Clock ticking on the H2 funding round closure? Use these top tips to wrap up

What does it take to get investors over the line and wrap up your funding round before the year’s end? 

From SEIS compliance to cap table clarity and investor negotiations, founders face a maze of moving parts when raising in today’s market.

Join SeedLegals funding experts Yanki Kizilates and Samantha Atta-Mensah as they help you choose the best approach to fundraising and break down exactly how to position yourself to close a round in H2 2025. 

This conversation is loaded with their practical tips on how you can make the most of SEIS/EIS tax relief and build a strategy that keeps your company funded – and founder-friendly – right through to the finish line.

Key takeaways

Getting investment ready with SEIS/EIS

• SEIS and EIS are powerful tax relief schemes that help de-risk early-stage investments by offering investors 30-50% relief on their commitments.
• Eligibility depends on trading history, employee count and excluded activities – founders need to check carefully against HMRC’s criteria.
• Advance Assurance is essential: it reassures investors that HMRC is likely to grant relief, which speeds up decision-making.
• Compliance comes later, once funds are received and shares are issued – that’s when investors get their certificates to claim tax relief.

Cleaning up your cap table

• A simple cap table is more attractive to investors: aim for a clear nominal value and as few share classes as possible.
• Individual shareholders are preferable to corporate ones, especially for SEIS, as HMRC scrutinises independence.
• Ensure Companies House filings reflect your internal cap table – discrepancies can cause delays or red flags.
• Share splits are a practical step: they increase the number of shares so you can issue precise equity amounts without awkward fractional allocations.

Traditional funding rounds and negotiations

• A conventional round involves a full set of legals – term sheet, shareholder agreement, articles and resolutions – which centralise rules for all investors.
• Benefits include customisable documents and clear governance, but the process can be slow due to investor coordination and lengthy negotiations.
• Terms fall into two buckets: economics (valuation, dilution rights, liquidation preference) and control (investor consent, board seats).
• Founders should be cautious about giving away too much control too early – investor consent and board representation can restrict agility.

Using Agile Fundraising to stay flexible

• SeedFAST agreements (similar to SAFEs) allow you to raise “money now, shares later” – useful for bridging before a bigger round.
• Instant Investments provide a quick top-up post-round: “money now, shares now,” avoiding the need to re-open a full funding process.
• Both methods are designed for speed and flexibility, letting founders bring investors in one by one rather than waiting on a group.
• Agile tools also allow discounts or variable valuations to reward early investors, making this a great tactic to accelerate commitments.