Investment & equity — Investment that comes with real experience behind it.
Most investors bring money and a list of demands. We bring money and 20 years of building businesses, with deals shaped around what your company needs to hit its goals, not a template.
- Founder-led capital
- Decisions made in days
- Operating experience included
- South West focus, UK-wide
Sound familiar?
- You're raising for the first time and want an investor who's run a business.
- You've got revenue and need capital to reach the next stage, not just to get through this one.
- You'd rather give equity to someone working in the business than to a silent investor.
- You run an agency or product business and want a partner for the next stage.
- You're outside London and tired of hearing that's where the money is.
How we back businesses
Early-stage investment
We back companies at the point where money and experience make the biggest difference. That's usually earlier than an institution would look, and with a lot less red tape. We invest our own money, so the decision is ours and we can make it quickly.
Equity partnerships
Every deal is built around the business and where it's at, not a template we apply to everyone. A profitable agency, a pre-revenue product and an established business raising to grow faster all need different structures. Pretending otherwise mostly suits the investor.
Advisory for equity
Operating, technical and product leadership put into your business instead of cash, or alongside it. It's for founders who need the role filled more than they need money in the bank, and who'd rather give equity to someone working in the business than to a silent investor.
From first chat to working together
Send us a note
No warm intro or deck needed to get started. Just tell us what the business does, where it's at, and what the money's for.
A first conversation
A proper chat, not a pitch. It's as much about whether we'd be useful to you as whether the numbers work, and you'll get a straight answer either way.
Due diligence, kept in proportion
Enough to understand your business, and no more. We invest our own money, so we run the process: weeks, not months, and no committee to win over.
After the deal
We agree up front how we'll work together. Some founders want a monthly call, others want us in the business every week. Both are fine. What doesn't work is finding out afterwards that you each expected something different.
What the right investor changes
Without the right help
- Money with no experience behind it.
- A deal structure that suits the investor, not the business.
- Months of process before you get an answer.
- Working it out on your own once the money's in.
With Lode in your corner
- Capital and real operating experience from one partner.
- A deal shaped around what your business needs.
- A decision in weeks, not quarters.
- Someone in your corner who's built and sold a business.
Investment and equity partnerships: your questions answered
What stage do you invest at?
Anywhere from early-stage to established businesses that are ready to grow faster. We care more about the founder and the business than what the round is called. The agencies we back are usually under £2m in revenue. Elsewhere, stage matters less than whether our money and experience will make a real difference.
What do you look for?
A founder we'd want to work with for years, a business where our experience will be useful, and a clear plan for the money. We focus on four sectors: health and wellbeing, agencies, SaaS and technology. We're more interested in what the business does than how the round is packaged.
How involved do you get after investing?
As involved as you want us to be, agreed before the deal closes, not discovered afterwards. That could be a monthly call, or it could be us acting as your fractional CTO or CPO. Every business we back can call on our operating experience, whether or not it chooses to.
Can advisory replace part of the investment?
Yes. Advisory for equity puts operating, technical and product leadership into your business instead of cash, or alongside it. For some businesses that's worth a lot more than the equivalent cheque, and we're happy to build a deal around it.
Do you only invest in Cornwall and the South West?
No. We're based in Cornwall and have a particular interest in businesses across the South West, but we invest across the UK. Good businesses aren't only built within an hour of London.
Tell us what you're building.
What your business does, where it's at, and what the money's for. That's all we need to get started. We read every message ourselves and usually reply within a couple of working days.
Or email hello@lode.venturesThanks, we've got your message.
We read every message ourselves and usually reply within a couple of working days.