How do your fees and equity models work?
Our approach is flexible — designed to support the right businesses without putting unnecessary strain on early-stage founders.

• Fee-only: Most commonly for founders who have the budget to launch and want to retain their full equity.
• Equity involvement: Where budget is limited but the idea has strong scale potential and we believe in the founder.
• Blended models: Sometimes a combination of both — shaped by the scope of the work required and your situation.

Our fees are based on what it costs to launch properly — focused on what’s needed, filling the skill gaps, and avoiding wasted spend.
We don’t take equity too early, and we never take it where we can’t add real delivery value.

How much equity do you usually take if we work on an equity basis?
When we work on equity, it’s typically between 10% and 20%, depending on the project, the scale potential, and the level of hands-on involvement required.

We only consider equity involvement where we believe both the business and the founder are a strong bet — and where we’re confident we can help create the traction and proof that will increase valuation.

Why is early-stage dilution such a risk?
Because your equity is the most valuable thing you own — or it will be, once your business is proven.

Selling too much of it too soon (especially before launch or before traction) can leave you with very little upside just when things start to work.
Our job is to help founders avoid that trap by focusing on getting to proof first — so when funding conversations happen, they happen from a position of strength, not need.

Do you help with funding?
Yes — but not the way most accelerators or brokers do.
We don’t “sell” you to investors.
We help you build the business that investors want to back.

Our funding  support is focused on seed and early-stage VC — not speculative angels or pitch-list networks.

We use real-time valuation tracking via Kaaria.ai to ensure you can demonstrate value, not just talk about it.

When the business is ready, we help prepare for funding on the right terms, with the right partners.

What if I’m not sure if my business is at the right stage?
That’s what the first conversations are for.

We’ll ask the right questions to understand where you are, where the gaps are, and what it will take to move forward.

If we’re not the right fit, or if your next step is different from what we offer, we’ll always tell you early — and we’ll help signpost other options where we can.

We’re not here to take projects for the sake of it.
We’re here to build the ones that deserve to scale.

What types of businesses do you work with?
We work across scalable sectors — including but not limited to, SaaS, IoT, fintech, data services, software products, and advertising solutions.

We avoid highly regulated sectors like financial services and unregulated sectors like cryptocurrency.
Most of the founders we work with are either:

• Solo founders or small founding teams with strong industry knowledge but gaps in delivery skills.
• Early-stage businesses that need to structure their operations, build traction, and prepare for investment.
  

  ---

Does Active Mentor® take over the business if I get stuck or overwhelmed?
A: No. Active Mentor® is not a substitute founder or management agency. We operate on a co-execution model where you lead the business, and we build it with you. If you become inactive or stop making strategic decisions, we’ll pause the project or restructure it—but we never assume control without clear, written agreement.

What happens if I stop participating in the project or go quiet?
A: If you disengage (e.g. miss deadlines, stop making decisions, or become non-responsive), we’ll send a formal notice asking you to re-engage within 14 days. If not, the project may be paused or terminated, and any agreed equity will not be vested. We require consistent founder leadership to deliver results.

Can I rely on Active Mentor® to ‘just handle everything’ for me?
A: No. This is not a done-for-you service. Our most successful clients stay involved and make key decisions throughout. If you’re looking to hand off the entire business, we’re not the right partner.

What if I want to stop the project before we launch?
A: If you terminate the agreement early—or if your inactivity means we can’t proceed—a Break Fee applies. This compensates us for time, labour, and resources already invested. The amount depends on how far into the engagement we are.

How much is the Break Fee?
A:If you end the project within the first 6 weeks, the Break Fee is £1,000.

If you end it after 6 weeks but before launch, the fee is £500 per week of active support, up to a maximum of £5,000.

If we agreed on equity, but no sales were made (no vesting), you’ll owe the Break Fee instead.

Why does Active Mentor® charge a Break Fee?
A: Because we don’t just “advise”—we build your business with you. That means investing our time, tools, systems, and sometimes team resources. The Break Fee covers real commercial work already delivered if a project ends prematurely.

Do I get to keep the strategy or materials if I quit early?
A: Not unless you pay the Break Fee. All strategies, models, and documents remain our IP until your business launches (first sales) or the Break Fee is paid. This protects both parties and ensures fairness.

Want to understand more about how our fees and equity models work?
Whether we operate on a fixed-fee basis, equity involvement, or a blend of both, our focus is always the same:

Protecting your valuation, avoiding unnecessary dilution, and building your business the right way.