Breega and Connect Ventures, two founder-friendly VCs specialised in funding early-stage tech startups, have joined forces with 28 other UK-based VCs to provide free and confidential advice to startups looking for help on coping with challenges arising from the Covid-19 crisis.
 
Based on the model set up by Breega’s Paris office at the beginning of last month, the “VC HOURS” scheme consists of one-to-one consultations that can be booked quickly and easily online. The consultations, which can take place either via video or over the phone, are open to any startup founder wishing to discuss their business challenges with a VC. 
 
With their in-depth knowledge of the way in which startups and their business models operate and their understanding of the different sectors and markets, VC investors are well equipped to advise founders. Drawing on the recent experiences of their own portfolio companies, the VC Hours advisors will be able to offer founders advice on adapting their business models, raising and pitching during the crisis, controlling cash flow and HR issues. In the spirit of transparency and to ensure free and open discussion, all information exchanged during the sessions will remain strictly confidential. 
 
“In these difficult times, it is vital, more now than ever, that the different actors of our ecosystem come together to support each other, so as to limit, as much as possible, the devastating impact of the economic crisis. Startups are fragile because they’re young and yet they’re also indispensable as they are the ones shaping our future world and economy,” said Ben Marrel, Founding Partner, Breega .
 
"This is no doubt a lonely and difficult time for many startup founders. Whilst some founders have been able to turn to their existing investors for support, those that are yet to raise, find themselves with few places to turn for advice. That is one of the reasons we chose to get behind this initiative and our objective is to ensure that all the startups that need help during the Covid-19 crisis can find it," added Rory Stirling, Partner, Connect Ventures. 
 
As of Wednesday of this week all startups regardless of their age, size or sector, can book a free appointment with a VC Hours advisor. All they have to do is go to the VC Hours booking website and choose a date and time, here: https://calendly.com/uk-vchours/uk-vc-hours 
 
The UK VC HOURS advisors are:
AlbionVC, Ananda Impact Ventures, Anthemis, Augmentum, BrightEye, Breega, C4 Ventures, Connect Ventures, DN capital, Draper Esprit, Eka, Episode 1, Felix, Gauss Ventures, 24Haymarket, KEEN Venture Partners, Kindred, Local Globe, MMC, Nauta, Notion, Omers, Outrun, Piton Capital, PROfounders, Samaipata, SOSV, SpeedInvest, Sweet Capital, 7percent Ventures