www.skilledup.life @skilleduplife

De-risking tech startups for pre-seed investors through skilled volunteers

Create the investor demand for multiple Term Sheets

2020-2024 Copyrights SkilledUp Life

2024 is a terrible year for venture capital

Data source: Deal Lite www.deallite.uk

Ideal Founder Position

You de-risked your business for Pre-Seed investment.

You receive multiple term sheets.

You are in the driving seat.

Big market - underserved - deep understanding of the problem - greater Founder/Market fit

Initial product launched - users flocking in growing revenues - getting closer to £10k MRR

Need capital for increasing the growth rate and not for proving the market need.

You have the initial team in place.




Manoj Ranaweera

Building tech startups since 2004 - yes 20 years!

Currently running:

• Techcelerate : know how of building tech startups
• Deal Lite : Find best-fit investors who have backed UK tech startups
• SkilledUp Life : 50,000+ skilled volunteers for tech startups

manoj.ranaweera@skilledup.life



www.skilledup.life @skilleduplife

3 basics to excite pre-seed investors



Market opportunity

• Large market
• Unmet need
• Deep understanding of the problem

Traction

• Product live
• Early paying customers
• Month-on-month growth, getting closer to £10k MRR

Team

• Founder/Market/Problem Fit
• Product team
• Customer development team (marketing & sales)
Idea to £10k MRR

Concept validation

Go beyond your friends and family

Product development

From wire framing to version 1 of the product & beyond

User acquisition, conversion & support

Demand generation to generating early revenues & growing them



www.skilledup.life @skilleduplife

Operations

From HR to accounts and legals. Learning to run as a business.

Product

Building your product team with access to unlimited skilled volunteer talent base



www.skilledup.life @skilleduplife



Full team - top down

• Product Manager
• Product and Business Analysts
• UI/UX Designers
• Lead Developer
• Back-end Developers
• Front-end Developers
• User QA Testers
• Product Marketers

Lean team - bottom up

• UI/UX Designers
• Back-end Developers
• Front-end Developers
• User QA Testers


50,000+ Skilled Volunteers from 140 countries

2 to 3 hrs per day for 60 Volunteer Days over a 3 month Volunteer Agreement

www.skilledup.life @skilleduplife



Excite Pre-Seed Investors

• Build your team using skilled volunteers
• Build your version 1
• Get traction
• Show growth
• Start talking to pre-seed investors

manoj.ranaweera@skilledup.life