01
Service-for-equity
Converting some or all of the consulting and development fees into shares in the business we support.
We invest in what we have helped to build.
Equity stakes in the businesses we support, through service-for-equity. A commitment aligned with the client’s success, not merely with billing.
The principle
Billing for a service and sharing a risk do not produce the same advice.
A supplier paid by the engagement has an interest in there being another engagement. A shareholder has an interest in the business succeeding. The two positions do not lead to the same recommendations, and we would rather be clear about which one we occupy.
Service-for-equity means converting some or all of our fees into a shareholding. The business preserves its cash at the moment it needs it most; we accept being paid later, and only if the trajectory holds.
We take minority positions. The aim is not control, but being committed enough that our advice carries real risk. The owner remains in charge of the business.
This way of working does not suit everyone, and we do not offer it as a matter of course. It assumes a venture whose market we understand, a relationship of trust already established, and a horizon long enough for the alignment to mean something.
How it works
How it works.
Every arrangement is negotiated case by case. These principles frame the discussion; they do not replace it.
02
Minority stake
We remain a minority holder. The leadership keeps control and the final say.
03
Early-stage support
Structure, positioning and first tools for young companies, at the moment capital is scarcest.
04
Alignment over time
What we earn depends on the company’s trajectory. We have no interest in one engagement too many.
05
Operational contribution
We bring more than capital: Consulting and Build remain available throughout the shareholding.
06
Exit discussed up front
The terms and horizon for exit are set at the outset. A shareholding must not become a deadlock.