The people building UK startups: profiles, decisions and lessons.https://dailytechtimes.co.uk/en-gbTue, 08 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMTeditor@dailytechtimes.co.uk (Daily Tech Times)editor@dailytechtimes.co.uk (Daily Tech Times)Copyright 2026 Daily Tech Times60https://dailytechtimes.co.uk/images/dailytechtimes-logo.pnghttps://dailytechtimes.co.uk/https://dailytechtimes.co.uk/vesting-and-cliffs-how-uk-founder-equity-vests-over-time/https://dailytechtimes.co.uk/vesting-and-cliffs-how-uk-founder-equity-vests-over-time/The near-universal UK standard is four-year vesting with a one-year cliff, meaning a founder or employee who leaves before their first anniversary walks away with none of their equity at all.Tue, 08 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMTSam AllcockFoundershttps://dailytechtimes.co.uk/uk-visa-routes-for-scaleup-hires-global-talent-and-skilled-worker/https://dailytechtimes.co.uk/uk-visa-routes-for-scaleup-hires-global-talent-and-skilled-worker/Hiring a non-UK national at a scaleup usually means one of two routes: the unsponsored Global Talent visa for recognised leaders in tech, or the employer-sponsored Skilled Worker visa, now raised to graduate-level roles. Here's how each actually works.Fri, 04 Sep 2026 06:00:02 GMTSam AllcockFoundershttps://dailytechtimes.co.uk/how-uk-cap-tables-work-and-why-keeping-one-clean-matters/https://dailytechtimes.co.uk/how-uk-cap-tables-work-and-why-keeping-one-clean-matters/A cap table is the master record of who owns what percentage of a company, and because every funding round and eventual exit is priced against it, an inaccurate or out-of-date one can cost a founder real money and real time to fix.Thu, 03 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMTSam AllcockFoundershttps://dailytechtimes.co.uk/angel-investment-vs-venture-capital-uk-founders/https://dailytechtimes.co.uk/angel-investment-vs-venture-capital-uk-founders/Angel investors and venture capital funds both back early-stage UK companies with equity finance, but they differ in whose money is at risk, how big a cheque they typically write, and what they expect in return.Thu, 03 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMTSam AllcockFoundershttps://dailytechtimes.co.uk/uk-innovator-founder-visa-explained/https://dailytechtimes.co.uk/uk-innovator-founder-visa-explained/The Innovator Founder visa is the UK's main route for a non-UK national to build a startup here, and it dropped the old £50,000 minimum investment requirement. Here's how it actually works.Thu, 03 Sep 2026 06:00:01 GMTSam AllcockFoundershttps://dailytechtimes.co.uk/do-insurance-and-founder-liability-uk-startup-directors/https://dailytechtimes.co.uk/do-insurance-and-founder-liability-uk-startup-directors/Directors and officers insurance covers the personal legal costs a director can face if a claim is made against them, and investors increasingly require it before they'll fund a round. Here's what it does and doesn't cover.Wed, 02 Sep 2026 06:00:01 GMTSam AllcockFoundershttps://dailytechtimes.co.uk/emi-share-option-schemes-explained-uk-startups/https://dailytechtimes.co.uk/emi-share-option-schemes-explained-uk-startups/Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI) is HMRC's tax-advantaged share option scheme built specifically for smaller, higher-risk UK companies, and its eligibility limits were substantially widened from April 2026.Tue, 01 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMTSam AllcockFoundershttps://dailytechtimes.co.uk/board-composition-and-investor-rights-what-a-uk-startup-board-seat-means/https://dailytechtimes.co.uk/board-composition-and-investor-rights-what-a-uk-startup-board-seat-means/An investor board seat is a legal appointment with real voting power, not a courtesy title. Here's what it actually gives an investor, how it differs from an observer seat, and what founders typically negotiate.Tue, 01 Sep 2026 06:00:01 GMTSam AllcockFoundershttps://dailytechtimes.co.uk/founder-equity-and-dilution-uk-funding-rounds/https://dailytechtimes.co.uk/founder-equity-and-dilution-uk-funding-rounds/Every funding round issues new shares, and issuing new shares reduces everyone else's percentage of the company, so understanding the mechanics of dilution helps you judge whether a round's terms are reasonable.Thu, 27 Aug 2026 08:00:00 GMTSam AllcockFounders