PRIME START MERCIA PODCAST скачать в хорошем качестве

PRIME START MERCIA PODCAST

Stephen Johnson (Fund Principal at Mercia Ventures) breaks down what investors are actually looking for at Series A — and what founders get wrong.In this episode, we discuss: • Why Series A is the most pivotal funding stage • The investor lens on team, product and market • What ‘outsized returns’ really mean inside a VC portfolio • Building a credible future: the ‘what has to be true’ framework 🎧 Chapters 00:00 Introduction – Is UK capital still flowing for founders? 01:09 Meet Stephen Johnson – Mercia's 4 investment pillars explained 02:26 Has the UK fundraising environment changed? Stephen's honest take 04:10 AI as the new investment frontier – and what it means for tech businesses 07:40 Deep tech investing – why resilience matters more than vision 15:22 The real challenge of commercialising technology at scale 16:32 What investors actually look for when two founders look equal on paper 18:50 "It's all about the people" – why this is the #1 rule in venture 20:23 Do founders make good CEOs? The honest answer 22:35 How to build genuine investor relationships before you need the money 26:50 The one-page strategic plan every founder should have 28:00 Managing underperformance – the "cuddle and kick" approach 30:16 How to get the most out of your board 38:06 Quick-fire round – straight answers from a VC 41:05 Stephen's final advice for founders building hard businesses in 2026 CONNECT: Subscribe for new episodes Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/episode/0OB0... Suleman’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sulemansa... Stephen’s LinkedIn:   / stephenjohnson88   PrimeStart:   / primestart   primestart.capital#venturecapital #UKbusiness #healthcare #investment #founders #podcast