I'm a VC fund. How can I use SeedLegals?

First of all, welcome – glad you found us. Maybe you’ve heard that you can complete deals, track your portfolio and get your SEIS/EIS certificates quickly and cost-effectively on SeedLegals. Or perhaps the founder of an investee company wants to use us for their round and you’re keen to find out how we work.

Lead deals, manage your portfolio, get SEIS/EIS tax relief as a SeedLegals for Investors member

There are two ways VCs can use SeedLegals. The first is the full-service membership route where we support your deals beginning to end. The second way is when your investees choose to use us for their round and you negotiate and sign the deal on SeedLegals. There are plenty of benefits for you as the investor to the second scenario (more on that here), but for now let’s talk membership.

SeedLegals for Investors membership gives investors one powerful portal to manage and track their portfolio, negotiate and complete deals and get 360° support for SEIS/EIS tax relief.

Here’s our pitch: for £499+VAT a year you can:

• Send investment proposals, with your custom terms built in
• View and manage your startup portfolio
  • Negotiate, sign and store the investment proposals and documents you receive
  • View cap tables of your investee companies
  • Model exit scenarios through your investee company’s cap table
• Store SEIS/EIS forms across all investments and receive expert guidance to claim SEIS/EIS income tax relief
• Get support from your dedicated account manager on any questions – unlimited expert support on unlimited deals
• Get free UKBAA membership for your first year as a new UKBAA member (worth £249)
• Net £8,000 worth of perks for the companies you invest into

That’s the whistle-stop tour of how we help. But we want to break down the most common VC pain points we see and explain what we do to solve them.

Rounds take forever – I need to move fast

With SeedLegals, rounds can close in as little as two weeks – often even faster. Our fastest round (so far!) was wrapped up in just 25 hours. We streamline every step in the process to save you time, effort, and money.

Time is of the essence when it comes to closing deals. Each day a round remains open, the window of opportunity narrows. You risk competitors swooping in or market conditions shifting against you. Lengthy negotiations can also strain relationships with founders and delay the deployment of capital into other promising ventures.

Working with SeedLegals dramatically reduces the time it takes to close rounds. That’s not only because we’ve got document automation down to a fine art; it’s also because we help educate founders so they’re ready for investment, understand key deal terms and are familiar with what’s market-standard. More on that here

🔨 Work efficiently at scale

When you’re managing multiple deals, efficiency is key. Our deal documents are quick to build. You can add your own terms into the platform, then include them as needed in just one click. This consistency means you can handle more deals with less hassle, ensuring everything runs smoothly, whether you’re closing one deal or ten.

💸 Wrap up deals fast with agile funding tools

At SeedLegals, we’ve pioneered agile fundraising in the UK with tools like SeedFASTs and Instant Investment. These agreements make it easier for companies to raise from individual investors outside of a formal funding round.

For investors, this means you can get your investments sorted and closed much faster, without waiting for other participants in the round. This flexibility is especially valuable when you’re up against the clock to deploy your SEIS or EIS investments before the tax year ends.

My legal fees spiral out of control … especially if the round takes a while to close

Unlike a traditional law firm, with SeedLegals you’re not charged for every minute spent with a lawyer while negotiating and closing your deal. We’re not a law firm; day-to-day on your deal you’ll be working with funding specialists who understand your priorities and the startup ecosystem inside out.

The legal expertise comes from our highly experienced legal team who create and review all the documentation available on SeedLegals. They’re also on-hand to assist with wording, deal points or unforeseen complications as and when needed. Get all the legal support you need when you need it, and control your costs with clear and transparent pricing.

Walking first-time founders through deal terms takes too much time

When you’re trying to move fast, you can’t afford to go back and forth on each and every point in an agreement. But many less-experienced founders need more support.

We take on the work of educating founders for you. A funding strategist works closely with the founder to:

• Help them understand the initial proposal
• Explain the reasons behind each deal term
• Offer guidance on areas that might be appropriate to negotiate on

The SeedLegals team has strong conflict of interest policies in place to keep things fair. We make sure that separate, independent advisors are supporting both investor and the company, so each side gets the best possible outcome that’s aligned with market and industry standards.

Our trusted position in the startup ecosystem also helps deals move along faster. VCs can find that founders have unrealistic expectations about inflated valuations or request unrealistic terms and drag out the process. Working with SeedLegals gives founders the reassurance that what they’re signing is appropriate to their stage and raise.

I want more visibility over my portfolio

With SeedLegals, you get full visibility and control over your portfolio. Our platform allows you to easily track document changes through redlining, making negotiations clearer and faster.

You can also model exit scenarios directly on the platform, giving you insights into potential outcomes. Plus, everything is stored securely in one place, making it simple to access for reporting or compliance needs, like SEIS/EIS. Say goodbye to spreadsheets, wasting time chasing documents. With SeedLegals, you can automate everything on the platform and save your time for important decisions.

I need support with SEIS/EIS

Have your investee companies completed their SEIS/EIS compliance through SeedLegals?

From the Portfolio dashboard, you can easily find and access your S/EIS3 certificates, safely stored and ready for tax season. No more digging through paperwork when it’s time to claim SEIS/EIS tax relief.

As a SeedLegals for Investors member, we’ll ensure you have everything you need to claim SEIS/EIS relief, regardless of how you file your taxes. If you submit an online tax return, we provide step-by-step guidance on the sections you need to complete. For postal returns, we’ll supply the additional forms (SH101) required to claim your relief. And if you pay tax solely through PAYE without submitting a return, we can help complete the relevant sections of your S/EIS3 forms after investing.

An investee wants to use SeedLegals. What’s in it for me?

When your investee company uses SeedLegals for their round, it’s a win for everyone. The more efficient they are with your cash, the higher your returns as their investor. You’ll also have peace of mind knowing they’re set up correctly, with a full cap table review and SEIS/EIS Advance Assurance handled, if they’re eligible. Plus, they’ll work with a funding strategist to get expert guidance on terms.

The whole process is streamlined, with quick back-and-forth communication, fast turnaround times, and the ability to negotiate directly through comments. Everything’s in one place, making it easier for you to stay on top of the round and ensure a smooth experience from start to finish.

Get started with SeedLegals

More companies raise with SeedLegals than any other provider. If you’re keen to save yourself – and your investees – time and money when drafting and reviewing legal documents, SeedLegals is the place to do your deal.

For a quick demo, book a call with one of our experts.