The internet is home to many articles and reports that aim to help entrepreneurs in their quest to raise money. However, with the exception of a few valuable resources (i.e. the British Business Bank’s Finance Hub), very little is actually said about the process behind a funding round, and only a handful of articles provide an overview of all financing options in Europe.

So we decided to create a manual in which entrepreneurs could find key information in one single place, together with various case studies. In doing so, we hope that entrepreneurs find inspiration in the journeys of others, and become better equipped to map out their own paths to success.

The report is based on conversations with various investors’ networks, finance experts, and European entrepreneurs. In total, we interviewed 26 founders from 15 different European countries. Our focus? Their motivations, the fundraising process, how they found investors, the challenges they faced and how it shaped their business.

• A comprehensive and easy-to-read guide detailing the key steps involved behind bootstrapping, angel investment, venture capital funding, crowdfunding, initial coin offering (ICO), private placement, initial public offering (IPO) and corporate acquisition.
• The fundraising stories of 26 European founders, including unicorn Blablacar, Eyeo (AdBlock Plus), Facephi, MySugr, Ada Health, Cornerjob and Mynaric.
• A kickstarter to choosing a funding source and start raising money.

Next week, on this website and the Startup Europe Partnership website.

In an upcoming report, we delve deeper into entrepreneurs’ motivations to (not) seek external finance, and the reasons behind their choice of financing source. We investigate how entrepreneurs plan and execute their financing strategies for growth and highlight key areas for policy intervention to support scaleups in their growth journey. Due in June 2019.