Future funders forum
AKA HBA f4
Future Funders’ Forum
As a key part of its diversity journey, Henley Business Angels seeks to launch the “Future Funders’ Forum”, aka “HBA f4“, an academy for new investors entering business angel investing, designed to increase the representation of women in venture capital.
Any sophisticated or high net worth investor considering becoming a business angel is welcome to join HBA f4, with places on the programme prioritised for women and underrepresented communities.
In the UK, less than 18% of angel investors are currently women, and less than 2% of business angel investments go into all-female-founded companies. Henley Business Angels are proud that 28% of investments made by its members have been in female founders, and we are signatories of the Investing in Women Code, formalising our commitment to improving access to funding for female entrepreneurs within our network and across the angel investing system.
As part of this positive drive, Henley Business Angels is launching HBA f4 with the aim of increasing the number of women in its membership, ensuring equality in representation and greater opportunities for both funders and founders.
HBA f4 is a six-month academy programme for new investors considering becoming business angels and investing in early-stage businesses. The world of angel investing can seem opaque and inaccessible, but by creating a vibrant and valuable network, with the support and resources to help demystify it, we hope to level the playing field, encouraging a more diverse community to confidently explore investing in startups. We hope that those female investors who join HBA through HBA f4 will engage with the ‘Women Backing Women’ campaign promoted by the UKBAA.
By joining HBA f4, you will:
Learn
Gain useful insights from established business angel investors, as they share their investing journey, their approach to due diligence and their strategies and processes for investing in start-ups, explaining what it’s really like to be a business angel investor. You will be matched with a member of Henley Business Angels who can direct you to informative resources and help answer any questions you have. They will also serve as a ‘guide’ to help you to navigate the pitch decks and financial models shared by startups in advance of the HBA Company Presentations Events.
Network
Meet active investors and future angels in the Thames Valley region and beyond, to share best–practice, build lasting connections and get started on your investment journey together.
Experience
Attend two of the quarterly Company Presentations Events hosted by Henley Business Angels for educational purposes at the Henley-on-Thames Greenlands campus and the Reading Whiteknights campus locations, where you can gain valuable experience in the process. You will also attend an Investment Readiness Workshop delivered by Henley Business Angels to entrepreneurs, which explains a number of fundamental considerations for start-ups seeking business angel investment. Should you choose, you may also join the HBA Selection Panel which shortlists companies for the pitching events from the 20+ applications received every quarter.
FAQs
Approximately five hours per month. This includes individual research/preparation time, four ‘guide’ check-in sessions, two Company Presentation Events and a full-day Investment Readiness Workshop.
No. HBA f4 is focused on helping you to gain insight and knowledge on investing in startups through real investment deals, but it does not require you to make any of your own investments. If, however, you decide to in the future you can receive investment pitch decks providing you self-certify as a high net worth individual.
No. In fact, the main objective of HBA f4 is to introduce new investors to business angel investment and help them gain understanding, so it is suited to those who don’t have any prior experience of angel investing but are curious to learn.
Yes, you will need to self-certify as a high net worth individual (HNWI), which then qualifies you to receive investment pitch decks. Self-certification involves signing a form that states that, throughout the last financial year, you had either an annual income to the value of £100,000 or more, or net assets to the value of £250,000 or more, not including pension or primary residence.
Information about angel investing including resources, reports and news can be found on the UKBAA website.
Signing up is easy; simply fill in our form on this page and one of our team will reach out to discuss enrolment.
HBA F4 Information
The cost to participate in this programme is £495, which includes access to our Investment Readiness Workshop (usually £500), an allocated member ‘guide’ and supporting, informative resources. Should you wish to subsequently join Henley Business Angels on completion of f4, your first year’s membership of Henley Business Angels will cost £300, which includes a year’s membership of the UKBAA (usually £195 including VAT).
Programme cohorts will run twice per year.
If you would like to join our next cohort, send us an expression of interest via the below form.
