Welcome to Crown Castê, your financial literacy podcast for small businesses. We publish inspiring, insightful conversations with investors and stewards of capital, about why they decided to make placements into a specific portfolio company of theirs. In today's episode, we are joined by Piotr Psarz, with special guest host, Paasha Ahmed.
Piotr is the founder and CEO of Untapped Lending, which helps entrepreneurs raise capital without giving up control of their business. Uncapped provides no-security and no-equity investments from £10,000 to £5 million. They charge a flat fee of 6-12% on the capital provided and get repaid through a revenue share. Uncapped is backed by investors including Lakestar and Seedcamp, as well as early investors in other fintechs such as Transferwise, Revolut, and Funding Circle. Prior to founding Uncapped, Piotr worked as investment director at Corviglia Capital Fund, a fintech-focused growth capital fund, and was an investment manager at DN Capital. He is also an active angel investor.
In this episode, we discuss:
1. Piotr's Journey into Fintech and the Founding of Uncapped:
How did Piotr's experience as a venture capitalist influence him to found Uncapped?
What problems did Piotr see in the VC model that led him to create an alternative funding option for entrepreneurs?
Why does Piotr see value in working with "good" companies, not just potential unicorns?
2. Uncapped's Unique Funding Model and its Advantage:
What distinguishes Uncapped's funding model from traditional equity-based VC investments or convertible loans?
Why does Uncapped specifically cater to proven companies who need working capital, rather than early-stage startups?
3. The State of VC Investments and Funding Strategies:
Why does Piotr think that VC investments are not suitable for all companies, and what alternatives does he suggest?
What's Piotr's personal approach as an Angel investor, and why does he view it as a tough but rewarding experience?
How does Piotr view the trend in startup funding, and what advice does he have for entrepreneurs seeking investments?
Contact Info
Piotr’s Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/piotrpisarz
Website: https://weareuncapped.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pisarzp
