Common Reasons for Passing

Unfortunately, we have to say ‘no’ to many great companies. Most of the time the reasons are because of our investment approach, not something missing in your company. Here’s some of the most common reasons Sterling Road will not invest in a startup.

Application Form

We prioritize companies that complete our application form. This levels the playing field for founders, even if they’re not already in our network and helps us to make a quick, informed decision.

Stage

Our investment focus is at the formation stage and we’re usually amongst the first investors in a company. If your company is more mature, we’re unlikely to be a fit.

Location

Sterling Road only invests in startups registered in the UK, USA and Canada. The founders of the startup are almost always based in those countries too. Unfortunately, we can’t help startups from other countries at present.

Solo Founder

We invest in co-founding teams, with a roughly equal equity split. While we have invested in a very small number of solo founders, it is extremely rare and being a solo founder is often a reason why we can’t move forward with an investment.

Sector

Our focus is on B2B startups, trying to build a strong technological advantage. If your company is in the consumer space or outside of our B2B preferences, we won’t be able to invest.

Missing Materials

If you do not include, or we can't access, the materials requested in your application form, e.g. a deck or video; then unfortunately, we can't move forward.

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