Service Overview
Build supports impact-led ventures to strengthen their foundations and prepare for early-stage investment to support growth.
Build supports impact-led ventures to strengthen their foundations and prepare for early-stage investment to support growth.
Funded by the Scottish Government, Build is a six-month investment readiness programme providing hands-on, consultancy-led support tailored to your venture’s needs. We help founders translate impact, innovation and evidence into credible, investor-ready propositions that support their next stage of growth.
Each venture is supported by a dedicated Venture Support Manager, working closely with founders to improve performance while protecting purpose.
Who Qualifies?
Build is for ventures that:
- Are operating with early traction, pilots or trading activity
- Are preparing to raise early-stage investment
- Want to strengthen commercial, financial, team and impact foundations
- Are committed to balancing impact and commercial performance
- Ventures do not need to be fully investment-ready at the outset. All Build ventures are
- progressing towards investment readiness through structured, evidence-led support.
What You’ll Get
Within our Build Pathway, we provide:
- Dedicated Venture Support Manager for the full six-month programme
- Business model design and validation
- Market research and customer insight to evidence demand and routes to market
- Financial modelling and scenario planning
- Legal and commercial readiness support
- High-performing team skills audit and capability development
- Impact frameworks and reporting
- Market positioning and growth strategy
Objectives of
Build
We use a structured readiness approach so ventures can demonstrate progress clearly and credibly, supporting informed decisions as they prepare for investment.
01.
Develop and validate a resilient business model
02.
Strengthen financial sustainability and forecasting
03.
Generate robust market evidence to support investment decisions
04.
Embed credible impact measurement and reporting
05.
Assess founder and team capability for growth and investment
Impact in Build
In Build, impact and commercial performance are developed together. We support ventures to:
- Translate purpose into measurable outcomes
- Strengthen credibility with investors and funders
- Demonstrate how impact drives long‐term value
Not sure if your idea is impact-led? Take our quick quiz to make sure!
What Our Ventures Say
We’ve supported 5,000+ ventures globally. Heres what they have to say
The biggest thing I would say about The Ventures Lab, is that they want me to win, they want my business to succeed.
Rab Meliani
5000+
Ventures Supported Globally
If you’re thinking of joining the Ventures Lab, do it.
Kate McKenzie
As we grow our business, we also grow the amount of good that we’re able to do in the world.
Isadora Quay
26
Years in business
The team works across every area of your business, providing practical support, helpng you develop, and offering clear, objective insight.
Andrew Carr
£10M
Available in patient capital
Build In Action
Today is World Mental Health Day. For this Venture Spotlight from The Ventures Lab, we
Last night, founders and researchers from across Scotland’s universities came together at Barony Hall in
The Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) launched its Social Investment Manifesto on the 23rd of
Lets Build
Together
Whether you are exploring an idea, preparing to raise investment, or scaling post-investment, we are here to support you for the journey.
