Gordon Bateman, Founder of ClimbUK and Investor Ladder, explores what we should borrow from our peers across the pond – and it’s not always capital.

We have the third largest global venture capital (VC) community. And with events like Climb creating critical bridges between northern founders and southern investors, it’s only growing stronger. Yet, many UK founders still believe the streets are paved with gold in the US – and increasingly in the Middle East.

While it’s true some founders can scale more easily abroad, it’s rarely about accessing more or better funds. It’s about culture. And if we want to take the UK ecosystem even further, that’s exactly where we should pay closer attention.

It’s not money, it’s mentality

Yes, some founders raise money more easily overseas. However, it’s not because there’s more cash. It’s because US funds are backed by industry leaders instead of finance moguls – people who prioritise potential over data sheets. If you’re a pre-MVP or early-stage business trying to raise in the UK, the need for early valuations – without traction or metrics to justify them – can be a major hurdle. With different investment models in the US, their focus isn’t only on flexibility, but on building belief systems that empower entrepreneurs.

We met Angus Young, the founder of an early-stage business, at Climb24, who had been told by UK angels and accelerators that his business “wasn’t strong enough”. But we knew the space and saw his spark. Through our network, we helped him reach the right people to build a board of creative industry heavyweights in California, including ex-Hollywood actor Jeff Cohen. This backing gave him traction in the US, and now UK investors are leaning in with connections, grants, and funding rounds to follow.

Then there’s a founder I advised in the US. I told him to stand in a well-known location and introduce himself to strangers, and he looked at me like I was mad. He called a few hours later, stunned, to say he’d met an influential Silicon Valley venture capitalist and now had his personal email. This almost absurd confidence is the norm in Silicon Valley, driven by a FOMO culture where anyone could be the next unicorn – but it’d feel alien somewhere like Manchester.

The cost of early belief

The 100-hour culture isn’t a myth. With early belief comes heightened expectations – high-multiple returns and follow-through on every word. Like Angus, you need to be able to explain – and prove – why you’re a $10 billion business with meticulous detail. Integrity is huge, and if you can’t deliver, investors will simply walk away.

This integrity goes both ways. Show conviction, and investors will be brutally honest about where to go next. This is the case post-investment in the UK too, but not so much during the pitching stage. Often, investors hedge honesty too much, defaulting to “too early” instead of giving constructive reasoning that helps entrepreneurs adapt. Equally, British founders are often too reluctant to question such limited rationale.

Collaboration needs curiosity

Too often in the UK, founders and investors only meet in formal settings. But you can’t always spot potential from across a table. And you can’t build trust from a one-sided pitch. That’s been clear throughout planning Climb: these are still two very different worlds, with little understanding of what the other actually needs. In the US, those lines are blurred in the best way, with its “coffee over credentials” culture helping to build a clearer understanding and ignite stronger connections.

I met a young entrepreneur recently. Recognising her spark, I sent a text to media powerhouse Peter Hutton, to say he should connect with her. Within a minute, he’d replied to say “of course” – because he trusts the vision of a fellow seasoned investor, and knows how rare and powerful a strong mindset is. Similarly, Apple’s tech director once gave an early-stage founder four hours of free mentoring, in his own home, because he was so invested in their potential.

This is happening more in the UK, but leading with curiosity needs to be the default. Less formality, more frequency. Less asking for money, more asking for time.

Mindset moves markets

In 35 years, I’ve never met an investor who said, “You could be the next Google, but you’re in the wrong city, so I’ll pass”. The best funds compete globally, and if you’ve got a make-it-happen mindset, they’ll be desperate to find a place for you – no matter where you’re based. This collaborative, people-first, belief-led culture is what truly scales startups. And it’s an empowering lesson we can leverage to make our thriving VC ecosystem even stronger.