Investment-ready: getting your company legally ready to raise
A practical legal workshop for founders preparing for pre-seed and seed investment.
Investors look beyond your product, traction and financials. Before committing capital, they want to know that your company is legally sound, properly structured and ready for investment.
Join us to get investor-ready with practical legal insights from Mackrell Solicitors' corporate and commercial team.
Whether you're actively fundraising or planning your first raise, you'll leave with a clearer understanding of what needs to be in place, what investors are likely to scrutinise, and how to avoid common legal roadblocks that can delay or derail a deal.
What we'll cover:
Getting your house in order: company records, your cap table, share issues and founder arrangements.
Owning your IP: making sure the company, not individual founders or contractors, owns what you've built.
The term sheet: valuation, investor protections, board seats, vesting and leaver provisions, and which points are worth negotiating.
Due diligence: what investors will ask for and how to prepare a data room.
Commercial readiness: customer and supplier contracts, software licensing and open-source use, and handling personal data, plus the issues that most often hold up a deal.
• After the round: what changes once investors are on board, including the shareholders' agreement and articles.
There'll be time for questions at the end. The session covers UK companies and English law, and it's general information rather than legal advice. We won't be covering SEIS/EIS or tax.
Meet the speakers
Jai Nathwani – Corporate Solicitor, Mackrell Solicitors
Jai advises founders and early-stage investors on venture capital transactions, funding rounds, term sheets, shareholders' agreements, corporate governance and exits. He has worked on a significant number of venture deals with London-based investors.
Harry Lancaster – Commercial Solicitor, Mackrell Solicitors
Harry is part of Mackrell's commercial team, advising businesses on commercial contracts, data protection and the legal considerations involved in running and scaling a company.
Who should attend?
This session is designed for:
Startups/Founders preparing to raise pre-seed or seed investment
Entrepreneurs who want to understand investor legal due diligence
Founders looking to strengthen their company's legal foundations before fundraising
About the Organiser
SIA (formerly startup investor accelerator) UK is a dual-track program for startups and investors.
Startup Express Interest here
Investors Express Interest here
Startups: Opportunity to be considered for $100K–$200K investment rounds.
Investors: Gain practical angel investing experience by evaluating real startups and making investment decisions alongside a cohort.
Stay Connected
Keep up to date with upcoming workshops, funding rounds, and investor programs by visiting our website and following us on LinkedIn.