LinkyThinks empowers children by linking different ways of thinking to foster creativity, academic success, and emotional expression. Through engaging online classes and resources, LinkyThinks equips the next generation with essential skills that many adults struggle with, ensuring they have a strong foundation to carry them into adulthood.
We've returned to Connectd repeatedly for advice on our pitch deck and rebuilding the financial model, and all of that has been incredibly valuable. We're now not only raising but might even be closing our first round in the next few weeks, almost certainly due to our relationship with Connectd and their analysts.
Tell us a bit about your startup
LinkyThinks is an education company. We’ve done various things, including online teaching and publishing, but our main focus now is a digital learning platform for primary-age children across the English-speaking world. It teaches critical life skills like critical thinking, social and emotional literacy, alongside school curricular. It’s something that’s never been done before in this way.
How did Connectd support you with your pitch deck and financial modelling?
We started working with Connectd in 2022 when we realised we needed to raise external capital but didn’t know where to begin. Connectd helped us with the pitch deck and financial model, which was a completely new process for us. They guided us through a fact-finding process, and in the end, we had a comprehensive financial model that showed how we could scale the business.
Even though we went through a company evolution and didn’t use the initial iterations, the experience was invaluable. We’ve continued working with Connectd, and thanks to their support, we’re now close to closing our first round of funding.
Has Connectd helped you secure advisors?
Yes, Connectd helped us understand the value of having board advisors. They connected us with an EdTech specialist who’s been advising us, and recently, we’ve onboarded another advisor with a different skill set. Both have been instrumental in helping us scale the business and bring in fresh perspectives.
How important is it to have expert advisors as a first-time founder?
As a first-time founder, having advisors has been far more important than I anticipated. Advisors bring a specialised skill set without the liability of full-time staff, allowing us to track improvements while keeping costs low. We’ve grown significantly since bringing on two advisors, and it’s made a huge difference in our progress.
How has working with Connectd changed your business plan?
Working with Connectd helped us understand that raising funds isn’t the end goal but a means to achieve our purpose in children’s education. Every rejection we faced became an opportunity to improve our product and approach.
Over time, our strategy has evolved, and we’ve become more investable, allowing us to raise funds, grow the business, and adjust our plan to meet our larger purpose.
How do you see investor reporting impacting your time, and how can Connectd's automated tools help?
Investor reporting takes up a lot of time, especially when you’re constantly working and raising funds. We currently send weekly updates to potential and current investors, which is time-consuming. The prospect of automating that process through Connectd’s reporting tools is really exciting and could save us valuable time.
