Why Your Investor Relationships Matter More Than Your Pitch Deck
Manage episode 493760632 series 3497203
Drew Ellis joins us from South Devon to share his entrepreneurial journey from designing iconic album covers for stars like Radiohead and Pink Floyd to running Eye to Eye Capital, a funding firm focused on projects aligned with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
• Started as an art student working with Hypnosis, the famous design company behind Dark Side of the Moon
• Founded Icon, a record sleeve design agency with clients including Robert Plant, David Gilmour, and ABBA
• Sold his first business in 1989 to a UK print company looking for creative capabilities
• Left corporate life after his board responded to his internet proposal with "the internet's a fad"
• Now runs Eye to Eye Capital, providing debt funding for sustainable projects
• Works with philanthropic funds offering 10-year interest-free loans that convert to grants
• Personal investment philosophy centers on understanding the product and trusting the people involved
• Currently considering investing in a South Devon rum company
• Key advice for founders: build resilience gradually and research potential investors carefully
• Emphasizes the importance of the founder-investor relationship: "You've got to like them"
#TRIBE
Community Membership at Canopy
Virtual Incubation at Canopy
Virtual Incubation for new and emerging Founders. Zero to One.
Scribe
Find and connect with angel investors in the UK Founded by Rob Cossins
Revolut
Business banking from Revolut
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Note: you can also watch these episodes on youtube.com/@canopycommunity617
Chapters
1. Why Your Investor Relationships Matter More Than Your Pitch Deck (00:00:00)
2. Introduction to Drew Ellis (00:00:44)
3. From Art Student to Record Sleeve Designer (00:02:14)
4. Eye to Eye Capital and Sustainable Investment (00:04:44)
5. Personal Investment Philosophy (00:08:25)
6. Building Icon and Selling the Business (00:13:21)
7. Starting Eye to Eye and Technology Evolution (00:17:36)
8. Advice for First-Time Founders (00:21:17)
5 episodes