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Welcoming Early Stage Founders in the UK
Immigrants ourselves we know that the UK is one of the best places in the World for startups to achieve their full potential. Yet there are numerous challenges that new immigrant or refugee founders face lacking the necessary contacts and network.
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We are setting up a bridge linking early-stage startups in or on their way to the UK and the leading investors within the local ecosystem.
Between January and March 2023, you will have an opportunity to schedule informal 1-2-1 calls with some of the leading VC players of the UK's ecosystem. This is an excellent way to expand your network, get feedback and ask questions.
What is the Goal?
Please read carefully!
International Founders Open Office Hours is first and foremost about building bridges. We strongly advise not treating this as a purely fundraising opportunity.
It is a way for you to obtain feedback on your startups, advice as to specific issues you may have, inside track into the UK's markets and indeed build contacts with your potential future investors. All of it with some of the biggest names in UK's early stage investments scene.
We are welcoming founders from different countries and social-economic backgrounds.
Taking into account the challenges that Ukrainian startups are facing, priority will be offered to the Ukrainian founders.​
Great, so whats comes next?
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Have a clear idea of what you want to get out of the Open Office Hours
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Apply by filling in this form
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You receive a calendar link for your 30 min meeting with full instructions
We match you with one of the amazing participating investors
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January-March 2023
International Office Hours 2.0 ​
In January 2023 Blue Lake is launching International Founders Open Office Hours II.
The full list of VCs is to be announced soon.
May - August 2022
International Office Hours 1.0
In May 2022 Blue Lake introduced the very first International Founders Open Office Hours pilot with more than 200 startups and 30 VCs participating.
IFOOH Series I in a nutshell
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Our Partners
​Silicon Valley-headquartered Wilson Sonsini has represented more technology companies on their venture financings, M&A transactions, and IPOs than any other law firm globally. Its London team of US/UK Corporate Tech lawyers supports UK/European technology companies on venture financings and M&A/IPO exits, and through their US life cycle – US launch, scaling, fundraising and M&A/IPO.
Their US Expansion, Fundraising & Exit FAQ is available here.
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Connectd's aim is to revolutionise the early-stage ecosystem, democratising access to funding and talent.
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The Connectd team pride themselves on building technologies that foster connections to allow startups to grow and people to succeed.
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Vestd is the UK’s top-rated equity management platform for startups, scaleups and SMEs.
Featuring a two-way integration with Companies House, founders can easily generate equity agreements, issue shares, manage their cap tables and provide oversight to prospective investors.
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We want to thank our amazing partners and friends for supporting this initiative!
What do founders say about Office Hours?
​“Today we had a call with Rob Kniaz, partner at Hoxton Ventures. Rob helped us to analysis and comment on our business model as he has a lot of experience with SaaS products. Rob also shared his vision about freelance market in the US and give us a couple of insights on customers acquisition strategy. We agreed to stay in touch with regards our future fundraising.”
“Our first e-meeting with Leo from Nesta last week was great. Clear, proper match. Thank you. He totally understands the concept of EdTech platforms that match students and teachers and provide live 1-1 classes. During the call, he helped with improving storytelling. That was really nice. Hopefully, this connection will last and bring some mutual useful results for both parties.“
"Thank you so much for organizing International founders open office hours - such a great initiative!"
Ihor Bauman Workee
Vyacheslav Zhiradkov Etalk Global LTD
Olga Kravchenko
Musemio
Media about us
About us
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Blue Lake is an early-stage London-based Venture Capital Firm with a focus on Seed and Pre-Seed international founders.
Blue Lake's partners are immigrant founders from Ukraine and are committed to supporting startups from anywhere in the world coming to the UK.
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​Tech Nation fuels the growth of game-changing founders, leaders and scaling companies so they can positively transform societies and economies.
Tech Nation provides them with the coaching, content and community they need for their journey in designing the future.
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​The Global Entrepreneur Programme (GEP) is the UK Department for International Trade’s (DIT) flagship programme that enables ambitious, internationally mobile entrepreneurs and their innovation-rich companies to scale and internationalise from a UK global HQ through expert support of the programme’s Dealmakers.
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