ICAEW.com works better with JavaScript enabled.
Corporate Finance Faculty

Start-ups, scale-ups and venture capital

Attracting investment for start-ups and scale-ups, and case studies of high-growth companies.
Contents
Back to top

Topical articles

digital illustration of a city buildings skyscrapers apartments offices on a yellow background
Insight: CDFIs
  • Article
  • 10 Jul 2025
Addressing the funding gap for small businesses, often women- or ethnic minority-led, has been a perennial problem as they fail to meet banks’ lending risk profiles. We look at community development finance institutions, an initiative with its roots in 1970s Chicago.
digital illustration of a game show spinning wheel prizes numbers multicoloured
Insight: valuations
  • Article
  • 10 Jul 2025
Dealmakers have had to cope with uncertainty for several years, but the constantly changing US tariff levels are creating new levels of unpredictability. How is that flowing into M&A valuations?
two large cargo ships on the ocean seagulls shipping containers water sea
Long read: Mitigating supply chain risk
  • Article
  • 10 Jul 2025
Resilience and ESG in supply chains have long been a focus for acquirers, but the US tariffs and Middle East troubles have thrust complex issues into the spotlight. David Prosser looks at how firms are mitigating global supply-chain risk in choppy waters.
aerial photo of farming machinery ploughing land with a topical pattern
Trendwatch: agriculture
  • Article
  • 06 Jun 2025
Agriculture has been thrust into the spotlight with security of food supply and inheritance tax changes fuelling media interest. But what is going on with investment in the sector?
Henry Whorwood is head of research and consultancy at Beauhurst, the data and analytics company with a focus on high growth companies and a member of the Corporate Finance Faculty
Henry Whorwood on early-stage investment
  • Article
  • 10 Mar 2025
Early-stage investment is slowing. There may be local headwinds, but are we at the right stage of the cycle for VC exits, asks Beauhurst’s Henry Whorwood.
Jackie Bowie, managing partner and head of European business at Chatham Financial, a member of the Corporate Finance Faculty
Jackie Bowie on interest rates
  • Article
  • 10 Feb 2025
The outlook is positive for M&A, says Jackie Bowie, but interest rates need to continue on a downward trajectory – and no more shocks please.
digital image of a piggy bank with a red umbrella above it on an orange background
Insight: warranty and indemnity insurance
  • Article
  • 10 Feb 2025
M&A inherently has risks that investors want to mitigate through a deal process. It’s no surprise that warranty and indemnity insurance uptake is seeing an uptick.
digital illustration of fibre optic waves geometric blue teal pink purple
Trendwatch: utilities and resources M&A
  • Article
  • 10 Feb 2025
From water to energy, there’s a perfect storm driving M&A in the utilities and resources sector. Jason Sinclair looks at what’s in the pipeline.
View all

Practical guidance

Read the Corporate Finance Faculty's good practice guidelines and technical releases on start-ups, venture capital and other aspects of corporate finance.
Definition and types of AI landing page
AI in corporate finance
  • Hub page
  • 23 Sep 2024
The Corporate Finance Faculty have brought together insights and resources on how AI is being used in corporate finance to help you better understand the application benefits and risks, as well as the practical considerations as you begin to revolutionise how deals are done.
Man holding a tablet
Financial due diligence
  • Report
  • 22 Oct 2024
This guideline explores the what, why, who and how of performing effective financial due diligence (FDD) and the outcomes it should achieve. It considers how FDD interacts with other areas of due diligence and how today’s rapidly evolving technology landscape, including AI, is reshaping the FDD process.
Seedling being watered
Business Finance Guide
  • Helpsheets and support
  • 01 Jun 2016
This independent guide draws on the expertise of partners from across the finance industry and business community to provide information on the financing options that may be available to entrepreneurs, startups and businesses at every stage of development.
View all

Become a member now

Join the largest network of professionals involved in corporate finance and access a range of authoritative best-practice and technical guidelines.
Find out more
Image of people in an office meeting