Articles by Sean Duffy | Startups Magazine

Sean Duffy

Sean Duffy is Managing Director at CIBC Innovation Banking in the UK & Europe. He joined CIBC Innovation Banking in 2021 to head up its new office in London after more than two decades working in banking and technology. Sean and his team support the ambitions of European-based entrepreneurs and their VC-backers by providing growth capital across a number of innovation ecosystems. With a growing footprint in key European tech hubs including the UK, Germany, Ireland and the Nordics, Sean supports technology companies throughout their entire lifecycle, from startup to IPO and beyond. Sean draws on 25 years of experience in the banking sector with a focus on technology companies and the broader innovation economy. Prior to CIBC Innovation Banking, Sean was Managing Director, TMT Group, at Barclays for more than a decade. He holds a PhD in Theoretical Physics from the University of Sheffield.

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What high-growth companies should know about the venture lending banks vs fund divide

Venture debt financing is an increasingly popular source of funding for growth companies in Europe, reaching record highs in 2024 with a deal value of €25.4 billion, according to PitchBook. With this growing interest, we are seeing a broader range of providers in the market, from established financial institutions to a wide range of funds.

Funding growth – which way forward for the founders?

Most founding management teams get going through a blend of funding from friends and family and good old boot-strapping. But as a high-growth company begins to prove that it has reached first base (let’s call that product-market fit), it will begin to appear on the radar of a broader range of investors.

Questions to ask when considering venture debt as a funding option

Debt funding can be a crucial form of growth financing for start-ups and scale-ups, many founders do not consider it as an option when raising capital. Yet with the right product – and often when combined with equity investment – debt funding can help supercharge a promising company’s growth opportunities, taking them from startup to a market leader.