shipshape.vc

shipshape.vc is a free investor search engine, enabling you to search investors and investments by topics.

CEO and Co-Founder

Cambridge Judge Business School

Guest speaker for MBA and MFin lectures on the importance of Investor Fit in the Venture Capital industry and how technologies currently being developed will make this easier.

Guest Speaker

TAINA Technology Limited

-	Produced financial model, collateral and managed prospective VC and institutional investor communications that ensured valuations between 8-10X end of year ARR, leading to term sheets
-	Delivered 60% of new revenues in 2019
-	Won key first clients in the crypto and stock-trading segments
-	Negotiated key customer contracts, ensuring the business could price higher than competitors through a superior offering
-	Established a presence in the USA as part of international expansion (pre-US incorporation)
-	Co-designed and produced a retail customer-facing web and mobile web application to early adopter clients, from a business (non-technical) perspective (B2B2C distribution model)
-	Managed the successful go-live of said app, ensuring customer and compliance needs from application were met by the Technology and Compliance teams
-	Created training manuals and processes for client customer service teams to manage exception handling
-	Solicited and fed customer feedback into roadmap, produced business cases and championed customer needs with high value generating potential
-	Managed, maintained and upsold key client relationships
-	Designed and produced marketing and sales collateral, managed website re-design
-	Responsible for prospect demonstrations in key growth segments
-	Trained new users on the platform, requiring a detailed knowledge of the system and architecture
-	Invited on the Oracle podcast to discuss TAINA, Data & Analytics
-	Represented TAINA at events and in publications, including a DIT event in Frankfurt and in L39 publications.
-	Managed market communications specific to B2B and B2B2C distribution model of the business, ensuring regular feeds of market news.
-	Co-ordinated office move
-	Trained team members in production of collateral, account management and demonstrations 
-	Key decision maker for non-technical business hires
-	Successfully applied to the Morgan Stanley Multi-Cultural Innovation Lab as part of a team

Commercial and Communications Lead

Axis Corporate

Leading European Fintech: 
- Building a business on DLT for international remittances and lending platform. Activities include economic modelling, business analysis, competitor analysis, vendor negotiations, pricing strategy, customer journey mapping and client relationship management.  
- Creating Funding applications; Strategy, Product road map, commercialisation of core technology, financial sector partnership and distribution model strategy.
Leading European Fintech:
- Producing a report on market entry strategy and product alignment. Including TAM, SAM, SOM analysis, assessing likely demand for a groundbreaking financial product.
Other:
- Advising Fintechs and FIs on application to the Alternative Remedies Capability and Innovation Fund

Senior Consultant

Leading UK Bank: 
  - Assisted Branch rationalisation and Bank digitisation Programme
  - Digital tool selection, business case writing, Fintech partnership co-ordination

UK Challenger Banks and Fintechs:
  - RBS Alternative Remedies package Capability and Innovation fund strategic advisory

Head of Fintech partnerships: 
      - Ecosystem integration and evolution (technical and process)
      - Regulated DLT e-money payments and micro-payments projects 
      - Durable Media Proof of Concept
      - Business Case and senior stakeholder buy-in

Consultant

UKIMUN

Games and events company specialising in competitive game-ification around elections and other political scenarios. 
Basic data model creation for US and UK election scenarios.

Co Founder

Public Sector Security Services  – Project Manager and Business Analyst					
Led Software as a Service based project. Including: 
- Led process design for new software development marketplace project
- Management of multiple stakeholders senior to him both inside CSC and from other towers in a SIAM model
- Supported the transition of new joiners to CSC, acting in an ambassador role to multiple new work streams
- Delivered several process analyses, delivering better value to the client

Global Insurer Next-Generation IT Operating Model - Business Analyst				
- Assisted the design of a Digital TOM to enable more rapid product and service development. 
- Ensured digital strategy cohesion; combining the CSC digital vision for a Global Insurer's Operations with the vision of the client. 
- Managed internal stakeholders in an engagement with multiple moving parts.

MiFiD II impact assessment for Global FS Institution 
- Organisational impact analysis
- Recommendations on impacted business areas

Next-Generation IT Operating Model 
- Produced impact analysis for IT TOM for future integration of big data, BI, automation and hybrid cloud capabilities 
- Produced technology maturity matrix for future integrations as part of strategic change roadmap

Achievements:
- Created CSC viewpoint on the new EU-US Data Privacy Shield Agreement (data privacy)
- Co-authored CSC's thought leadership on Next-Generation Digital Target Operating Models
- Impact Analysis of MiFID II regulations on a Global Financial Institution
- Assisting with development of a Future Target Operating Model and future strategy for a global Financial Services firm
- Software Development Marketplace for Public Sector
- PRINCE II Foundation certified

Associate Consultant

thisislanguage.com

- Led business development in the UK market and assisted with US market growth
- Assisted the design of future growth strategy following a successful funding round
- Produced a phased business growth plan based upon demographic hotspots
- Assisted agile product development feedback loop from customer interactions

Account Executive & future strategy planner (Edtech startup)

- KYC reviews of High Risk and Ultra High Risk institutional clients

Senior Associate

CfBT Education Trust

- Business process re-engineering
- Business Analysis
- Proof reading of policies and standards

(Hays Contractor) Data Analyst - Agresso Project

Sovereign Housing Association

- Communications with stakeholders throughout the group
- Housing Market Research & Review for Sovereign Living Operations Manager
- Research project for Board into possible compatibility of Islamic Finance with Social Housing
- Legal Administration of complex Shared-Ownership property sales (6 party conveyancing procedures)
- Internal and external stakeholder management

(Hays Contractor) Conveyancing co-ordinator and Market Researcher

shipshape.vc | the free investor search engine

building the free to use investment search engine at shipshape.vc

Daniel Sawko

Aarish Shah

EmergeOne

EmergeOne is a leading consultancy providing fractional CFO support to venture backed tech startups from seed to Series B.

We help founders get the most out of their capital, streamline financials, and manage investor relations so they can focus on scaling.

Our clients are some of the fastest growing startups backed by funds like Hoxton Ventures, Stride, Playfair, Octopus, Outlier Ventures, Founders Factory and more.

Founder

Nothing Ventured Podcast

Talking to operators and investors, listening to the stories we never heard from the folk that make the startup world go round.

Navigator and Host

Ashore

Angel Investor

Odin

MΛGIC

London Venture Capital Network

Advisor

consilience

Global Expert Member

The NEF+ Programme - Centre for Entrepreneurs

Mentor

Virgin StartUp

Projected

Make better decisions. Your business projected.

I’ve spent almost two decades operating as a CEO or CFO in SME’s. I’ve also executed greenfield projects and secured over $10 million in venture, debt, and working capital funding. 

As a CFO and founder myself, I know that building a venture that’s scaling quickly is not like building any other kind of business. I also believe that access to knowledge and experience around finance shouldn’t be a barrier to growth. 

Because of these principles, EmergeOne was founded - a leading consultancy that provides Fractional CFO support to venture backed tech startups and scaleups from Seed to Series B.

It’s my mission to change the way scaling companies run finance so that we can work towards changing the future of this space.

Our team of Fractional CFOs at EmergeOne have collectively raised tens of millions, been involved in 9 figure exits, and have worked with clients that are some of the UK’s fastest growing startups and scaleups backed by funds like Stride, Playfair, Octopus, Founders Factory, Hoxton Ventures and more. 


Alongside building EmergeOne, I’m the host of Nothing Ventured, a podcast created to shine a light on the stories of those who make the startup world go round.

Watch & subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@nothingventuredpodcast 

I’m also the author of Off Balance, a weekly newsletter that explores the intersection of finance, tech, startups and venture. 

Sign up here: https://off-balance.beehiiv.com/ 


If you can't already tell by my LinkedIn posts, my core purpose in life is to inspire, educate and empower people.

That’s why I’m so passionate about fuelling startup and founders growth - whether that’s helping businesses scale through EmergeOne, educating people on the early stage tech and venture ecosystem with my content or sharing my knowledge and expertise through mentorship.

With that in mind, if you’ve got any questions about finance, VC or tech, please do book in with my office hours and grab 15 mins with me for free: https://calendly.com/aarish_shah 


And in the meantime, stay liquid :)

Business advisory providing Part Time and Portfolio Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Finance Director (FD) and finance ops services to startups and growth ventures.

We help you build a better finance stack.

Financial Modelling
Financial and Business Strategy
Financial Planning and Analysis
Treasury and Cash Management
Debt and Equity raises
Performance Dashboarding

This week I am going to be interviewing the ex President and CFO of Softbank Group International and later in the day, the founder of Docusign.

When I started recording Nothing Ventured from my bedroom whilst we were coming out of lockdown number 3 as a way to stave off the boredom I had no plan, no objective - other than to have great conversations with the people behind the stories that make the venture ecosystem go around.

Happy to report that that hasn't changed.

Just awesome conversations with awesome people who have done awesome things.

Words cannot describe how fortunate I feel to be able to do this.

In a world where AI trash is filtering through everything, I'm proud to fly the flag for meaningful discussions with real people doing smart things.

Blessed.

Helping venture backed founders scale | $500M+ in exits & capital raised | Bootstrapped EmergeOne to ​>$1M | Host of Nothing Ventured – real talk with VCs, founders & operators

Proud that EmergeOne | Fractional CFO services and Nothing Ventured are once again supporting the London Venture Capital Network's Venture Capital Winter Ball this year on 4 December 2025 in Central London.

Come along to one of the most glamorous evenings in Venture Capital, bringing together hundreds of investors, family offices, founders, and leaders from across the venture ecosystem.

The VC Winter Ball has sold out two years in a row and continues to be one of the standout community events of the year.

Details:

🔗 https://lu.ma/vcwinterball
📆 Thursday 4 December 2025
📍 Central London

Great catching up with Arthen Sirola-Hashemi yesterday and testing out his new AR game 👀

There are some people you know you're going to want to work with - in whatever capacity - and Arthen is definitely one of those people.

Reminded me why I love this ecosystem - there's always something new around the corner.

Excited to see what's coming next 🔥

No alternative text description for this image

Hi, Aarish here, your friendly neighbourhood CFO...

I asked around, and we don't want (or need) another dashboard that only tells part of the story and adds about as much value to the narrative as a dog turd on the company carpet.

Please stop telling me that yours is different because,,, AI.

It's not.

None of them ever are.

At least for now.

Genuinely trying to help you out guys, take your incredible talents and build something that actually matters.

Thank you for your attention in this matter.

Huge shout out to all the team at LaunchPod Studios who threw an absolute belter of a Christmas party for all us pod people last week 🎄

I was introduced to James Alexander back in January 2023 and it became pretty clear to me from just that initial meeting that I had found yet another brother from another mother ;)

He and I spend half our time in the studio recording and the other half cooking up crazy ideas - trying them and then (more often than not) kicking them into the long grass)💡

It's through the studio, James and his team (shout outs to Jesse Kettle, Ariella Binke and all the editors 🙌🏾) that we've grown the pod to hundreds of guests, thousands of views and just shy of 50k subscribers within the last 12 months 🚀

Was lovely to get to spend some time with the team and other hosts - good company, good pizza and some very nice personalised crackers - and maybe even an award or two 🤫

Here's to LaunchPod and what it allows me to do - spend hours of my time speaking to some of the smartest, most dedicated and fun people operating in the world of venture 💸

It's been a great 3 years already, and here's to a phenomenal 2026 too 🎧

What do you think this means?

Anecdotally (and from the deals that we get asked to engage in as CFOs), it's been clear that capital is flowing into fewer deals.

Part of this could be explained by the focus on foundational models and all things AI at the cost of everything else.

But, of course, part of it could be simply down to...

Less capital in the system - which is what Pitchbook's data and Sifted's headline below would seem to support.

We have seen tightening over the last few years for sure and if (as noted below), DPI has fallen off a cliff, it is unsurprising that LPs are running a little shy.

But venture is an inherently illiquid asset class. Last time I looked at the data, exits would take on average 13 years (often much longer).

So what do I think is happening?

I think this is the consequence of the hubristic pace of venture in the early 2020s. 

The bill is finally (albeit slowly) coming due.

As the whole ecosystem got juiced on excess liquidity, we're now seeing venture going through a cold turkey phase, everything, everywhere, all at once.

That coupled with concentration risk across "AI" is probably giving some investors pause for thought.

LPs not deploying, VCs not returning, Founders struggling to raise.

As always, we'll see some businesses that could have been great go to the wall, and we'll see others that raised at the right time survive that little bit longer.

Maybe if (when) the AI bubble pops or slowly deflates, we'll see capital flowing more broadly rather than into a few mega rounds into foundational models.

Or, maybe, with interest rates trending downwards, we'll see chequebooks opening up again.

The point is, it's incredibly unlikely we're seeing "the death of venture", maybe we're just seeing a less exhuberent, more cautious approach to what (and who) actually creates value. 

Not just who raised the largest round.

taplio

The Battle

Daniel Sawko

Aarish Shah

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taplio

The Battle

Daniel Sawko

Aarish Shah

Followers

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Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Aarish Shah's LinkedIn Performance

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