Unlock the potential of your startup
Apply for our Empower100 investment - readiness programme for London founders. 4 cohorts a year.
Book a call with programme lead Steven
Empowering founders to grow and thrive
Expert advice
In sales, leadership, funding, pitching, marketing and PR and more.
Demo Day
A select group of founders are invited to pitch on Demo Day.
Investment-readiness
Get ready to raise with a pitch deck and financial forecasts.
Founder Community
You’ll join a small cohort of founders on the same journey as you
Founders Supported
58
Hours of Support
2320
Total Revenues
£11m
Who is Empower100 for?
Founders based in Greater London who meet the following criteria:
Have a UK business based in Greater London
Been trading for a minimum of 18 months
Have at least 2 employees
Have a minimum turnover of £50k per annum
Be raising investment for the first time
Have a strong underlying business proposition
Programme Breakdown
Week 1: Getting ready for growth
What to expect
Join us in person for a welcome and intro to the programme, followed by sessions focusing on your growth strategy.
Take aways
Cohort networking
Build your Business Model Canvas
Week 2: Building your brand
What to expect
Understand how to build your brand from marketing expert Sara Scott. Later, dive into the importance of sustainability and your purpose with Author of Mission Lit, Richard Johnson.
Take aways
Understand your brand strategy
Carry out a brand audit of your business
Clarify your brand positioning
Week 3: Sales and marketing
What to expect
Develop your marketing strategy with this practical workshop from Sara Scott. Later, learn how to build your sales strategy with Second Voice Pro.
Take aways
Define your marketing strategy
Deep dive on your marketing channels
Map your customer journey
Define your value proposition
Discover effective sales strategies
Week 4: Leadership and culture
What to expect
Learn how to develop a company culture unique to your business and the key skills and tools to lead a team throughout growth.
Take aways
Identify the roles you need within your team
Understand the legal and financial obligations of becoming an employer
Learn the Leadership development framework
Week 5: Financial planning for growth
Get your Finance Plan raise ready with a session led by Suzie Campbell, the Friendly CFO. Understand all things legal from due diligence to termsheets.
Key takeaways
Learn how to create a solid cashflow forecast
Understand how to track financial performance
Discover your legal obligations in your fundraising journey
Week 6: Funding Landscape and Journey
Get clear on the funding landscape and your funding options. Understand how to develop investor relations.
Key takeaways:
Understand your funding options
Discover how to approach investors
Decide on your best fundraising route
Week 7 - Pitching Skills & Networking
Learn how to build your pitch deck and the skills to present it from expert pitch coaches. Also, hear what angel investors look for and how to approach them.
Key takeaways:
Understand how to build a killer pitch deck
Learn techniques to pitch virtually
Discover body language and vocal techniques to engage and influence
Still deciding? Book in a call with Steven to find out more
Book a free call to find out more about the programme and what's involved for you
Empower100 FAQs
Empower100 is an 8-week accelerator to help founders unlock the next stage of growth for their startup through a series of workshops, networking, training, peer-to-peer support and pitch events. It is designed specifically for Black, Asian and minority ethnic founders, women founders and founders with a disability.
This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus
Virgin StartUp have worked with thousands of founders to help them develop the skills, confidence, contacts and networks to grow their businesses and thrive.
Empower100 has been designed by experts to help you:
Get the necessary materials together for fundraising
Understand the funding landscape and investor expectations
Develop a strong pitch by practicing with actual investors
Learn how to find and approach potential investors
You’ll also get follow-on support after the programme not only by being added to our alumni community group, but also getting a dedicated mentor for 6 months and 6 additional months of facilitated peer mastermind sessions with your cohort to go on the fundraising journey together.
We’ve designed our accelerator specifically for women founders, Black, Asian and minority ethnic founders; and founders with a disability.
To apply, you must meet the following criteria:
Have a UK business based in Greater London
Been trading for a minimum of 18 months
Have at least 2 employees
Have a minimum turnover of £50k per annum
Have a strong underlying business proposition
We're industry-agnostic, so are looking for ambitious founders from different industries.
We review each application carefully and select a group of businesses that, we feel, are at a similar stage in their development. This allows us to ensure that the content delivered throughout the programme is relevant and targeted. It also ensures that participants get the most out of the interaction with their peers.
Places on the programme are strictly limited. Therefore we are unable to offer a place for business partners, co-founders, or friends at the workshops.
However, you are welcome to bring a business partner to attend with you to some of the 1-2-1 sessions with advisors.
The programme will be delivered in a hybrid format with two days in person in London and the rest delivered via Zoom.