Scribe

Insight on private companies and privately-held data.

[Scribe @databyscribe]

Who invests in funds? LP data is now available.

https://t.co/9H8e6GBVM2

[Rob Cossins @robertcossins]

By using a wider range of industry tags and allowing companies to have multiple tags, we can dramatically improve how private companies are analysed. (4/4)

[Rob Cossins @robertcossins]

That's why we've launched, in Scribe, two innovative new principles: (i) a widening of the sector classifications and (ii) sector clustering. (3/4)

[Rob Cossins @robertcossins]

If you're a Founder, identifying the right companies helps you find investors or clients.

As an industry, finance has spent years building up methodologies, to analyse portfolio risk and support their clients, but it's still suboptimal. Clue: SIC codes are broken. (2/4)

[Rob Cossins @robertcossins]

Reforming industry classifications and why it matters.

The economy is changing fast, but the way we classify businesses isn't, particularly in private markets. In the UK, there are 250 codes dedicated to manufacturing, while software has just one. 🧵 (1/4)

[Rob Cossins @robertcossins]

🧵 Fixing SIC codes: a new approach to understanding business activity. Settle in...

In an era of rapid technological advancement and business model innovation, founders and investors are still stuck using an antiquated system to classify companies.

[Rob Cossins @robertcossins]

Automating investor outreach, with real-time data. Two years ago, this was impossible to do. None of this technology existed. Now you can!

@databyscribe company data ➕ @meetalfred_ automation🤝

[Rob Cossins @robertcossins]

One of the more interesting parts of my day is seeing which companies have fundraised recently, on @databyscribe.

It shows you the future - everything from cancer mRNA vaccines to autonomous driving technology and lithium refineries. Mostly funded by Angel investors, so they don't appear in the news. From August:

🚛 Modern logistics for eCommerce (Relay Tech)
🎧 Durable sports headphones (Tzuka)
🐷 AI-powered animal rearing systems (Zyzzle)
🪦 Virtual spaces for remembering lost loved ones
👨‍⚖️ Automated billing collection for lawyers (ayora)

All from Scribe - insight on private companies and privately-held data.

[Rob Cossins @robertcossins]

Writing a memo in less than 90 seconds, using Scribe. I'm convinced that this will completely change finance and how companies are analysed.

All insight is anchored to the source, guaranteeing accuracy. If you're interested in trying it out, let me know!

[Rob Cossins @robertcossins]

The reaction to this has been great. We're working through onboarding demos.

Knowing where money sits and who deploys is a superpower for anybody fundraising. What also interests me is any second-order effect.

Can good data increase the number of active funds out there?

[Rob Cossins @robertcossins]

📢 Launched today! Fund investor data is now available for Scribe clients.

Excited to be shining a light on who's investing into funds. We've started small, focusing on all LP investments since the beginning of 2023.

This is great for emerging managers finding LPs, or even Founders looking for warm introductions into funds. Time for a video 👇

[Rob Cossins @robertcossins]

We host Founder-only events in London.

It's a space where Founders can share their experiences and connect with no agenda.

We've got another one lined up for next week. If you're interested in joining us, send me a DM.

Tagging a few of my UK tech Twitter favourites: @joeprkns @alexfmac @sriramk @charlierward @andrewjscott

[Rob Cossins @robertcossins]

Every month, we put together a quick snapshot of which UK companies have fundraised.

Here are a few things I've learnt from doing this:

- The majority of UK funding rounds are funded by Angels, not VCs.

- Companies raising are older than you think. Often 2-3 years old, with traction. Raising from a deck just doesn't happen that often.

- FinTech and Healthcare are by far the biggest sectors. Deep innovation in FinTech, and Healthcare companies spinning out of leading Universities.

Here's the link to the latest: https://t.co/PIvrkhDuca

[Rob Cossins @robertcossins]

@databyscribe is an engine for finance, with many use cases. Here's one example - helping Founders find Angel investors with data.

[Rob Cossins @robertcossins]

Let's talk about permissionless fundraising.

Raising money used to entirely be about who you knew. But the barriers are falling fast. With today's technology, first-time Founders can build a network faster than ever.

There's never been a period in history where your background matters less, at least when it comes to raising money.

Here's the tech stack:

1) Use @databyscribe , @OpenVC_ or @Connectd to find people who actually invest.
2) Search for them on LinkedIn and build a list.
3) Set up outreach flows with Apollo and @meetalfred_.
4) Book meetings with @Calendly .

Fundraising is becoming permissionless.

[Rob Cossins @robertcossins]

Company insolvencies in 2023 hit the highest level since 1993, and rising.

However, there are many more companies overall, meaning that the rate-per-companies is still much lower than in 2008 (nearly half).

[Rob Cossins @robertcossins]

Struggling to find UK Angel investors? Companies House has them all.

https://t.co/fPWPIBkzeG

[Rob Cossins @robertcossins]

Innovation everywhere, despite the fact that these companies barely have an online presence yet. All from the @databyscribe live feed.

[Rob Cossins @robertcossins]

🚜 Cutting-edge AI transforming agricultural technology
🚚 Revolutionising logistics with tech solutions
B2B FinTechs reshaping private markets through innovation

[Rob Cossins @robertcossins]

There are so many interesting UK companies that secured funding through July and August. Here's a glimpse:

💉 Oxford University spin-out developing cancer vaccines
🌳 Companies helping brands align with sustainability
👨‍💻 APIs for community building in software