Boot.Academy – Expert Support For Start-ups And Tier 1 Entrepreneur Investors

There has never been a better time in history to launch or invest in a tech start-up. The culture of work has undergone a dramatic shift in the last ten years. Sparked off by the 2008 financial crisis, many people are rejecting the traditional ‘safe’ path of spending eight hours a day trapped in a cubicle, and instead choosing to launch their own venture, giving them not only control over their lives but also their earning potential. In addition, these dynamic innovators are creating sustainable jobs, and providing a service which benefits the wider community.

Boot.Academy is a start-up incubator which allows those who are at the beginning of launching their venture, or who have a minimum viable product (MVP), to access the connections, knowledge, experience, and facilities they need to turn their idea into a scalable business and attract venture capitalists to provide investment.

Boot.Academy is partnering with OTS Solicitors to help Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa applicants launch their tech start-up in the UK or find a suitable company in which to invest their £200,000 capital and join as a director, putting them on the path to settlement and eventual British Citizenship.

How Boot.Academy works

As an incubator for talent, Boot.Academy provides the following services to all start-ups and Tier 1 entrepreneur applicants:

• Mentoring and guidance from experienced mentors who understand the tech industry and have additional contacts who can assist you
• Access to global mentors
• Consultancy and advisory services for businesses in the post-start-up phase and are ready to scale
• Consultancy and strategic advice on bootstrapping your venture
• Advice on strategy, business plans, business development, business models and legal
• Own office/nook for 2-5 people
• Work among brilliant minds
• Workspace in a fully managed office in the City of London
• 0207 business telephone line
• Printing and Wi-fi
• Meeting room
• 24/7 access to your office
• Kitchen and tea/coffee
• Technical assistance and support
• Negotiation support and training
• Become attractive to investors
• Access to capital

Boot.Academy provides all of this in exchange for a small equity in the company.

Applicants will be first offered a Pre-incubator package. No equity is required as this is an entry-level programme during which our team will not only assist you with transforming your initial business idea or MVP into a concept which will attract investment, but Boot.Academy will provide rented workspace and will assess whether you have what it takes to graduate to our Incubator Programme.

The Incubator Programme provides a seed-investment in exchange for 21% of your start-up’s equity. You will also receive rent-free office space for 2-5 people and full mentorship and help with your business model and strategy.

Boot.Academy also provides an Accelerated Program, designed to support start-ups that are already either seeded, have an MVP, or are about to launch into the market. It also provides remote mentorship for those who are not ready to relocate to London and a Non-EEA programme for bright developers and/or tech visionaries who would like to move to London and have access to £50,000.

Assistance with venture capital funding

If you can prove your product or service is innovative, creative and able to turn a profit, you can enter several Department of Trade (DIT) major seed competitions. These competitions can provide a funding award which is recognised by the Home Office as “available” funding for Tier 1 (entrepreneur) Visa applications.

The following seed funding competitions are currently available:

• Seedcamp – provides two types of funding – pre-seed of £75,000 in exchange for 7% of equity or an investment of between £200,000 and £2 million for more established organisations. If your start-up is chosen, Seedcamp will work with you beyond the three months of initial training, making your venture more attractive to investors and providing more opportunities to be introduced to advisors.
• entrepreneur First – invests in start-ups who are at the very beginning stage who may not have a team or a well-defined MVP. The programme concentrates particularly on post-doctoral researchers and engineers from Russell Group universities.
• Founders Factory Accelerator – accepts applications from start-ups that already have a team available for full-time training and an MVP.
• Tech Stars – a world-famous mentor programme which changes its focus annually. The more progressive your product or service within the sphere of that particular year, the more chance you have of success.
• Pi Lab – offers a mentorship programme and funding of up to £100,000 per team.
• Emerge Education – offers mentorship and funding of £40,000 plus for start-ups focused on improving education
• Oxygen Accelerator – a 13-week bootcamp designed for start-ups who have truly world-changing ideas. Although the sum of £21,000 offered does not meet the required Tier 1 entrepreneur funds of £50,000, it could be combined with other funds to make up the difference.
• Wyra UK – invites up to 50 UK startups per annum and provides a minimum of £34,000 investment per company.

Boot.Academy has the expertise and contacts to assist Tier 1 entrepreneur and Tier 1 Graduate entrepreneur migrants develop their idea to the level where they can enter one of the above seed funding competitions.

Find out more

If you have an idea that needs developing and you require mentorship, or if you have a start-up that is ready to scale and/or are looking for investment talk to one of our team.