Angel investing lessons learned with Kirsten Connell

Join Tom Britton and Jessi Baker, MBE (Founder & Chair of Provenance), as they break down the brutal choices founders must make to build a resilient, market-leading B2B SaaS company.In this episode, Jessi discusses:Strategic Flexibility: Why she made the critical decision to cut profitable consulting services to focus solely on scalable SaaS and the lessons learned from being an early blockchain pioneer on Ethereum.The VC Shift: Her perspective on why the current investment climate prioritizes profitability and proven revenue models over the "growth at all costs" mentality.The AI Moat: How Provenance is using AI to eradicate greenwashing and establish itself as the canonical, trustworthy data source for sustainability claims, a crucial layer for the future of LLMs.The Power of Diversity: The importance of building a diverse cap table and her experience with the Angel Academy network.This episode is essential listening for high net worth and sophisticated investors looking for insight into strategic scaling and market-defying pivots.Interested in backing the next generation of UK innovators? Learn more about Angel Investing and the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS)

Heating and cooling drive 40% of all energy-related CO2 emissions, yet 60% of that energy is wasted by bad insulation. Is there a better way?We got the chance to speak with Theresa Hoffmann, founder of Nanoplume, a UK startup that has developed a revolutionary bio-aerogel 3x more insulating and 60% thinner than traditional materials. The technology is so non-toxic that she famously eats it during presentations.Listen to learn how this deep-tech solution, based on NASA tech but 75% cheaper than existing aerogels, is targeting the $34 billion cold chain market before disrupting building insulation, and why it represents a massive opportunity for early-stage investors.Learn more about ⁠SEIS tax reliefs⁠.

Temperate: The startups building tech that beams heat into space and aims to disrupt the trillion-dollar cooling marketAir conditioning consumes 10% of the world's electricity, a figure set to double by 2050. Is there a better way?I got the chance to speak with Charlie, founder of Temperate, a UK startup that has developed a revolutionary cooling technology up to 20 times more efficient than standard AC. Their system uses no refrigerants and works by converting heat into light and beaming it directly into space.Listen to learn how this deep-tech solution, built with materials from a supermarket, is targeting the multi-trillion-dollar data centre and HVAC markets, and why it represents a massive opportunity for early-stage investors.Learn more about SEIS tax reliefs.

Join us for a fascinating conversation with Pam Garside, a leading angel investor in the health tech sector and the first female chair of Cambridge Angels. Pam shares her unique journey from managing NHS organisations to becoming a trusted advisor and investor, offering a rare glimpse into how a true healthcare insider evaluates early-stage startups.In this episode, Pam reveals her "prescription" for spotting winning founders, discusses the challenges of due diligence when there’s little data, and shares candid lessons from her portfolio, including both remarkable successes and tough failures. We also explore her insights on the future of the NHS, the importance of diversity in the angel community, and what keeps her motivated to keep investing.Don't miss Pam’s expert advice and her clear-eyed perspective on the art of angel investing.Like, subscribe, and find more angel insights on SyndicateRoom.

Angela Cretu spent 25 years at Avon, rising from area manager to Global CEO, where she led one of the most remarkable corporate turnarounds in recent history. Taking over in January 2020 when the company was predicted to go bankrupt, she navigated COVID-19 as a new CEO and transformed one of the world's most recognised beauty brands.After stepping down in 2024, Angela made a fascinating career transition into angel investing, focusing on supporting female founders. In this episode, we explore:How crisis leadership experience translates to evaluating founder resilienceWhat 25 years of managing network effects teach about startup claimsThe psychology of transitioning from running a 5-million-person sales network to backing 3-person startupsWhy her corporate background gives her unique insights that other angels missHer investment philosophy and approach to supporting female foundersAngela shares candid insights about the mental shifts required when moving from CEO to angel investor, reveals red flags she spots that others miss, and explains how her expertise in network-based business models helps her evaluate early-stage companies.Whether you're interested in angel investing, corporate turnarounds, or career transitions, this conversation offers valuable insights from someone who's successfully navigated both sides of the investment table.Connect with Angela Cretu on LinkedInLearn more about angel investing: www.syndicateroom.com

In this episode, we explore Jodie O'Keeffe's fascinating journey from IT contractor in 1990s Australia to becoming one of Angel Academe's most insightful investors. Starting with a chance magazine discovery in a Melbourne supermarket, Jodie shares how her unconventional career path through technology, journalism, and philanthropy unexpectedly converged into angel investing expertise. We dive into her methodical approach to learning the ropes and how she successfully transitioned from Australia's Scale Investors to London's Angel Academe network.The conversation reveals stark funding disparities: women hold 52% of wealth yet make up less than 10% of angel investors, whilst female founders receive just 2% of funding. Jodie explains Angel Academe's collective intelligence approach, where diverse expertise from IP lawyers to exited entrepreneurs creates powerful support systems. She shares her signature question for female founders—"How big do you think it can be?"—contrasting this with the risk-focused questions they typically face.Throughout the episode, Jodie emphasises finding your tribe and offers practical advice for aspiring angel investors: start by observing, leverage network expertise, and understand that angel investing is about building meaningful connections whilst driving systemic change in the startup ecosystem.As always, to learn more please visit www.syndicateroom.com

Standing at a copy machine at HSBC late one night, reviewing 50 statements of work that needed urgent attention, Kayleigh Kuptz had her lightbulb moment. "Technology should do this," she thought, "this should not be done by me." Four years later, that frustration has become Deployed—a B2B SaaS platform that's saving enterprise clients millions while transforming how corporations engage with service providers forever.Deployed is one the the increasingly successful portfolio companies of Angel Academe.If you'd like to find out more about investing alongside Angel Academe please visit SyndicateRoom.Investing in startups is risky.Don't invest unless you're prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more.

The last flight out of London carried just two passengers on that fateful March day in 2020. As Boris Johnson announced the UK's first lockdown, Mike Gammell and his co-founder Duncan were airborne, heading to Scotland with nothing but faith in their vision for alcohol-free beer. Four years later, Days Brewing has become the fastest-growing brand in the UK's no and low alcohol space, proving that sometimes the biggest risks yield the greatest rewards.On this episode we're delighted to be joined by Days co-founder, Mike Gammell. Mike takes us through the Days journey, from the idea to present, and all of the milestones along the way.Days is an Access EIS Fund portfolio company and we are delighted to be a part of their success.

How a biochemist turned management consultant became one of the UK's most experienced angel investors — and what new angels can learn from his journey.When Simon Blakey made his first angel investment in 2000, the startup ecosystem looked radically different. There was no AngelList, no Seed Legals, and certainly no standardised term sheets. Finding deals meant subscribing to the "Venture Capital Report" — a physical, green-bound publication that featured just two or three opportunities with basic due diligence notes.Fast-forward 25 years, and Blakey has completed over 100 funding rounds across 50-60 investments, ranging from robotics companies eventually acquired by GE Aviation to ticketing platforms processing over a billion in GMV. As Chair of the Investment Committee at Playfair Capital and a board member of Cambridge Angels, he's witnessed the entire evolution of early-stage investing.His journey offers invaluable lessons for today's angel investors, particularly those making the transition from successful entrepreneurship to investing.

On today's episode, we are joined by Aled Phillips, Co-Managing Director at Niche Private Clients, who helps us take an in-depth look at the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), their similarities, differences, and when they might be right for your investment strategy.It's a fascinating discussion that we hope you enjoy. Please do leave a comment or question and we'll do our best to reply.