprus Start-ups

Navigator Consulting provided a one-day training session and follow-on coaching services for selected start-ups within the framework of a wider project managed by the Research Foundation of Cyprus and the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Navigator Consulting provided a one-day training session and follow-on coaching services for selected start-ups within the framework of a wider project managed by the Research Foundation of Cyprus and the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

The objective of the training was to understand common industry practice for (a) attracting external financing of start-ups and (b) modelling and preparing for growth. These two issues are closely related, as investors want to understand how a start-up will evolve and what chances of success exist for a return on investment.

The training curriculum included the following subjects:

1. Financing Options and Methods for Start-ups and Scale-ups

- Understanding the growth cycle: pre-launch; pre-revenue; growth

- Review of different investor types: FFF; angels; VC; PE; banks; EU funding; IPOs

- Investment criteria and expectations by investor type

 

2. Business Modelling and Financial Planning

- Developing a dynamic financial and operating model

- Assumptions; Workings; Profit/Loss; Capital Expenditure; Valuation Models

- Sales and revenue modelling; sales funnel optimization; non-revenue growth

- Expenditure modelling

- Capital expenditure and use of funds by start-ups

- Profit/loss model

- Key financial indicators, including NPV, IRR, start-up valuation

- Key operating indicators, including cash burn rate, runway, customer acquisition costs, active users, churn, etc.

 

3. Pitching and Term Sheets

- Know what to ask for: Use of funds; Fund release and disbursement mechanisms

- Preparing for and implementing investor due diligence

- Structuring a term sheet: common investors requests and terms

- Pre- and post-money valuation

- Dealing with equity dilution in the first and subsequent funding rounds

- Structuring a board of directors and start-up governance post-investment

 

4. Achieving Product Market Fit

- Development and launch cycles

- Customer feedback: UX / UI / CEM

- Service delivery and fulfilment issues

- Achieving customer share, customer engagement, segment/market share

- Pricing models and methods

 

5. Scaling up and Growth

- Selling methods and contracting, focusing on B2B and B2C

- Growth hacking and online growth methods

- Users and user management

- Revenue and conversion models

- Sales funnel optimisation

- Marketing, Selling & Public Relations

- Scaling up: Engineering, Orga, Customer Service, Contracting, Staffing

 

The training session was attended by 13 start-ups in Cyprus spanning a range of industries and sectors. The training was co-organised by the Research Promotion Foundation of Cyprus, the Enterprise Europe Network and the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

For further information on start-up support, please contact us.

Client:
Research Promotion Foundation

Date of Engagement:
October 2018

Countries of Operation:
Cyprus

Business Function:
Business Incubation

Business Sector:

Start-ups
 

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