Capital for Good
In partnership with Bethnal Green Ventures (BGV), we’re brining some incredible experts into Bristol to help early stage impact founders navigate their most daunting hurdle - capital. And we're delighted to be hosting it as the very first event at the re-launched Armada House courtesy of our amazing friends at Patch.
As Europe’s leading tech for good VC, BGV invests in ambitious ventures that use technology to drive measurable social and environmental change. Since their founding, they’ve supported more than 170 start-ups through their Tech for Good Programme, backed by a £33 million fund and certified as a B Corp, demonstrating both impact and integrity.
Alongside Melanie Hayes (BGV), Jem Stein (Daring Capital) and Hatty Fawcett (Focused For Business) will come together as a panel to discuss what they see in the current market and how you can learn from them.
💡 What to expect:
Registration & Welcome (4.30 – 5.00pm)
Introduction to the BGV Spring Programme (5.00 – 5.20pm):
An overview of the Tech for Good Programme offers, and what makes an application stand out ahead of their spring cohort.
Panel Discussion (5.20 – 6.15pm):
Hosted by Dhevesh, with three people who sit where founders meet capital:
Melanie Hayes, Managing Partner, Bethnal Green Ventures
Melanie has led more than 100 investment deals, learned venture at Channel 4’s innovation fund and Octopus Investments, then built her career backing tech for good at BGV. Today she sits on four portfolio boards and works hands-on with founders on the questions that make or break a raise: the business model, the growth story and the impact case.
Jem Stein, Founder, Daring Capital
Jem Stein spent a decade building a social enterprise that gave bikes to refugees, scaling it to £2.5m in revenue. Along the way, he kept meeting brilliant founders from underrepresented backgrounds who couldn’t get funded — not because their ideas were weak, but because they didn’t fit the VC mould. That frustration led him to launch Daring Capital, an impact angel syndicate that has since put over £2.5m into purpose-driven businesses, with 90%+ going to female-founded ventures.
Hatty Fawcett, Founder, Focused For Business
Hatty raised money for her own marketplace startup before managing Kelly Hoppen’s Dragons’ Den investments, so she knows what each side of the table is thinking. She built Focused For Business to make the first raise faster and fairer, especially for founders held back by gender, ethnicity or postcode. Founders on her 90 Days to Equity Investment programme have raised £42.5m. Enterprise Nation has twice named her Adviser of the Year and she was voted Community Leader at this year's SeedLegals Startup Awards.
Networking (6.15 – 7.00 pm):
Meet founders, funders and ecosystem partners over drinks.