Resources

In their Autumn 2025 Budget, the government has confirmed a set of reforms that impact the UK’s early-stage start-up and scale-up ecosystem. These touch a range of topics relevant to the community. In order of importance: 1.     Reduced VCT tax relief (30%  20%) 2.     Increased EIS-eligible capital raising limits 3.     Increased EIS-eligible company size limits 4.     Expanded EMI limits 5.     Unchanged SEIS Below is a founder-friendly breakdown of the changes and how it

As your company prepares to raise venture capital, the legal foundations you put in place become as critical as your pitch. Investors aren’t just assessing your growth story - they’re assessing your structure, your documentation, and your ability to scale without friction. Clean ownership, protected IP, and coherent governance all become core to valuation, negotiation speed, and investor trust. Polly Mears, Associate in Lewis Silkin’s Venture Capital team, shares practical gu

As your company scales rapidly, the stakes around every hire shift from simply finding a good 'fit' to managing significant legal and operational risk. With capital at play and an expanding headcount, establishing a robust, objective hiring framework is critical for compliance and future funding due diligence. Sarah Armstrong, Senior HR Consultant at Lewis Silkin, shares essential, foundational guidance on how to formalise your recruitment process. These practices are crucial

Top tips on how to use your option pool to recruit, retain and motivate your staff. Why should we be thinking about share incentives? Motivating key staff to stay and grow your business should be central to your strategy, whatever your long-term goals – and that’s where longer-term share-related incentives play a key role. If you’re thinking ahead to exit, it will also be essential for any buyer to see a clear and effective share-linked incentive program in place for the righ