Knife Capital 🔪

You can have the flashiest #pitch deck in the room, but if your #financials don’t back it up, investors will bounce. This week, Vivienne breaks down what #investors actually look for during #duediligence: accuracy, transparency, and a #team that understands its own numbers.

Exits aren’t just about #valuations and robust negotiations, they’re built on years of disciplined #financial habits. This week, Vivienne van der Westhuizen, Group #CFO, kicks off our next six-week series with one key truth: #exit success doesn’t happen by accident. #VC

This week, Josh explains how a clean, well-organised data room can turn DD from painful to powerful. It’s not just about impressing #investors, it’s about proving your #team is ready to #scale. Transparency builds trust. Maturity closes deals. #KnifeCapDDSeries #DataRoomReady

Growth doesn’t happen in theory. It’s built by people, showing up, solving problems, doing the work. Today we recognise the engine behind every business: the people who make it move. #WorkersDay #Workers #Founders #SouthAfrica #VentureCapital

Is your #product built to #scale, or is it just duct tape and dreams? This week, Josh explores what #tech #duediligence really looks at: scalability, defensibility, code #quality, and #productmarket alignment. You don’t need perfect tech, but you do need clarity.

Freedom is a responsibility. To build. To scale. To unlock opportunity. Today, we recognise the foundation, and focus on what we do with it. #FreedomDay #FreedomDay2026 #SouthAfrica

This week, Josh tackles the one thing too many #founders ignore until it’s too late: legal and #governance hygiene. Cap tables, shareholder agreements, #IP ownership, and contracts, they all matter. A messy #legal structure can derail a deal faster than a #competitor can.

This week, Josh breaks down what investors want to see when they dig into your numbers: CAC, LTV, #margins, burn & the ability to explain your model without spiralling into a #spreadsheet wormhole. #FinancialDD isn’t about perfection, but proving you understand your own engine.

This week, Josh dives into what really matters in team due diligence. A great team tells a story of aligned values, complementary strengths, and leadership under pressure. Your product can pivot. Your team can’t. #KnifeCapDDSeries #TeamMatters #FoundersFirst #StartupLeadership

Some #startups hatch. Most don't. It's rarely a lack of ambition, but a lack of fundamentals. By the time a startup reaches us, the question isn't "is this a good idea?" It's "can this scale? Is it ready?" Happy #EasterWeekend to the founders doing the hard work to get there. 🥚

Forget vanity metrics. Commercial #duediligence is about proving you’re solving a real problem in a big enough #market, with real traction to back it up. Want to pass commercial DD? Ditch the fluff, show us the facts. #KnifeCapDDSeries #CommercialTraction #StartupValidation #VC

#Duediligence can feel like a black box to #founders; mysterious, time-consuming, and slightly terrifying. But what if you knew exactly what #investors were looking for? Josh Miller, #InvestmentAnalyst at Knife Capital, kicks off a 6-week series that demystifies the DD process.

Economic participation is a human right. In #SouthAfrica, high-growth businesses create jobs, open #markets, and expand #opportunity. Human Rights Day is a reminder that #rights become real when opportunity becomes tangible. #HumanRightsDay #GrowthCapital #AccessToCapital #VC

It’s easy to assume that not raising enough #capital is what kills #startups. But, it’s remarkable how often companies raise too much money at too high a valuation, introducing #artificial pressure and bad behaviours into the #business that are difficult to correct. #Funding #VC

As a #founder, there will always be (what seems like) a thousand things going wrong in your #business. #Scaling successfully does not require solving every problem. Successful founders understand which fires are important enough to put out and which ones to let burn. #VC

Many high-growth #startups reach a critical ‘bet the business’ inflection point in their #growth journey. Too many companies decide to #scale too early, sending the business down a difficult path to back out of without destroying a large amount of value. #KnifeCapScalingSeries

Many #startups decide to #scale too early, sending the #business down a hard path to reverse without losing value. Make sure your #product is mature, the #commercial model has been proven, the foundations are in place, & your “home base” is strong enough to support #growth.

One of the hardest moments in #scaling is realising you’re the bottleneck. The person who built the product isn't always the person to lead a large scaleup. Growth takes #selfawareness. Knowing when to step up, skill up, or bring in the right leader for the next chapter.

As a #business scales, HR & #management practices must transition from #founders doing everything, coding, engaging with #customers, securing initial #funding, hiring the first employees, and getting coffee, to small teams of contributors, to managers, and then executives.

Each #startup growth stage requires #founders to have a completely different focus and approach. The most successful founders tend to be infinite learners who have the ability to develop new skills rapidly and evolve with the #business as it scales. #KnifeCapScalingSeries