Get fairer access to knowledge, network and capital

We connect underserved founders with angel advisors - improving your access to expertise and early stage funding.

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PARTNERS

Increase your access

Helping you create real connections into the ecosystem

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Knowledge

  • Exclusive members-only workshops with leading experts

  • Slack platform to collaborate with the IfWeRaise team

  • Expert guidance so you can figure out the right path for your business

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Network

  • Build relationships with experienced advisors

  • Get feedback on your progress from our advisor network

  • Meet other founders facing similar challenges to you

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Capital

  • Feel more confident in choosing the right funding for your business

  • Deck reviews, support with valuations and terms

  • Pitch practice with investors


Meet the team

We’ve helped thousands of founders launch and grow faster

hattie willis

hattie willis
co-founder

Hattie is an experienced startup coach and entrepreneurship educator. She has taught and mentored on programmes including UN SDG, Amazon Sustainability and Hatch.She’s also a former Venture Builder, with hands on experience conceiving, testing and pitching ideas for investment.Hattie is a speaker, facilitator and host of podcast Not My First Guess.

Tim Deeson

tim deeson
co-founder

Tim has more than twenty years of experience as a founder, CEO and board member for technology product and services companies including successful exits.More recently he has worked as an advisor to early stage founders.He has worked with tens of startups through the London School of Economics startup accelerator programmes.

andy ayim

andy ayim mbe
board advisor

Andy is an experienced investor and operator, and most recently founder of The Angel Investing School, with a vision to empower a new generation of diverse angel investors.His angel investing courses have been taken by over 300 people across over 50 different countries.He has invested in over 17 gap-closing startups such as Farmlend, Ava Estell and Whering.

andrea sinclair

andrea sinclair
board advisor

Andrea Sinclair is an experienced internet entrepreneur and angel investor working with a range of both commercial and social entrepreneurs.Now focused on support of start-ups, especially with female founders through the Alma Angel group, as well as in supporting social entrepreneurs, mainly through the Ashoka Support Network and the Zinc Venture Builder.In 2022 Andrea received the UKBAA Angel Investor of the Year award.

Our angel advisors

♡ Paying it forward to IfWeRaise founders ♡

Azeez Soetan

azeez soetan

Operator, Marketer,
Angel Investor,
Startup Advisor

Edwina Johnson

Edwina Johnson

Operator, Startup Advisor,
Angel Investor,

Marcus Exall

marcus exall

Serial Entrepreneur, Angel Investor and trusted advisor to founders

sam simpson

sam simpson

Entrepreneur, Angel Investor,
Board Advisor

Andy Budd

andy budd

A Design Leader turned Venture Partner and Startup Advisor

Beth Carter

beth carter

Head of Growth, Ada Ventures Angel Investor, Growth Coach

phoebe chibuzo hugh

phoebe chibuzo hugh

Founder, CEO,
Investor,
Forbes 30u30

ben rosenbaum

ben rosenbaum

Operator, Founder,
Angel Investor

katharina wodenitscharow

katharina wodenitscharow

Health Economist, Angel Investor, Online Writer at Angel Investing School

richard cummins

richard cummins

Operator, Startup Advisor, Angel Investor,
Community Builder

jia hong shaw

jia hong shaw

Climate-focused Angel Investor, Mentor, ex-Venture Capital

yang chen

yang chen

Scientist and Venture Partner specialising in Healthcare, Bioscience and Foodtech

Are you an experienced
angel, VC or operator?

Support diverse new founders, learn from other experts and broaden your network

Talent is equally distributed, opportunity is not

Leslie Cornfeld

GET STARTED NOW

The IfWeRaise Platform

Helping you move forward with confidence

NEW

Founder Resource Library

We maintain a collection of trusted resources that provide different perspectives on the choices that early stage founders face.Our Founder Resource Library is free for anyone to use, not just our members.

People sitting around a meeting table pointing at whiteboard

EVERY FORTNIGHT

Events

We host regular knowledge sharing events featuring leading industry experts.Exclusive to our members are our RoundTable sessions, an opportunity to speak directly to investors and operators across a range of topics.Check out our upcoming events

Members Only

Investor Updates

Think of our angels as your informal advisory board. Each month you provide simple 'investor updates' in a standardised format. Our angel advisors provide advice, feedback and critical analysis.

Pricing

A simple monthly package for founders

Join now

Our approach is focused is on helping you make the right fundraising choices for you and your business

Pitch deck reviews by investors

'Ask the expert' RoundTables

Members-only Slack access

No strings. Cancel anytime.

£49* == GBP==

*£24 for each additional co-founder.
Or pay what you can afford.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is IfWeRaise for?

For now, we're focusing on founders who:

  1. Self-identify as being underserved based on race, gender, sexuality, socio-economic background or disability

  2. Are working on a digital (not physical product) based startup

  3. Have at least £50k SEIS allowance remaining

Why focus on founders who the identify as underserved?

The UK's startup ecosystem has huge inequalities in access to funding.

  • 76% UK funding to all white teams (ref)

  • 68% UK funding to all male teams (ref)

  • Only 38 UK black female founders ever funded (ref)

  • 86% of angel investors are male (ref)

Are you only focused on founders looking to raise?

Absolutely not! Not every founder needs to fundraise. Not everyone dreams of IPO. And VC isn't a good fit for all businesses.Our goal is to empower founders to be confident in choosing whether angel investment, venture capital or another fundraising route is the best fit for their business.

Do I need to identify as under-represented to be an angel advisor?

Not at all, we believe that allies have an essential role in making the startup ecosystem fairer. What's very important is that you share our values and mission. We ask everyone on our platform to follow our Code of Conduct.