May 16, 2022
DSW Ventures leads £1.0m funding for drug formulation company that makes the unmanufacturable manufacturable A company which has developed a novel dry powder coating technology that opens up new possibilities in pharmaceutical manufacturing has completed a £1.0m... 
May 9, 2022
“We haven’t got any sales. Why should I waste my money on a finance director?” There’s a pre-conception common among founders that a finance director just counts the monies. No revenues equals no monies. Combined, that equals no need for a finance director. But – and... 
Mar 9, 2022
Focusing on a good monthly board pack is a task that can be easily pushed down the priority list, but it’s a key part of making sure a board operates effectively as a business looks to grow and scale. A strong pack both helps founders get as much value out of their... 
Jan 18, 2022
DSW Ventures, the venture capital business which is part of the Dow Schofield Watts network, has opened a new office in Manchester to consolidate its presence as one of the UK’s leading regional VCs. The firm has taken space in the city’s historic Bonded Warehouse... 
Jan 11, 2022
“How a night in a five star hotel room cost me my company” Well, I guess there are lots of stories that could flow from a headline like that. Most would be a lot more interesting than the post below. So I’ll keep it short. The point is that founders can get themselves... 
Jan 10, 2022
“Thou shalt not compete with SaaSco” So sayeth the venture investor. Not quite the 11th commandment, but a fair position for venture investors to take. So what does compete look like, and how in practice are these clauses drafted in the director’s service... 
Dec 30, 2021
The eternal triangle: company – founder – investor A misleadingly intriguing subtitle for an article on enforceability of director’s service contracts, you might say: simple click-bait. And you would be right. Still, it’s something that investors in particular do need... 
Dec 6, 2021
The things that founders get up to when you’re not looking This series has so far focussed on getting clarity in setting remuneration levels for founders. But remuneration for what? The undivided attention of the founder team of course, say the investors. Well, maybe,... 
Dec 6, 2021
Bonuses – and how to fall out with your backers In this second part of a series about director’s service contract terms, we’re going to look at bonuses. They might be a major component of senior management remuneration in the wider world, but can create... 
Dec 6, 2021
Directors’ service contracts – why they matter to investors When an investor first writes their cheque, their thinking is usually not so much that they’re backing the Company but instead that they are backing management. The problem is that their only direct... 