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

Vasily Alekseenko

Rare Founders

Founder of one the of the most popular regular in-person networking and pitching events for founders and investors in London.  
- 600+ registrations per event
- 50% attendance rate
- 60% - founders, 15% - investors, 25% - other industry professionals

Bringing more world changing business ideas to live by building the bridge between founders and investors, through harnessing the power of founders and investor community.

Founder

Superoom

Investor

AirZones

Groq

Varda Space Industries

Perplexity

Audiomob

OpenAI

Founders Capital

Member

Equitas

Founder of AI-powered b2b marketplace for wellness classes and webinars / Raising pre-seed / SEIS & EIS available

Founder of Rare Founders, aka the loudest, sassiest startup community in London. Think of us as the people shaking up the room, asking, “Why aren’t these insanely brilliant founders being noticed?!”

It all started in Feb 2023, when I decided to host an event in a pub (because obviously, pubs make everything better). No budget, no marketing—just vibes. Somehow, 500 people signed up, and 250 actually showed up. Turns out, founders love a mic and a pint. From there, things exploded. Now we run 30+ events a year, and no two are ever the same. Why? Because we don’t do boring.

Fast forward to 2024, and we launched London’s Largest Demo Day. Picture this: 100 founders pitching their guts out to a room packed with 200 investors and 800 attendees, all pretending they’re not sweating. Oh, and we left another 200 poor souls on the waitlist (because FOMO is real). We’re not just building events—we’re building moments people won’t shut up about.

I believe the world is full of RARE founders with ideas so groundbreaking they make the rest of us look lazy. But here’s the thing: most of them don’t get the spotlight they deserve. That’s where Rare Founders comes in. We’re here to shine a massive, unfiltered light on these visionaries and connect them with the investors, resources, and platforms they need to thrive.

Yes, I’m also an angel investor, but don’t slide into my DMs begging for cash (seriously, don’t). If you’ve got something brilliant, head to www.rarefounders.com, and I’ll make sure your pitch lands where it needs to.

Investors, if you’re tired of sitting through dull decks and lukewarm pitches, join our community. We’ll hook you up with top-tier deal flow, so you don’t have to wade through the nonsense.

When I’m not creating chaos in the startup world, I’m hanging out with my dogs, running (so I can eat more carbs later), listening to weird sci-fi books, or trying even more weird wellness hacks like cold showers, fasting, and, yes, ayahuasca (don’t knock it till you try it).

I get a ton of messages on LinkedIn, and while I’d love to say I respond to everyone instantly, I’m not a robot. Check www.rarefounders.com first—it’s probably got what you’re looking for.

💥 Pitch your startup:  
 
- Max 4 words          
- Add your link                 

Seen by 108,000 people last time.       

Yes, it counts as marketing, go!🚀

Founder @ Rare Founders - one of the largest startup communities in the UK 🦄 Angel Investor 😇 (not actively investing atm) 🤝 LGBTQ+ 🏳️‍🌈 Creator of London’s Largest Demo Day 💸

Power dynamics in the startup world

Does having money mean you have power? I personally don’t think so.

For me, money gives you freedom to do what you actually want. And then it’s up to you how you use that freedom.

Unfortunately, not everyone uses it for good.

Being in the centre of a startup community, I see again and again how some investors abuse their position. It doesn’t happen all the time, but these stories exist — and most of them never see the light of day because founders are scared to speak up and risk scaring off future investors.

At one of our recent events, I met a founder who told me a story about a very “known” individual from the VC world. They bumped into each other at a few events and realised they were neighbours. After one of the events, this investor she trusted straight up offered her to go to his car and f***. She said no, and he immediately threatened her — saying that if she ever mentions this to anyone, he’ll make sure no investor in the UK will ever talk to her again and that no one would believe her anyway.

Another story happened to me recently. I politely refused entry to an event to one so-called “investor” who I’d had a horrible experience with during my previous business. His reply (unedited):

“I would never consider coming to any gay a** event by you and your LGBTQ racist/homophobic crowd. I actually considered (and still am) suing you for defamation/libel for previous public statements on LinkedIn where you made false accusations after declining your previous failed startup, you lying c**t.
Now f**k off and never contact us again.”

And yet… the majority of investors I’ve met on my journey are genuinely good humans. But there are bad apples, and I want founders to be aware of it.

It’s a shame this exists. It’s a shame that this perceived “power” gets used to abuse people and take advantage of them.

The sad thing is — none of this can be found online. I wish the female founder I spoke to would speak up, but I understand the risks for her. Same with me — I wish I could mention the name of the investor who sent me that message, but a) I don’t have time for this nonsense, I need to focus on building Rare Founders, and b) I can’t afford to deal with court threats even though I have enough evidence against him and it wouldn’t be in his interest anyway.

But make no mistake — all of this is being discussed in closed founder communities, including ours on WhatsApp.

And my message to all these bad players — don’t think for a second that your actions go unnoticed. Founders talk. Karma is a b***h. And eventually, it will hit you.

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𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲: 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼-𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀… 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗲𝘀, 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗜’𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁 😅.
 
That’s why we created an event to match founders! 𝟭𝟱𝟬+ 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 pitched, networked, and hunted for their perfect co-founder – idea or no idea, tech or non-tech, nothing held them back.
 
🎤 Mic issues? No problem. Founders went on top of tables to pitch their visions. Some seriously cool matches were made… could you be next?
 
𝗔 𝗵𝘂𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀 & 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀: Sprinto, OVHcloud,  ETA Technologies, SafeSpace Plus ™ 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 45 Curtain Road 🏙️

Watch the pitches, find your co-founder, and stay tuned even more epic founder events are coming next year! 
🔗 Link in the comments.

𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸! 

Bigger, wilder, and ready to break last year’s chaos record 🎉

Powered by OVHcloud & Sunrise Technology Services 🎄✨ With SeedLegals, Scribe, SafeSpace Plus ™ and The Ministry behind the magic. 

This is 𝗧𝗛𝗘 night founders don’t dare miss.

Link in the comment

If you think you’ve been to a good Christmas party, give it a week the 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆 is about to set a new benchmark. 🎉

Thank you to our organizing partners SeedLegals & Scribe 🎄

Shout out to our sponsors & partners OVHcloud, Sunrise Technology Services, Zendesk, K3C Ltd, dzango, The Story Club, Nine Thread Studio, Immersia XR, SafeSpace Plus ™, EventWell®, Valeriia Milenina & Snapshot Selfiebooth and The Ministry for turning the chaos into magic.

If you're keen to get your company seen in front of our 1400+ sign ups, reach out to Fraya Brinkman! 

𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.

𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹.

Bigger. Louder. Messier (in the best possible way) 🎉

Powered by OVHcloud & Sunrise Technology Services 🎄✨ with SeedLegals, Scribe, SafeSpace Plus ™, EventWell®, Zendesk, K3C Ltd, dzango and The Ministry turning the chaos into magic.

Miss this? Your FOMO will be catastrophic.

Link in the comments.

taplio

The Battle

Daniel Sawko

Vasily Alekseenko

Followers

Posts

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Performance ScoreVasily Alekseenko's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Daniel Sawko

Vasily Alekseenko

Followers

Posts

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);}Vasily Alekseenko's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreVasily Alekseenko's LinkedIn Performance