Next Big Thing event with Envestors

London – 7 May 2008

On Wednesday 7th May, Coutts & Co hosted a Coutts Forum for Entrepreneurs – The Next Big Thing event, in conjunction with Envestors, a private investor club. Over 150 guests attended this 'Dragon's Den' style event.

Envestors Private Investor Club is a network of around 300 private individuals looking to invest between £20,000 and £2m in early-stage unquoted businesses.

The evening provided an opportunity for six screened companies looking to raise finance to pitch to the room of investors. Each entrepreneur was given a strict eight minute time limit in which to present their company, followed by a two minute question and answer session.

The presenters discussed the growth potential of their company; the current competition in the market; their exit strategy; their management team and the specifics of their offer to investors.

Those pitching included a producer of Fair-trade cola, the owners of a drive-thru coffee kiosk and a company offering bespoke engineering for classic cars.

The presentations were followed by a networking session where the entrepreneurs were able to meet the investors and discuss their propositions in the hope of attracting a suitable investor.

The event forms part of Coutts' ongoing commitment to provide platforms for entrepreneurs to network with like-minded individuals and discuss their own business ventures and the challenges and achievements associated with them.