Question deep dive: team

The foundation of any successful venture lies in the collective strength of its team. While your solution may evolve, the core problem you're addressing often remains constant. That's why we look for teams with unique expertise, experience and unwavering dedication to tackling significant social or environmental challenges.

Here are a few tips to help you demonstrate these qualities in your application to BGV’s Tech for Good programme.  

‍What do we want to see? 

• A team with unique expertise, well-positioned to deliver the solution. 
• A strong commitment to addressing the problem. 
• A track record of working together on the business or elsewhere (if your team has multiple people).   
• If you are a solo founder, tell us who is working with you on developing the solution and how you might grow the team in the future.
• Evidence of your execution abilities.
  

Tips for writing a great answer

• Focus your answer on the founding team. As founders, you will be responsible for running and growing the business. While advisors can provide critical strategic support, at this stage, we want to learn more about the team that will be running the business day-to-day. 
• Tell us how you know each other. Team dynamics can often make or break a business. This is why we love seeing teams with a track record of delivering results and who are committed to the business for the long run. 
• Don’t simply list your credentials. Instead, tell us about your achievements and what makes them relevant to your business. 

‍Example

Great teams take different shapes, so above all we want to understand why your team is the right one for your venture. Here’s an example of an answer from Vouchsafe, a BGV portfolio company that participated in the Spring 2024 programme: 

“Vouchsafe was co-founded by Jaye and Chloe:
JAYE, a former designer and technologist with experience doing innovation and digital work for charities, local government and start-ups. Jaye worked for the design-led change agency FutureGov for three years.
In 2020, Jaye was responsible for the early work on what became the NHS coronavirus contact tracing app.
CHLOE, a former researcher for Universal Credit and HM Courts and Tribunals Service. She has in-depth knowledge of how these services work and how they're failing the people who need them most.
Chloe is the reason it's possible to claim UC without a fixed address.”

‍Before you apply… 

• Visit our website for more information on our offer. 
• Look out for posts in our blog on best practices from top applicants to our programmes. 
• One reason we may not accept you into the programme is if your idea competes with one of our portfolio companies. See who we’ve invested in so far here.
• Check out this page to sign up for our Q&A events or submit a form to talk to our team. 
• To stay up to date with all the latest tips and information on applications, follow us on X and Linkedin or sign up to our newsletter.

‍Applications will be open until 23:59, 28th of July 2024. Good luck!