We build alongside you,
not above you.
IQF Ventures is a 6-month hands-on program that gives post-MVP startups a fractional CTO, enterprise distribution, and investment readiness — in exchange for a small equity stake and a convertible services agreement. No large upfront fees. No personal debt. No hidden catches.
This applies to the Hybrid and Equity tracks. On the Cash Track there's no equity or CLA — you simply pay a monthly retainer.
How it works
We deliver services
CTO leadership, enterprise intros, investor readiness — real work with real deliverables each phase.
Value accrues to the CLA
Each phase you sign off on adds its agreed value to a convertible services agreement. No cash leaves your account. The CLA is a convertible — the agreed value of work delivered, set to convert to equity later, never repaid in cash.
CLA converts at your raise
When you raise ≥£400K from professional investors, the CLA auto-converts to equity at a 20% discount — rewarding us for the early risk we took alongside you.
What you get
- Fractional CTO: architecture audit, roadmap, engineering leadership
- Enterprise distribution: warm B2B intros from our network
- Investment readiness: pitch deck, financial model, data room, VC intros
- Monthly progress reports, weekly syncs, and strategic board-level input
- Access to Inoqube's R&D studio for dev work (optional paid add-on)
What's our interest
- 2–7% equity (2% Hybrid, 7% Equity) — only worth something if your company grows. If you don't succeed, neither do we
- A convertible services agreement (£15–20K Hybrid, £35–40K Equity) — converts to equity only when you raise. No raise = no upside for us
- 20% conversion discount at your next round — our reward for taking the risk before investors did
- Monthly retainer on Hybrid track only — on Equity track, we put in the work for £0 cash until you win
Deal structure at a glance
What it actually costs you — a worked example
Say you raise £1.5M at a £6M post-money valuation, six months in. Your CLA converts at the lower of a 20% discount to that round or your valuation cap. Here's roughly what IQF ends up with:
Hybrid Track
- Upfront equity2%
- £20K CLA converts~2%
Equity Track
- Upfront equity7%
- £40K CLA converts~4%
Illustrative only. Your actual dilution depends on your raise size and the valuation cap agreed in your deal. Conversion uses the lower of your cap or a 20% discount to the round.
Built-in protections — for both sides
This isn't a blank cheque. Every safeguard is designed so neither party can take advantage of the other.
Your IP stays yours — from day one
Every line of code, every document, every strategy we create for you belongs to your company the moment it's made. Not after the engagement. Not after conversion. Immediately. We only keep our own pre-existing tools.
No personal guarantee — ever
The CLA is a company obligation, not a personal one. If the startup doesn't work out, it never becomes your personal debt. The CLA is a company-level obligation — no founder is personally liable, and there's nothing to repay out of pocket.
Pay only for what's delivered
CLA only accrues for phases you sign off on. If we underdeliver, the value doesn't count. No sign-off = no accrual.
Independent dispute resolution
Disagree on deliverable quality? An independent technical expert decides — not us, not you. Loser pays.
15% cap protects your cap table
Our total holdings can never exceed 15% of your company. This preserves your SEIS/EIS eligibility for future investors.
Key person clause
You're signing up for a specific person at Inoqube, not a faceless team. If that person becomes unavailable for 30+ days, you can terminate — you shouldn't be locked in with someone you didn't choose.
Clear acceptance criteria
Every phase has pass/fail criteria a third party could verify. No ambiguity, no moving goalposts.
You can terminate for cause
If we breach the agreement or miss two consecutive phases, you can end the engagement. Only accrued CLA and vested equity survive.
If we underperform, you keep the unvested equity
Your equity stake (2% Hybrid, 7% Equity) vests monthly over 6 months with a 1-month cliff. If the engagement ends early for any reason, the unvested portion goes straight back to you. We only keep what we've earned.
The 6-month journey
Phase 1: The IQF Blueprint
Technical audit, go-to-market strategy, product roadmap, investment readiness gap analysis
Phase 2: Execute
Technical priorities shipped, enterprise intros made, pitch deck and financial model delivered, data room built
Phase 3: Scale & Transition
Pipeline expanded, VC introductions made, transition plan delivered, post-engagement options presented
What happens to the CLA after the engagement?
The CLA stays in place after the 6 months. It's not a debt that demands repayment — it waits for a natural trigger.
Zero interest — always
The CLA carries 0% interest for its entire life. We don't charge you for time. The only upside we get is the conversion discount when you raise.
You raise ≥£400K
The CLA automatically converts to equity at a 20% discount to the round price (or at the valuation cap — whichever is lower). Standard convertible mechanics used across the industry.
Company is acquired
We convert and participate in the exit alongside you as a shareholder, on the same terms. We succeed when you succeed.
No raise after 24 months?
No panic. We sit down and agree a fair path forward together — equity conversion, instalments, or another structure that works for both sides. Multiple options, no pressure.