Are you a high-growth business based in the UK with international ambitions? Silicon Valley Comes to the UK (SVC2UK), run out of London & Partners, has helped nearly 800 scaleups meet their ambitions through the Scale Up Club. Alumni businesses include Graze, Olio, and Bloom & Wild. And now, they are accepting applications from the UK tech businesses that will be tomorrow’s game-changers. Here are five absolute reasons why you should apply.
You’ll benefit from meeting experienced entrepreneurs and an extensive peer network
Scale Up Club members get to meet and network with mentors and experts from the US and UK and build an extensive peer network. Connections are becoming increasingly global, which can unlock opportunities across the world.
Rahel Tesfai, founder of FroHub, a Scale Up Club alumnus, said it “opened up connections to people I would never usually have met, it stretches from Silicon Valley to London, and everywhere in between.”
Members will be invited to the CEO Summit in November, and then to the mini-CEO Summit the following May, as well as plenty of opportunities to make connections, and access development and support throughout the year-long membership.
The support is tailored
Every member will get support from specially selected experts and advisors who are specifically chosen as a match for the scaleup, its size and ambitions. The network includes not just Scale Up Club alumni, but also founders and CEOs from a range of UK and US businesses and thought leaders who can support members on their journey to scale up their business.
Each year, businesses that are growing fast and with purpose are selected to join the Scale Up Club. The aim is simple, to help those businesses on their journey, to expand globally, make waves and disrupt their sector.
They are looking for diverse applications
On average, over one-third of each Scale Up Club cohort has been made up of companies with female founders and CEOs. Not only are SVC2UK seeking to improve that statistic with every new cohort, but they also want to attract an even more diverse cohort for 2021. They are especially keen to see applicants from across the UK, not just London, who represent every aspect of Britain’s diversity, including gender, race, and age.
Janet Coyle, London & Partners’ MD Business Growth, explains, “we work with networks and communities to reach a diverse range of entrepreneurs, and are passionate about supporting founders from under-represented backgrounds.” Alongside the Scale Up Club, SVC2UK also run Beyond HERizons, a programme that supports female founders on their journey to secure investment.
A proven track record
Scale Up Club boasts an impressive list of alumni from all sectors who have benefited from the programme and scaled their businesses, thanks to the support and connections they received through their membership. Alumni include personalised fashion retailer, Thread, travel company SkyScanner and multi-currency transfer specialists Wise.
The current cohort includes businesses that are already on their way to changing the world, like social enterprises Beam, which helps homeless people become job-ready, and MeeTwo, a peer-led mental health support platform for young people. Others are changing the way we travel, like scooter sharing operators Tier and Voi. And those that are operating in more traditional fintech sectors, like FilmChain and EverLedger, which both use blockchain to innovate traditional finance and supply chain functions.
It’s free
Scale Up Club membership is free. SVC2UK, run out of London & Partners, exists to help UK businesses thrive, and Scale Up Club is just one of the programmes they offer to help give British businesses the support they need to become world-class businesses.
Free does not, however, mean compromising on quality. Margaret McCabe, the founder of DebateMate, found this out when she was a member: “When DebateMate joined the Scale Up Club, I had no idea how many doors it would open for us. For a free programme, the level of experience and guidance you receive is just fantastic.”
How to apply
As might be expected, applicants need to meet some challenging criteria. UK businesses that are looking to expand internationally, can demonstrate 20% year-on-year growth and have at least £1 million in revenue or equivalent funding and 10 employees, can apply.
The application form and more information about the application process can be found on SVC2UK’s website. “We want to celebrate and build on the enormous amount of tech and business talent here by bringing together high-growth, disruptive scale-ups from across the UK,” says Coyle. If you want to be one of them, applications close on 10 September.
This content was brought to you by SVC2UK.
SVC2UK’s Scale Up Club is supported by Mastercard, HSBC UK, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Shoosmiths and FieldHouse Associates.
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