How much should you raise at seed in the UK?
How to work out the right number, with current UK benchmarks.
Start from the milestone
Raise enough to reach the point where the next round is easy to raise, plus a buffer. That usually means 18 to 24 months of runway at seed.
UK benchmarks
The British Business Bank's 2026 tracker, covering 2025, put the median UK seed deal at £0.6m and the average at £3.2m. The gap shows how a few large rounds pull the average up. The median seed pre-money valuation was £3.2m. Seed deals were down 27% in number, and companies took longer to raise.
Dilution
Most founders sell 10% to 25% of the company in a seed round. If your number would mean selling much more than that, either raise less and hit a smaller milestone, or wait until the business can support a higher valuation.
Check against comparable rounds
Look at what similar UK companies raised in the last 12 months. The InvestorUniverse funding tracker lists every round we track by sector and region, with estimated valuations where the Companies House filing shows them.
See which UK investors fit you
Give us your website and raise. We rank UK investors against your company and explain each fit. Your top 10 are free.
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