Make your company investable before you ask for the money.
PBS is an investment readiness and fundraising adviser to founders and boards in the UK and Benelux. We review your business as an investor would and fix the gaps in your story, deck and numbers. Then we stay with you through the raise and the deals that follow, usually for 3 to 12 months.
Standard price £250 / €300, free for a limited time
£250 / €300 (excl. VAT)Report within 5 days
A free, independent and comprehensive analyst report on your pitch deck
An independent and comprehensive analyst report on your pitch deck
Send us your pitch deck. Within 5 days you will receive a comprehensive analyst report* showing how investors are likely to read your business. It includes a financial model and forecasts.
Forecasts are indicative and based on the information you provide. The report does not include a valuation and is not investment advice or a recommendation to investors. We treat your deck as confidential and share it only with Fyva to prepare your report.
Standard price £250 / €300 (excl. VAT), free for a limited time: one per company, with no obligation.£250 / €300 (excl. VAT) per report, invoiced by PBS.Not ready to send a deck? Try the readiness check first.
* Fyva, an AI research platform, produces the report for PBS. PBS does not prepare or check its content. As far as the law allows, PBS accepts no responsibility or liability for the report or decisions based on it.
PBSComprehensive analyst report
Prepared for: your company
Business
Market
Traction
Forecasts
Free
£250 €300
PBS in numbers
£1bn+Investment worked on to date
6,000+Non-executive investors in our network
2Markets: the UK and Benelux
How long we work with clients
3 to 12months
We stay with our clients from the first review to the close of the round, and often afterwards. One adviser who knows your business, from start to finish.
Neil Rafferty, CEO
Our approach
What makes investors say yes?
Investors back businesses they understand and teams they trust.
Readiness
Would the business stand up to due diligence?
Proof of demand, credible numbers and a clean structure.
Clarity
Can an investor explain your business after one meeting?
A clear story and a model you can defend.
Profile
Do the right investors already know who you are?
Investors respond better to warm introductions than cold emails.
Process
Are you prepared for how a raise actually runs?
A realistic timetable and the right investors.
The funding journey
Where you are shapes what investors need to see
Each stage attracts different investors and needs different proof.
1Pre-seed
Proving the idea
Typical investorsFounders, friends and family, early business angels
Time the sale and prepare the business for buyers.
Services
How can PBS help my company?
Use any service on its own or combine them into one programme. We shape the work around your stage, your market and the deal ahead.
Profile and awareness
Build a credible presence in your market before you raise.
Positioning
Founder profile
LinkedIn and content
Events and speaking
Media readiness
Investment readiness
An investor’s-eye review, with a plan to fix the gaps.
Diagnostic
Gap plan
Data room
Fundraising advice
Round size, investor strategy, meetings and term sheets. We do not arrange or place investments.
Round strategy
Meeting prep
Term sheet review
Pitch and financial case
A deck and model that hold up under questioning.
Deck
Model
Valuation
Strategy
Growth and board planning for scaling or entering new markets.
Market entry
Board plans
M&A advisory
Buy-side and sell-side advice for owner-managed businesses.
Buy-side
Sell-side
Due diligence
Non-executive roles
6,000+non-executive investors
Independent board experience for growing and listed companies.
6,000+non-executive investors we can give you access to for board and advisory roles
Non-executive director (NED)
Board adviser
NED and investor network
A typical engagement
What happens when we work together?
Five steps, from diagnosis to board support.
Step 1
Diagnose
About 2 weeks
Review the business as an investor would.
Step 2
Prepare
4 to 8 weeks
Close the gaps: story, deck, model, data room.
Step 3
Raise
3 to 6 months
Prepare for meetings and keep momentum.
Step 4
Close
4 to 8 weeks
Advise on terms and due diligence with your lawyers.
Step 5
Board support
After the round
Board or advisory support to the company after the round.
Where we work
Do you work in the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands?
London, Brussels and Amsterdam are a short train ride apart, but law, investors and habits differ.
One adviser across London, Brussels and Amsterdam.
BE/NLUK
Benelux companies raising in the UK
Present your business the way UK investors expect.
UKBE/NL
UK companies entering the Benelux
Plan your entry into Belgium, the Netherlands and the wider Benelux.
UKBE/NL
Cross-border deals
Work through differences in law, tax and negotiating style.
General information only, not tax or legal advice. We work with qualified lawyers and tax advisers in each country.
Readiness check
Are you ready to raise?
Eight questions investors will ask. Tick the ones you can answer yes to today.
Our associate networkPBS has a significant network of associate advisers and investors across the UK and Benelux. We bring them in as the work requires.
Legal
Investors
Tax
Corporate finance
PBS
M&A
Accounting
Sector experts
Board members
About
About PBS
PBS (Portent Business Services) is an advisory firm for growing companies and their boards.
We have sat on both sides of the table, as advisers and as board members.
Neil Rafferty
CEO, PBS
Neil has spent much of his career in the telecoms and technology sectors, holding a variety of senior executive positions. He has worked on more than £1bn of investment and served on the boards of several UK listed companies. These include World Chess Plc (LSE: CHSS), where he was a non-executive director from 2023 to 2026. Today he advises founders and boards in the UK and Benelux on investment readiness, fundraising, strategy and M&A. He leads each PBS engagement personally, from the first review to board support.
Investment readiness means your company can stand up to an investor's questions before you ask for money. That means proof of demand, credible numbers, a clean structure, a clear deck and a ready data room. Founders who get these right raise faster and lose fewer investor contacts along the way.
How long does it take to get investment ready?
Most PBS clients take 3 to 12 months from the first review to the close of their round. The review itself takes about 2 weeks. Closing the gaps in your deck, model and data room usually takes 4 to 8 weeks. The raise then runs for 3 to 6 months.
What is included in the free analyst report on my pitch deck?
The report shows how investors are likely to read your business. It covers your investment case, market and competition, traction and business model, key risks and a financial model with forecasts. It does not include a valuation. Send your deck in English and you will receive the report within 5 days.
Does PBS find investors or raise money for my company?
No. PBS advises your company on getting ready to raise and on running the process. We do not arrange, place or promote investments, and PBS is not authorised by the FCA, FSMA or AFM. Where a deal needs an authorised firm, we work alongside one or refer you to one.
Do you work with companies in the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands?
Yes. We work with founders and boards in all three countries. That includes Belgian and Dutch companies raising in the UK and UK companies entering the Benelux. We work in English, French and Dutch and bring in qualified lawyers and tax advisers in each country.
What do investors look for before they invest in a start-up?
Investors want proof of demand, numbers that hold up, a team they trust and a clear plan for the money. They also check the company structure and cap table early. A short, clear deck and a ready data room make that review quicker and easier for everyone.
Can PBS help me find a non-executive director?
Yes. Neil Rafferty has served on the boards of several UK listed companies and can take board or advisory roles himself. Through our network, you can also reach more than 6,000 non-executive investors seeking board and advisory roles.
How does an engagement with PBS work?
Every engagement follows five steps: diagnose, prepare, raise, close and board support. We start by reviewing your business as an investor would, then close the gaps before you meet investors. During the raise we prepare you for meetings and help you keep momentum, then advise on terms with your lawyers.
Contact
Tell us about your next round or deal
The first call is free and there is no obligation. Tell us where you are and what you would like to do.
Email
neil.rafferty@portent.be
Belgium
+32 (0)474 564 000
United Kingdom
+44 (0)7801 712178
Legal information
Regulatory status
PBS is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (UK), the FSMA (Belgium) or the AFM (Netherlands). It does not carry on regulated activities. PBS advises companies and their boards on strategy, investment readiness, preparation for fundraising and corporate transactions. It does not give investment advice to investors. It does not arrange, place, promote or execute transactions in shares or other investments. It does not hold client money or assets. PBS acts only for its client company, not for investors, buyers or other parties. Where a transaction requires an authorised firm, PBS works alongside one or refers the client to one. Nothing on this website is an offer, invitation or inducement to invest, and it is not a financial promotion. The information on this website is general in nature and is not legal, tax or investment advice.
Privacy notice
Who we are. Portent Business Services SRL (PBS), Avenue du Fond des Carpes 5, 1380 Lasne, Belgium (enterprise no. 0879.563.633), is the data controller for personal data collected through this website. Contact: neil.rafferty@portent.be.
What we collect and why. If you contact us, we use your name, company, email address and message to reply to your enquiry and, if you become a client, to provide our services. The legal basis is our legitimate interest in responding to enquiries, or steps taken at your request before entering into a contract (GDPR Art. 6(1)(b) and (f)).
Sharing. We do not sell your data. We share it only with service providers who support our email and IT systems, under appropriate agreements, or where the law requires it.
Pitch decks. If you send us a pitch deck for an analyst report, we share it with Fyva (Machine Analyst), a company registered in England and Wales (no. 15083875), which prepares the report for us on a confidential basis. The UK is covered by an EU adequacy decision. We use your deck only for that report and delete it within 12 months unless you become a client.
Retention. Enquiries that do not lead to an engagement are deleted within 12 months. Client records are kept for as long as required by Belgian accounting and tax law.
Your rights. You can ask to access, correct, delete or restrict use of your data, object to its use, or receive a copy. Email us to do so. You can also complain to the Belgian Data Protection Authority (Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit / Autorité de protection des données).
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