Application Guide

• Recognition and visibility achieved through our Regional Winners announcements
• An invitation to our peer-to-peer network extended to Rising Stars 3.0 companies
• Training covering virtual and video pitching, building trust and rapport virtually
• Expert advice and guidance from VCs and angels at VC Office Hours event
• Invitations to attend exclusive Rising Stars online sessions
• Support from our Entrepreneur Engagement Managers
• Becoming part of the Rising Stars alumni and network
• Be considered for a Sector Excellence Award in Fintech, Applied AI, Cyber or Net Zero

• Recognition and visibility when we announce UK Finalists on the Tech Nation website
• Content curation: Producing a Pitch video, as well as ‘Meet the Founder(s)’ video and showcased through the Rising Stars UK Finalists platform. 
• Highly curated audience of investors, corporates, influencers and entrepreneurs
• Being put forward to the Winners Selection Panel who will then go onto select the 10 winners

• You can indeed! We’re looking for the most innovative and exciting early-stage tech companies in the UK. If you already have a win under your belt, chances are you’re exactly the kind of company we’re on the look-out for.

• Rising Stars isn’t sector specific – we welcome all! We just ask that you be a digital tech company and meet the entry requirements. You can check these here.

Upscale looks to tackle some of the trickiest challenges faced by scaling companies. Programme content is designed to mirror your scaling journey. We explore foundations, scaling your growth and taking growth to the next level. In Upscale 5.0, key challenges covered included:

• Scaling as a leader
• Hiring talent
• Employer brand
• Progression frameworks & performance management
• International expansion & finance options as a scaling company
  

We also delivered functional sessions for the leads of marketing, operations, tech, product, finance and HR/talent.

We’re on the hunt for a company that offers an innovative solution to a problem, addressing a large target market, achieving product/market fit highly defensible, hitting either Series A or revenue metric – often both. To get the most out of the programme, you will likely be:

• Rapidly increasing your headcount
• Looking to increase market share
• Planning significant nationwide or international growth. 

The selection takes four key areas of criterion into account:

• Value Proposition (problem/solution, TAM, competition)
• Traction to date (revenue or customer acquisition, key metrics, clients)
• Potential to scale (international or national expansion)
• Programme fit (desire from the team to learn & contribute)

As guidance, Upscale typically works with companies experiencing rapid growth approx 10% month-on-month. With COVID, we understand that some companies may have experienced variances over the last 6 months. With that in mind, typical Upscale companies are:

• Looking to significantly increase team size
• Thinking about expanding its customer base or market share
• Aspirations for substantial national or international growth

Hearing from those who’ve been through the scaling journey before, and from peers, Upscale will help determine if you’re on-track, going too fast/slow or whether you need to pivot certain business areas. In the last five years of Upscale, many businesses have had in-session ‘Ah-ha!’ moments, or taken a change in direction. This is all thanks to conversations they’ve had or witnessed. These ‘lightbulb’ moments can be transformational to a company as you approach such an inflection point in your growth.

Yes! Upscale is a sector agnostic programme. This means we support digital companies from every and any sector. In the past sectors have included:

• Fintech
• E-commerce
• Proptech
• Spacetech
• Agtech
• Edtech
• Health & biotech
• Saas & more

We support B2B, B2C and B2B2C companies. 

A great application for Future Fifty provides clear evidence and articulates what the company does, why it is unique, and why it would be a good fit for the programme. Areas that judges will consider favourably might be:

• Tech leadership: clear demonstration of leadership in your tech sector. What are you doing that gives you a unique proposition and positioning as a tech leader?
• Evidence of growth: a track record showing your growth through revenues, raises, headcount and key metrics.
• Growth potential: In terms of market size, international expansion and acquisition or IPO.
• Leadership team: a C-suite of experienced individuals both commercially and in the tech space, either having growth with the company or with prior specialist or industry experience.

1. Be clear in your track record and growth potential. Our judges are entrepreneurs and leaders in the technology & investment space evaluating the best of UK tech, so showcase your achievements. 
2. Articulate your value proposition and market positioning in layman’s terms. We’re sector agnostic and the applications will be judged by experts in a variety of technology subsectors, they won’t be experts in all of them. 
3. Showcase your team. At this stage growth potential is often down to your core team and leadership, you’ve no doubt gone to great pains to assemble your C-suite, so highlight them and their track records.

• Rely on evidence and data: At this stage your company has a track record and product market fit, use this clarify why you’re a UK tech leader.
• Detail your growth plans: Detailing your growth plans in your current markets and internationally, raising further funding rounds, acquisitions, IPO, head count increases and revenue projections. 
• Focus on your team and leadership as much as your product: You’ve achieved product market fit, further growth and product iteration will be delivered off the back of a stellar team. Tell us about yours.
• Be honest about the challenges you see on the horizon: As you continue to grow you’ll tackle challenge after challenge. Be forthcoming about these. Future Fifty is founded on peer-to-peer learning and we leverage a powerful network of over 150 companies to solve problems. So tell us how we can help you.

• Missing information or vague answers: Make it easy for judges to evaluate your application against other companies. Be concise, answer in layman’s terms backed up by clear data.
• Let your ambition and purpose come through: At this stage you’re usually a large team, ensure the original purpose and drive to be a leader in your space comes across.