Are you ready to take your startup to the next level? The Startup Factory Angel Investment Competition is open for registrations, and we’re looking for the brightest ideas and boldest entrepreneurs in the UK. With £5,000 to £50,000 in funding, this is your opportunity to secure angel investment and access the tools you need to thrive. Whether you’re starting a small local business, a tech innovation, or a creative enterprise, this competition is designed to support real businesses with real potential.

Why Enter the Competition?

The Startup Factory Angel Investment Competition is more than just funding. It’s your chance to pitch your vision, refine your plans, and gain access to essential resources. Even if we don’t invest in your business, we’ll connect you with our network of Angel Investors with the Angel Investment Network  and startup partners to help you on your journey.

Here’s why this is a game-changer for UK startups:

• No Personal Guarantees Required: We’re investing based on your business potential. It is investment in your business, for a share in your business. We will only invest in the best businesses, with the best growth potential, that offer the best return ion investment. We understand the risks and will check out your business before we commit to any investment. But if you have a solid busiiness plan that demonstrates your potential for growth and you understand your market, how you will approach it and have considered risks properly, then we might invest. So make your application compelling and sell teh idea to us. It is a competition after all.  
• Inclusive Opportunities: Open to all lawful business types — from tech startups and artisans to retailers, trades, and more. We like all kinds of startups and sometimes a business with a groiund breaking innovation or a new proicess that makes it easier for it’s customers to do business with them  over their competition can do very well.  So if you are a software company with a great new app, or a traditional business with a new approach that is set to take the market by storm then we want to hear from you.  Age, race, gender, disability, philosophical belief or your sexual preferences make absolutely no difference in this competition. We just want to find the best business ideas, with the best potential for growth with the best return on investment. simple as that. 
• Tailored Support: If you need extra support to grow your business, we can help.  Our philosophy on business is very simple and comes in three simples stages. And we can help with each stage…if you need us to. Some businesses are perfectly capable and ready to go without additional support, which is fantastic. But if any help is needed, we can work with you directly or through your incubator / accelerator if you are in these schemes, to help you achieve your goals.  here’s our simple philosophy

  
  Be A Business –  Get setup correctly with a limited company, so that we can exchange our investment for shares in that company. Open a couple of business bank accounts so that company money is separated from your own money, which is a legal requirement for any business these days. Get your business online with a solid and informative website so that you can be found  by clients and suppliers. 

  Do Some Business –  Develop some products, find some customers for those products and do business with those customers. This will mean some product design, development, reselling etc. Some marketing, probably digital marketing through your website and social media and some p[ayment gateway options so that you can get paid for the products you sell. Then sell loads of them. 

  Manage Your Business – Keep your books up to date, comply with business rules and laws, file and pay your taxes at the end of the year so that you can do it all again next year. We are partnering with a bunch of the best business administrative providers who have all agreed a great discount for you so that you can manage your business easily and cheaply. The idea is simple. Spend less time managing your business and more time doing some business and your business has a better chance of success. 

• Direct Investment: If your business impresses us, we might invest directly for an equity stake of 10-25%, depending on the agreement. It’s a competition don’t forget and we want to invest in the best companies with the boldest ideas and a solid market plan that will produce a great ROI. 

Who Can Apply?

This competition is open to all UK startups that meet the following criteria:

1. Register with The Startup Factory – Registration for the Angel Investment Competition is open 
   Registration is simple and takes a couple of minutes. But it is limited to the first 500 startups, so get cracking and register as demand for Angel Investment is high. Once registered properly, we will send out application forms for submission when the competition opens on December 1st 2024. 
2. Open business bank accounts with both Tide Bank and Zempler Bank. We use these registrations to demonstrate that your business is legitimate and investable. The Banks will not authorise an account for a bad business and we don’t want to invest in a bad business. So a simple way to make sure that we could invest, before you even submit an application is to open an account using the links that we provide. They are both free and will give you a decision in a few minutes. Simple. Plus, full disclosure, when you open accounts with these banks, we receive a small fee for referring you to them them, that we use to subsidise the cost of running this competition, which makes it easier for us to invest in you. Now we refer to these banks because these are the banks that we use ourselves in our business and can honestly say that they have been good for us. If you have an account already, that’s fine. But you will still need to open a new account with each bank and activate it to qualify for the competition. If you don’t want to do that, that’s perfectly fine, but you will not be eligible for the Angel Investment Competition.

3. Also, if we are going to take a share in your business, then obviously you need to have some shares to sell. So you will need to either be a limited company already, or be prepared to set one up for us to invest in. Our friends at Tide Business Bank are authoprised by companies house to set up limited companies and can set up a limited company for you for just £14.99 instead of the £50.00 charge by companies house. You can do this when you open your account with Tide. 

4. Submit your details, business plan, and pitch deck after registration.

It’s as simple as that! Once registered, we’ll send an application form to the first 500 eligible businesses — so act fast, as we anticipate a large response.

Key Dates

• Competition Opens: December 1, 2024
• Application Deadline: Once 500 eligible businesses register or by December 24, 2024, whichever comes first.
• Winner Announced: January 1, 2025

How to Apply

Take these steps to secure your spot:

1. Visit our Angel Investment Competition page to learn more.
2. Register your details and confirm your eligibility.
3. Open business bank accounts with Tide Bank and Zempler Bank.
4. Look out for the application form, which will be sent to the first 500 registered businesses.

This is your chance to showcase your vision, explain your market potential, and pitch for investment.

What’s the Catch?

There’s no catch. This is our own money, and we’re seeking businesses with solid potential for growth and a clear plan for success. The competition isn’t about winning a prize — it’s about earning investment and building a partnership to help your business succeed.

Our decisions are final, and we reserve the right to choose not to invest if no suitable businesses meet our criteria. This is your opportunity to pitch your startup for a potential life-changing partnership.

Don’t Miss Out — Register Now!
The Startup Factory Angel Investment Competition is open for registrations now, and spaces are limited to the first 500 eligible businesses. Whether you’re a baker, a tech innovator, or a creative entrepreneur, this is your moment to turn your vision into reality.

Register today, open your business bank accounts, and get ready to pitch your idea. The future of your business starts now. Will you take the lea