Investor-in-Residence

The Investor-in-Residence role is a senior, credibility-anchoring position designed to improve founder investment outcomes, strengthen Foundervine’s investment lens, and enhance our reputation with the investor ecosystem. The role focuses on quality, judgement, and capability-building rather than volume or transactional activity.

1. Founder Investment Readiness & Capital Access

Direct impact on founder outcomes

• Provide 1:1 and group support to help founders develop clear, realistic fundraising strategies, including timing, investor targeting, and capital planning.
• Support founders at final stages of fundraising readiness, including pitch narrative, financial storytelling, and use of funds.
• Contribute to defining and applying a clear “investment-ready” standard for Foundervine founders.
• Support and coach founders on managing investor processes, interpreting feedback, and making informed fundraising decisions.
• Advise founders on non-dilutive and alternative funding options, including grants, revenue-based finance, and venture debt, where appropriate.
• Make selective, high-quality investor introductions on a discretionary basis, where there is strong conviction and clear investor–founder fit.

Indicative areas of impact may include:

• Percentage of cohort assessed as investment-ready by programme end.
• Percentage of founders who raise funding within 6–12 months post-programme.
• Improved quality and consistency of founder pitches and investor processes.

2. Investor Ecosystem & Dealflow Development

Strengthening Foundervine’s investor credibility

• Contribute insight and advice to the Investor Office and Start-ups Office on:
  • Venture scouting and selection criteria.
  • Investor expectations at different stages.
  • What constitutes high-quality, investable dealflow.
• Support the development and maintenance of relationships with existing and new investors.
• Advise on how Foundervine positions itself as a credible, curated source of dealflow.
• Provide pattern recognition on what leads to successful raises and feed this learning back into programme design and delivery.

3. Programme Design, Selection & Brand Credibility

Embedding investment thinking into the system

• Input into curriculum design where investment outcomes are a goal.
• Contribute to cohort selection criteria and processes, particularly in the early stages of programmes, to ensure quality on the way in where sponsor constraints allow.
• Participate in relevant events such as pitch judging, panels, mentoring, and investor-facing activity to reinforce Foundervine’s credibility.
• Support marketing and business development activity by strengthening Foundervine’s reputation with investors.

Role boundaries and ways of working

• The role is not intended to function as an ongoing deal broker or personal investor pipeline.
• Investor introductions are selective and discretionary, not a guaranteed output.
• The role operates at a strategic and advisory level and does not take on delivery ownership of programmes.
• Clear alignment and coordination with the Investor Office and Start-ups Office to avoid duplication and ensure complementarity.
• Time commitment is capped at up to the equivalent of one day per week, with flexibility in how that time is deployed.

The role is advisory in nature and does not carry delivery ownership or employment status.