How to use this checklist
This checklist suits AI products for schools, universities, employers and individual learners.
Work through each list before you contact investors. Anything you cannot tick is either a task to finish or a risk to explain openly in your pitch.
1. Company and legal basics
These apply to every company raising money, but gaps here slow rounds more than almost anything else.
- Up-to-date cap table showing every shareholder, option and convertible.
- Signed IP assignments from all founders, staff and contractors.
- Articles of association and any shareholder agreement to hand.
- SEIS or EIS advance assurance applied for, if you are raising from UK angels.
- Company filings at Companies House up to date.
2. Edtech proof points
The evidence investors in this sector look for first.
- A defined buyer and the month their budget is set.
- A measured outcome such as teacher time saved or results improved.
- Paid renewals and expansion within customers.
- Teacher or trainer oversight of AI outputs.
3. Numbers and financial model
Your model should show how the money you raise gets you to the next milestone.
- Runway covering at least one missed buying cycle.
- Cash collection timing, not just contracts signed.
- Cost of running pilots, including staff time.
- Renewal and churn rates by customer type.
4. Data room documents
Have these organised in one shared folder before the first meeting.
- Data protection impact assessment for learner data.
- Safeguarding policy and procedures.
- Responsible AI and academic integrity policy.
- Customer contracts and renewal history.
5. Pitch and investor readiness
Readiness is also about how you run the process.
- A short deck that states the problem, customer, traction and ask in the first few slides.
- A clear amount to raise and a list of what it pays for.
- A target list of investors who back your sector and stage.
- A one-paragraph answer to 'why now?'.
Red flags to fix before you pitch
Investors often stop at these issues:
- Many free pilots, few paid renewals.
- Children's data handled without a documented assessment.
- Usage figures presented as learning outcomes.
- No plan if a buying window is missed.
Edtech readiness: ready versus common gap
| Area | Ready when | Common gap |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer | One buyer and calendar understood | Selling to everyone |
| Outcomes | Measured result against a baseline | Log-ins as proof |
| Safeguarding | Policies and controls working | Promised for later |
| Renewals | Paid renewals tracked | Pilots only |
Questions to prepare before you pitch
- When exactly does our buyer set budgets?
- What outcome have we measured, and how?
- How are incorrect AI answers caught?
- What share of paying customers renewed?
How KJ Enterprises evaluates edtech businesses
KJ Enterprises considers edtech businesses with measured outcomes, strong safeguarding and paid renewals.
If that describes your company, you can apply for investment. Related reading: the complete funding guide and the step-by-step how-to and costs and terms and the AI SaaS checklist.