Fundraising advisory for scale-ups: structure, speed and strategic capital

Raise capital for acceleration, not survival

Raising capital as a scale-up isn't about survival; it's about acceleration. You already have traction, revenue, and a team. Now you need capital that scales without losing control or clarity.

At dups, we help scale-ups raise and structure growth capital efficiently, aligning investors, valuation, and governance under one integrated legal and financial advisory. Whether you're preparing a Series B, a growth round, or a strategic investor entry, we turn complexity into a clear, executable process.

Why scale-up fundraising is different

Fundraising at scale-up stage introduces new challenges: institutional investors demanding deeper due diligence, complex ownership and option pool structures, international or strategic investors with long negotiation cycles, and the need for governance that supports future M&A or exit.

You're not pitching an idea; you're negotiating a partnership. That's why our role is to bridge legal, financial, and strategic priorities, so your deal structure supports long-term growth, not short-term valuation spikes.

Our scale-up fundraising process

1. Strategic and financial structuring

We start with your objectives (growth, acquisition, or partial liquidity) and define the optimal capital mix: equity vs. convertible vs. debt balance, valuation scenarios and sensitivity modeling, governance structure redesign, and option pool and management incentive plan calibration.

You'll know exactly how each funding option impacts ownership, control, and future rounds.

2. Investor engagement and negotiation

We prepare you for institutional conversations: investor targeting (growth funds, family offices, corporate investors), term sheet and investment memo drafting, negotiation of valuation, investor rights, and governance structure, and deal pacing and closing timeline management.

We've been on both sides of the table. We know what growth investors look for and how to position your deal to attract capital without overcommitting.

3. Legal documentation and execution

Once investors are onboard: drafting or reviewing investment agreements and shareholders' agreements (SHA), structuring convertible or hybrid instruments, aligning governance, reporting, and exit rights, and coordinating closing and post-closing governance.

Our legal and financial advisors work as one, eliminating disconnects between valuation, control, and compliance.

Typical scale-up use cases

Growth rounds (Series B or C)

Institutional investor onboarding, complex governance and board structure setup, and multi-jurisdiction fundraising alignment.

Strategic investor entry

Minority investments by corporates or industry players, strategic rights (IP, exclusivity, board observer seats), and negotiation of aligned growth objectives.

Bridge or secondary transactions

Existing investor liquidity structuring, convertible bridge notes, and cap table rebalancing pre-exit.

What makes dups different

Integrated legal and financial execution: no gaps between term sheet, valuation, and governance; we handle it all.

Growth-stage experience: we advise scale-ups that have already raised, hired, and expanded. We know the pace and expectations of professional investors.

Deal pragmatism: we optimize structure, not just documents. We focus on what accelerates and what protects.

Cross-border ready: we work with European, UK, and US investors, aligning legal frameworks and governance from day one.

Deliverables you can expect

We deliver growth-stage documentation built for acceleration:

• Growth capital structuring report
• Term sheet and investment memo
• Valuation model and scenario analysis
• Investment agreement or SHA drafting
• Option plan and governance design
• Closing and post-closing coordination

Every deliverable is custom-built for growth-stage fundraising, no startup templates, no legal overkill.