We will not sign an NDA. No business advisors would at this stage. We are here to support you as an entrepreneur and this includes protecting your business idea.

We are always very happy to hear from potential Gurus, Mentors and Partners. Please contact us here.

Yes, Toucan can direct you to relevant funding sources within the Toucan ecosystem.

If the respective Mentor was unable to commit to further support, Toucan would arrange for a meeting with another suitable Mentor. The original Mentor may also recommend to Toucan another individual of equal standing, within their respective industry, to take over.

Your Mentor will review all your documentation and provide you with constructive feedback and guidance. Mentors are not expected to fund your project, however, if they choose to do so, adequate and fair measures will be put in place by our legal team. Toucan aims to protect you and your business, whilst incentivising your Mentor to spend time mentoring you and eventually help you secure financial backing.

Toucan In-House

We take you under our wing by offering you long-term business support and connecting you with our Toucan ecosystem.

Mentors

We introduce you to a suitable Guru and Mentor who can provide you with expert advice and guidance.

Partners

We refer you to both professional and sector-specific services, based on your requirements.

Investors

We direct you to appropriate funding sources to give your business the opportunity to continue to grow.

If your pitch was not successful, please contact the Toucan team directly to request further information and we will get back to you with personal feedback as soon as possible.

A completed business plan is not compulsory to pitch to Toucan. However, you are more likely to be successful in the process if you can give us an idea of what the business is and where exactly you want it to go. If you have any complete or work in progress documents such as business plan, pitch deck, financials, investment memorandum, any press clippings, and suchlike, please attach them with your application form.

You can pitch more than one business, as long as you can successfully demonstrate your passion, knowledge and experience in each business that you pitch. We are very interested in working with serial entrepreneurs but, from experience, most successful applicants will pitch one business at a time.

Sign up to Toucan for free.

Pitch your creative business to the Toucan team.

You will receive initial feedback from the Toucan team, within a month of the application.

Your application is submitted to the Toucan Investment Committee for review.

If you pass the IC, you will be contacted by a member of Toucan’s management team for a meeting. If you do not pass the IC, you will receive bespoke feedback on areas that need further work.

Toucan connects you with a relevant Guru, who acts alongside the Toucan team to advise you and support you in getting investment ready.     

Toucan connects you with relevant Partners and Services.

Toucan connects you with a suitable Mentor.

Toucan directs you to suitable funding sources.

Yes. If you have secured your first round of investment, with the help of Toucan, we are here to support you with subsequent rounds. The same applies if you have secured investment, prior to joining Toucan.

Toucan provides long-term support to creative businesses so, if you are looking for general support, or introductions to our Mentors, Partners or Investment partners, Toucan is here to help. Transparency is one of Toucan’s main philosophies, so we will be open and honest if we think that your business might not benefit from our services.  

It is not strictly necessary for you to form a company before pitching to Toucan but you should be very aware of what the process entails, both logistically and financially. 

Absolutely. It would, however, put you in a strong position if you had a growth strategy, detailing what expertise you need immediately and what expertise you would be looking for in the future.

Businesses that fit the below criteria:

Businesses that are based in London or the Home Counties

Businesses in the Food and Drink, Lifestyle, or Retail sectors

Strong, passionate and ambitious founder / management team

Businesses with a clear market opportunity

Businesses that are scalable to a commercial level

N.B. We have a strong preference for entrepreneurs who have background experience in their business concept.

Currently, Toucan is a London-based business. We can set up some meetings via Skype. However, our entrepreneurs will have to come to London for the more important meetings. It would be beneficial to foster a personal working relationship, on a face-to-face basis.

If you intend to pitch to the Toucan Team, you must be eligible to set up your business in the UK. If you are neither a UK nor EU resident, and are looking to set up a business in the UK, you must be eligible for an Entrepreneur Visa.

You can send an email to info@toucan.co to find out if we are currently hiring and access further details, regarding open positions and the application process.