A brand that has just raised money usually has a plan to spend it, and growth plans tend to include marketing, content and brand. Here are the free ways to find UK brands that have just raised, and how to approach them without being the hundredth "congrats on the round" email.
Free places to find new funding
1. Companies House share filings
When a company issues new shares it files a return of allotment (form SH01), often before any announcement. Follow the brands you care about and Companies House will email you when they file. The full method is in how to use Companies House to find new clients.
2. Weekly funding roundups
UKTN publishes a weekly roundup of UK tech funding deals. It leans towards tech, but consumer apps, food tech and direct-to-consumer brands appear regularly.
3. Regional business news
Local business pages report raises from local companies that national press ignore. Read the business section of your regional paper and your area's business news site every week. A local brand that has just raised is a natural client for a local creative.
4. Grants
Grant money counts too. UKRI's Gateway to Research lists projects funded by UKRI, including Innovate UK. Regional development agencies such as Invest NI and Scottish Enterprise also announce the companies they back.
5. LinkedIn
Founders and investors post about new rounds. Follow the investors active in your sectors, and the founders of brands on your wish list.
Is this raise worth pitching?
- What's the money for? Read the announcement. "Expanding into UK supermarkets" or "building the brand" is your opening. "Hiring engineers in Berlin" probably isn't.
- Where's the growth? Money for a US launch will mostly go to US creatives.
- Who will decide? A small brand's founder still picks suppliers; a larger one will have a marketing lead.
How and when to approach
Don't lead with the money. Lead with the plan they announced and one specific idea for it. Plans for new money usually take shape over the following weeks and months, so there's no need to email on day one, when every inbox is full. The pitch timing tool gives you dates and an opening line, and the Series A playbook covers what usually happens after a raise.