Raise & Runway Launches in London: A New Community for Founders Exploring Growth Credit

Growth credit has changed. It is no longer a workaround for founders who cannot raise equity. Used properly, it is a tool that the most sophisticated scale-ups are already building into their funding structures. The problem is that most founders still do not know when to use it, how to structure it, or what questions to ask the people writing the cheques. Raise & Runway was built to close that gap.

On 10th June, SuLe and Mountside Ventures launched the community at an evening in London that brought together Series A+ founders, lenders, advisors, and specialist lawyers in one room for the first time.

Guests arrived from 6.30pm for drinks and introductions. At 7.30pm, a panel of industry voices set the record straight on growth credit: how it works, who it is for, and what the market looks like right now. Panellists included Hayden Smith from Mountside Ventures, alongside Mousa Yassin, Freddie Kalfayan, and Freddie Lavender.

The guest list was structured deliberately. One representative per lender, to keep the room balanced. Advisors who understand how these deals are structured. Lawyers who make them happen. And founders who came to learn, ask questions, and connect with the people who could genuinely help them.

Raise & Runway was built with the founding support of HSBC Innovation Banking, Mishcon de Reya, and CMS. Their involvement from the earliest stages reflects a shared belief that founders deserve better access to the full range of funding options available to them. HSBC Innovation Banking is a specialist division of HSBC dedicated to supporting startups, scale-ups, and growth-stage companies, offering venture debt, core banking services, and global networks to founders from Series A to exit. Mishcon de Reya and CMS bring deep expertise in the legal structures that underpin growth credit deals, and their commitment as founding law firm partners gives the community a foundation built on genuine sector knowledge. Mountside Ventures, Europe's leading startup and VC accelerator, co-hosted the evening and brought a dedicated growth credit advisory team and founding membership of the UK's Growth Credit Association.

The launch party was the start, not the centrepiece. Over the course of the year, Raise & Runway will host founder roundtables, dinners, padel games, and community breakfasts, all built around the same mission, connecting the people who need growth credit with the people who can help them use it well.

To find out more or get involved, visit raiseandrunway.com.