Funding 101 - Fundraising Resources for Founders

FD Ep. 71 Penelope Hope

Written by Jason Kirby | Jan 31, 2025 2:00:00 PM

Make Your Investors Your Biggest Cheerleaders

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You Probably Need Help With Your Pitch Deck...

For most first-time founders, the idea of a pitch deck sounds easy, but I often get decks with "v43" in the filename, implying it's the 43rd iteration of a deck ๐Ÿ˜–

Don't be this founder. Collaborate with active VCs on your deck and pay a professional designer to eliminate the guesswork and make a strong first impression when you're ready to pitch investors. 

I use DECKO for my clients to ensure I'm getting the expertise we need to get a great deck turned around quickly. They're a group of active VCs who help founders with their decks, you can't go wrong. And you get 10% off with the link below.

Give them a try.

Upgrade Your Pitch Deck with Decko

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Masterclass in Pre-Selling with Penelope Hope

                                   

Take Penelope Hope, co-founder of Rebel Energy. She raised ยฃ500K in a single, oversubscribed crowdfunding campaign with 700+ investors. But it wasnโ€™t just about the cash, this was a masterstroke in building a loyal customer base before the product even launched.

It worked because crowdfunding isnโ€™t just funding; itโ€™s early-stage community building. Penelopeโ€™s campaign lets everyday folks invest as little as ยฃ10, turning them into stakeholders. Some became beta testers, others early adopters. Together, they stress-tested the product and laid the groundwork for future growth.

What you can expect:

  • 00:25 Early Days and Initial Fundraising
  • 01:39 Fundraising Strategies and Challenges
  • 05:57 Crowdfunding Success and Market Entry
  • 09:27 Growth Strategy and Operational Efficiency
  • 14:06 Profitability and Future Plans
  • 15:49 Stepping Down and Reflecting on the Journey
  • 19:09 Advice for Founders and Fundraising Tips
  • 22:06 UK Startup Ecosystem and Opportunities
  • 32:55 Networking and Access to Investors

Watch it Now

ABOUT PENELOPE HOPE

Penelope Hope co-founded Rebel Energy, a UK-based renewable energy supplier with a mission to alleviate fuel poverty. Under her leadership, the company grew from its initial $1.5 million raise to achieving over $100 million in revenue while maintaining profitability from day one. A strong advocate of operational efficiency, Penelope leveraged automation to stay competitive in the fragmented UK energy market.

Penelope has a background as an equity analyst and a deep commitment to social and environmental missions. After stepping back from Rebel Energy, she continues to inspire founders by sharing her experiences and advocating for founder-led innovation.

Connect with Penelope:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Free Fundraising Resources

๐Ÿ˜ - Free list of AI Recommended VCs - Apply for free

๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ’ป - Free fundraising coaching session - Schedule 15 minutes with us

๐Ÿ“ - Playbook for Negotiating Term Sheets - Download it Here

๐Ÿ’ฝ - Playbook for Setting Up and Sharing Your Data Room - Download it Here

โœ‰๏ธ - Playbook for Sending Investing Updates - Download it Here

๐Ÿ“ž - Guide to nailing your first calls with investors - Download it here


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Premium Resources

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ - Book a one-hour private capital strategy call - Book Now

๐Ÿ’ซ - Pitch deck design services for founders by VCs - Decko

๐Ÿ’ผ - Startup Legal Services - Bowery Legal

๐Ÿ“š - Startup Friendly Accounting Services - Chelsea Capital

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Upgrade to Thunder Premium to Unlock:

  • Access to VC firms' team tabs to see active partners of the fund & their LinkedIn
  • Navigate a VC's portfolio to see relevant portcos or competitors, quickly find their founders on LinkedIn to connect with them, and request warm intros 
    A downloadable CSV with the investor emails & LinkedIn URLs
  • Ability to filter your matches and adjust your profile
  • LiteCRM to track your progress
  • Request intros to VCs directly through the platform
  • Get our fundraising guide on how to increase your odds of getting a meeting
  • Upgrade to lifetime access (one-time fee of $497) and get a free coaching session

Upgrade Now

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Let's Connect:

  • Hosted by Jason Kirby - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrkirby/
  • Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for market and industry news and tips when it comes to raising capital and growing your business - https://join.thunder.vc
  • Seeking to raise capital? Get your list of target VCs by creating a free profile here - https://web.thunder.vc
  • Looking to raise debt? Explore tailored debt options for free by completing a profile at https://debt.thunder.vc
  • Thank you for being a loyal subscriber to Fundraising Demystified. We appreciate your support, and we're excited to continue bringing you more inspiring stories from successful founders.