Deliverable
An approved relationship brief and conversation materials.
Current priorities / Capital and exits
Bring the right capital or transaction counterpart into a substantive conversation.
Clarify the mandate, prepare credible context and coordinate relationships around an authorised capital raise, acquisition or exit process.
How the outcome takes shape
Capital raiseCapital purpose & investor mandateApproved investment process
Acquisition / exitStrategic rationale & counterpartyAuthorised transaction process
Shared relationship method · distinct permissions and decisions
Interest · diligence · signing · completion
Choose the transaction mandate
Capital raise
Define the purpose of capital, the contribution sought from investors, the approved information and the people authorised to discuss it. A useful first conversation tests whether the investor's mandate and the company's proposed direction warrant further discussion.
C4 · Investment process Approved investor materials, diligence and financing documentation, coordinated with the responsible finance team and advisers.
Acquisition or exit
Define whether you are evaluating an acquisition, exploring a sale or preparing another ownership transition. Clarify strategic intent, relevant counterparties and confidentiality boundaries. The first conversation tests strategic rationale and permission to explore; it does not presume a willingness to transact.
C4 · Transaction process Controlled information access, strategic assessment, diligence and transaction documentation, coordinated with authorised corporate teams and advisers.
Existing people may include investors, owners, board members, corporate development leaders or appointed advisers. Missing relationships may include a relevant investment partner, strategic buyer or acquisition sponsor. Each transaction has its own brief and permissions.
Conversion / Existing relationships
Establish fit through relevant existing relationships
Start with people who recognise the shared context or have had a genuine prior exchange with you.
At C4, the formal process follows the mandate. A raise may involve approved investor materials, diligence and financing documentation. An acquisition or exit may involve controlled information access, strategic assessment, diligence and transaction documentation. Responsible corporate teams and professional advisers own these processes, terms and approvals. StepUp prepares and coordinates the work within the agreed scope.
C1Prioritise existing relationships
Confirm relevant investors, owners, strategic counterparties and advisers, shared history and contact authority; prepare a permissioned relationship brief.
C2Open the right conversation
Use approved context to discuss capital purpose or transaction rationale; prepare a discreet opening and disclosure boundary.
C3Establish mutual fit
Test mandate alignment, contribution, timing, constraints and decision route; establish mutual interest in a defined financing or transaction discussion.
C4Progress the opportunity
Coordinate the authorised investment or transaction process, diligence requests, management discussions and next approvals with appointed advisers.
C5Sustain the relationship
Honour agreed updates and commitments after completion, withdrawal or delay; maintain appropriate investor or counterparty continuity.
Building / Missing relationships
Build the missing counterpart relationships
Build the missing relationships through a relevant contribution, a legitimate introduction or an appropriate direct approach.
A new person introduced by an existing contact starts in Building. The relationship with the introducer remains in Conversion.
B1Map missing relationships
Identify relevant investment decision makers or transaction sponsors absent from the current network; state why each fits the authorised mandate.
B2Prepare a credible route
Develop an authorised adviser introduction, mutual-contact route or relevant direct approach using approved information.
B3Open contact
Make the agreed approach through the permitted channel; record the recipient's actual response.
B4Establish a two-way relationship
Develop reciprocal exchange about mandate and strategic relevance, with an agreed route to continue.
Continue from the evidence you have
A trusted introduction may satisfy B2 and B3 together. A substantive exchange can satisfy B4 and C3 together when it establishes both a relationship and specific opportunity fit. Otherwise continue at the first unmet Conversion step, based on the outcome-specific conversation, opportunity fit and agreed continuation. A current agreed record and a live outcome-specific exchange can satisfy C1 and C2, but it cannot establish investment approval. No public-posting quota or mandatory waiting period applies.
B4 establishes a two-way relationship. C3 tests a particular opportunity. Continue at the first unmet Conversion step with one relationship owner; there is no repeated onboarding.
Progress / Evidence
Show the evidence without overstating the result
Reciprocal progress
An authorised investor or counterparty agrees a defined next assessment and names its owner.
Final result
Financing or a transaction completes under the agreed terms. Interest, diligence, indicative terms, signing and completion remain separately labelled events.
One coordinated programme
Keep authority and contact coordinated
A corporate financing or transaction mandate has explicit decision rights, disclosure and reporting. A personal liquidity or portfolio objective needs separate permissions. One owner coordinates each person's contact plan with appointed advisers and internal teams; overlapping interests do not authorise competing approaches.
You
Set the priorities. Bring your judgement to the conversations and decisions that need your involvement.
Your office
Your chief of staff or nominated owner validates context, coordinates existing teams and exercises delegated approvals.
StepUp.One
Research, drafting, conversation preparation, coordination and agreed reporting around the relationships in scope.
Review the transaction relationship map
Agree the mandate, authorised participants, disclosure boundaries, known counterparties and missing relationships. Select the first useful conversation and who may prepare, approve and conduct it.
- The financing, acquisition or exit mandate
- Authorised participants and disclosure boundaries
- Known counterparties and missing relationships
- Who prepares, approves and conducts the next conversation
Arrange an executive briefingFor you or your chief of staff.