Molten Ventures – Adding value beyond the provision of capital

Molten Ventures takes an active role in helping its portfolio companies to scale. Its Portfolio Development function exists to ensure that the businesses it backs can have access to the right resources, expertise and connections to tackle the challenges of building and scaling a fast-growing startup.

Molten believes that thoughtful, hands-on support drives better outcomes – accelerating the impact of a funding round, extending the effective runway of a team, and ultimately increasing the likelihood of a strong exit. This approach strengthens its ties to the ecosystem as it stays close to the founders and builds long-term relationships that can fuel future deal flow. Through this operating model, investment managers typically sit on the boards of new deals and engage directly in the development of the businesses Molten invests in. The Portfolio Development team builds on this by identifying patterns across the portfolio, cross-pollinating best practices and delivering structured programmes to address common challenges – whether that’s sourcing talent, forming strategic partnerships or sharpening go-to-market execution. A more detailed explanation of this can be found below.

1. Board & operational effectiveness

Molten supports its portfolio in building the internal discipline needed to scale responsibly, from aligning on the right metrics to strengthening board governance and risk management. This helps ensure teams are focused on the right priorities and equipped to make informed decisions to deliver against their plans.

Business metrics alignment
Molten helps companies identify, define and monitor the business KPIs that matter most for each stage, ensuring they focus on growth drivers to maintain investor confidence, in support of future fund-raising efforts.

Funding plan operationalisation
Molten stress tests funding assumptions to help founders translate into actionable operational plans. This ensures that capital is deployed efficiently and milestones are met on time.

Board governance
A strong board provides critical oversight and strategic input. Molten helps companies strengthen governance by introducing them to experienced chairs and non-executive directors, bringing deep board management and operational expertise.

Board effectiveness
Well-run board meetings improve the quality of strategy and decision making. Molten helps founders implement best practice for structuring board meetings, preparing materials and delivering insights.

Risk and board management
Molten establishes frameworks for identifying, assessing and mitigating risks, ensuring companies remain resilient and adaptable as they scale.

2. Talent acquisition

Hiring the right people at the right time is one of the most critical, and difficult, parts of scaling a business. Molten works with its portfolio companies to define what ‘great’ looks like at each stage of growth, from designing organisation structures and shaping search strategies, to connecting with top-tier candidates and executive search firms.

Defining talent needs and organisation structure
Molten works with founders to identify the skills needed ahead of the next phase of growth by reviewing the current team, the goals of the business, and the profile archetypes that are present in the market. As a result, Molten defines an organisational structure that supports scaling and sets the company up for success.

Search strategy and materials
Molten supports market mapping and advice on candidate pool selection. Molten refines search materials to optimise the chances of attracting top talent.

Facilitating access to talent
Molten connects portfolio companies with experienced operators who have seen the next phase of growth and can bring that skillset with them. It supports the identification, evaluation and closing of these candidates.

Sharing hiring practices
Molten leverages best-in-class hiring processes, tools and benchmarks to avoid common pitfalls.

Navigating executive search
Molten supports portfolio companies to select partners based upon stage, industry and geography from a pool of executive and search firms that have been mapped and vetted.

3. Go-to-market acceleration

Scaling a fast-growing startup requires more than product-market fit, it demands effective sales execution, clear messaging and the right network. Molten works closely with its portfolio companies to strengthen their commercial foundations through targeted support.

Sales operations assessment
A well-run sales function is built on strong people, processes and systems. Molten helps companies assess their sales operations, benchmarking their structure, tools and workflows against best-in-class startups to identify gaps and opportunities for efficiency gains.

Strategic introductions
One of the biggest challenges for B2B startups is breaking into enterprise accounts. Molten has developed a proprietary network of enterprise executives (including CIOs, CISOs and heads of innovation from Fortune 500 companies) to facilitate warm introductions that can accelerate pipeline growth and unlock high-value deals for Molten’s portfolio companies.

Go-to-market expertise (GTM)
Molten provides guidance on key GTM levers, from sales forecasting and compensation structures to tech-stack optimisation and expansion strategies. By sharing best practices from successful scaling companies, Molten helps founders avoid common pitfalls and refine their sales playbook.

Ideal customer profile strategy (ICP)
Molten supports companies in refining their ICP, reviewing sales collateral to improve conversion rates and shorten sales cycles.

PR and brand support
Strong positioning and visibility can be a major sales accelerator. Molten facilitates access to journalists and high-profile industry events to help companies build credibility and generate inbound interest from customers, talent and investors.

4. Exit preparedness

Planning a successful exit starts long before a buyer shows interest. Molten works with its portfolio companies early to lay the foundations, from identifying the right acquirers to crafting a narrative that sparks interest.

Buyer mapping
Molten supports founders in mapping out the landscape of strategic and financial acquirers, identifying likely buyers based on market positioning, synergies and deal precedent. By analysing past transactions and emerging trends, Molten helps to build relationships with potential acquirers well in advance of any process.

Equity story definition
A successful exit depends on a compelling equity story, and Molten helps founders define a narrative that clearly articulates why the company is valuable, highlighting growth potential, differentiation and what the business could achieve as part of a larger organisation.

Corporate communication plan
Molten helps refine messaging across materials, press and internal channels to ensure the company is positioned as a credible and attractive acquisition or listed-company candidate.

Banker and corporate development introduction
As a transaction approaches, Molten introduces founders to experienced investment bankers and corporate development leads to structure a process, shape deal terms and drive competitive tension.

Transaction support
Molten is hands-on throughout the transaction via the formation of a dedicated internal exit team, which supports founders throughout the process.

The Molten investment process

Disciplined portfolio management remains a key differentiator and is seen across Molten’s investment strategy and the investment process.

A compelling investment case with a proven track record of value creation for investors

We have collated some more information on Molten below:

Molten in a minute

Corporate spotlight session

CEO presentation from Investor Day 2025

Information has been sourced from Molten Ventures FY25 Annual Results, as at 31 March 2025