HOTBED
SaaS Programme
A free 6 week programme for SaaS startups raising their pre-seed or seed round
Hear what founders in past programmes have said about our programmes
Surpassed all expectations! Top drawer line-up of speakers. Mix of VCs and Founders, sharing views from each side of the fence. And it’s not just sit back and listen. Active participation and discussion encouraged throughout. In short - great learning experience meets otherwise difficult to make connections. Would love to do it over again!
There are quite a few startup programs around Europe, and I have attended several of them, but I have rarely found value and attention to each member as I have in The Hotbed. My team has benefited greatly from the drive to bring concrete results and at the same time from the information and notions shared within this program. It is no coincidence that the startups involved are also always high-profile, both professionally and humanely. Great selection, great content, a model for everyone who wants to get things done right.
I had an incredible experience with Hotbed Accelerate program. The quality of the programme and speakers was exceptional, and the support provided by the cohort was invaluable. The expertise and guidance provided by the speakers were top-notch, and the relationships I formed with other participants in the cohort will undoubtedly last for years to come.
SPEAKERS
Tom Foster-Carter
Founder, Lollipopai
Sara Osterholzer
Co-Founder, Second Voice Pro
Anthony Rose
Founder, SeedLegals
Sonia George
VC Investor at Ascension
Ben Whatley
Co-Founder, Memrise
Tayga Baltacioglu
Co-Founder, Debite
Olamide Ogunrinola
B2B software investor at Octopus
John Cassidy
Partner, Kindred Capital
Oli Hammond
Investor at Fuel VenturesWEEK-BY-WEEK BREAKDOWN
WEEK 1: PRICING STRATEGIES
Freemium? Free trials? Benchmarking? Balancing price with limited scope of MVP vs full product? User growth or revenue?During the first week, we'll dive into common challenges SaaS startups are faced with, and help you determine the best strategy for your startup.WEEK 2: YOUR GTM STRATEGY - VALUE VS. VIRALITY
Are you a product-led growth company, or should you build a strong marketing growth engine? Do you need a sales-led go-to-market? Is your growth fuelled by expanding your market share, the market expanding or the product developing/diversifying?In Week 2 we'll be looking into different strategies you can take to nail your GTM.WEEK 3: COMMERCIAL STRATEGY & SALES CYCLES
In Week 3 we'll cover TAM, SOM and SAM so you can execute your commercial strategy. Which market are you most confident you can win in? When do you say no to opportunities outside your initial GTM? How do you balance longer sales cycles with corporates when you need cash flow?WEEK 4: GETTING CUSTOMERS TO PAY, STAY AND REFER
In Week 3 we'll cover TAM, SOM and SAM so you can execute your commercial strategy. Which market are you most confident you can win in? When do you say no to opportunities outside your initial GTM? How do you balance longer sales cycles with corporates when you need cash flow?WEEK 5: GROWTH LEVERS
In Week 5, we'll focus on your execution of growth plans and what specific levers are right for you. We'll hear about which growth hacks have worked for other SaaS startups, and what hasn't (think referral programmes, upsell campaigns, testimonials, acquisition, PPC campaigns, partner programmes & more).WEEK 6: FUNDRAISING
Week 6 is all about fundraising. How can you stand out in the competitive SaaS startup space? What does 'great' look like to investors in terms of engagement and growth? What is the best way to cut through the noise? How early is too early? What's a fair valuation? We'll answer all these questions, and more (plus - get ready to practice your pitch!).I have been part of two Hotbed programmes already. And it keeps getting better. I have derived great value out of these. The line-up of speakers/industry experts is excellent! The co-hort group is very good with some excellent work being done. Ajit Barik, Founder @ WYZR
Hotbed provides a comprehensive program of essential webinars, peer support, and valuable resources to assist any entrepreneur in growing their startup. The program is designed to enable you to prioritise your business when necessary and work on it when time permits. The speakers' quality is unrivalled, and M & Perdie's format provides me with the most valuable insight from each speaker. This program and founder network is the best out there. Lucy Hall, Founder @ LOANHOOD
I can't thank Perdie and M enough for putting on such an effective programme. The quality and range of speakers was excellent, particularly the balance between investors and founders. From the start, the programme felt like a safe space, which allowed frank and genuine discussions and advice, which is invaluable. The level of time commitment expected from us a founders was bang on - not too much that we felt dragged away from running the business, but not too little to feel the course was lightweight. An unexpected bonus was the power of the cohort of fellow founders - not just a great network, but also reassuring to feel we are not alone in the challenges we face and with the highs and lows of start-up world.
Henry Fyson, Founder @ humanpeople
