Ready or Not: How to prepare for a fundraise or exit in Technology, Cyber and Defence scale-ups
There’s a thriving local scale-up ecosystem, in particular in Cyber and Defence. As founders achieve traction and progress well past the start-up phase, many are heading towards a material fundraise or, eventually, an exit. Few are ready for either.
Our expert panel includes Dave Clark from InfiniteCFO, Alastair Boorman from Momentum Corporate Finance and Tom Gastrell from Wiggin LLP, with Chris Dunning-Walton, founder of CyNam, moderating the discussion. Together they'll unpack what transaction readiness actually looks like, grounded in real deals rather than theory, and in particular what’s different about the crucial sectors of Cyber and Defence.
This session is for founders and finance leaders thinking about a fundraise or sale, and for anyone who wants to understand how drawing on the local ecosystem of specialists can help them navigate that complexity and secure the best deal possible for their business.
Agenda
4:00pm - 4:30pm - Registration & Networking
4:30pm - 5:15pm - Panel Talk
5:15pm - 6:45pm - Drinks & Networking
Meet the speakers
Dave Clark - InfiniteCFO
Dave is a CIMA-qualified CFO with over 20 years’ experience, supporting high-growth tech and cyber businesses with fundraising, transactions and building finance functions that scale. A long-standing member of the Cheltenham and Gloucestershire cyber & tech community, he helps founders get their numbers investor-ready well before a deal arrives.
Tom Gastrell - Wiggin LLP
Tom is a Corporate Partner at Wiggin, specialising in domestic and cross-border M&A and venture capital transactions for technology-driven businesses. He advises companies and investors from early stage through to exit, with recent work spanning cyber, counter-disinformation and drone infrastructure.
Alastair Boorman - Momentum Corporate Finance
Alastair is a Partner at Momentum Corporate Finance with over 25 years’ lead advisory experience and a market-leading track record in national security and defence technology transactions. He works with SMEs preparing for exit or investment, combining a deep understanding of value drivers with extensive knowledge of strategic acquirers and private equity investors.
Moderated by Chris Dunning-Walton - CyNam
Founder of CyNam and a successfully exited business owner, Chris has advised multiple companies through the sales process and facilitated B2B introductions across Angel, VC and Private Equity. He is now building a new cybersecurity business, The CISO Network.