Ship Shape is proud to announce that as of the 5th July 2021, we are part of the first cohort to be launched for the Fintech Wales Foundry Accelerator. “It’s a brilliant achievement for Ship Shape to be invited to take part in the inaugural Fintech Wales Foundry Accelerator. It’s recognition of the tremendous strides we are making as a business and we’re looking forward to making the most of what the Foundry has to offer." - Daniel Sawko, CEO of Ship Shape Over the past months, our CEO Daniel Sawko and COO, Alistair Ballie have been completing applications, interviews and demo that has led to Ship Shape being selected from over 150+ application worldwide to join the first cohort. This cohort comprises of 8 unique companies that all have a promise and potential to disrupt and change their respective industries. Alongside Ship Shape, the cohort is made up of Voltric, Sero, Zing Cover, Viaduct Group, Wagonex, Yimba and Laytrip. As the first cohort, we are excited to see each other grow and support each other to achieve our business goals. “As the UK’s first non-equity accelerator programme, The Foundry will not only help to create jobs and nurture our existing ecosystem, it invites businesses globally to come and scale in Wales – bringing further jobs creation and growth to an already booming landscape” - Sarah Williams-Gardener, CEO of FinTech Wales This unique no equity accelerator is driven by the recognised value in local Welsh fintech and the support and commitment they offer. With the support of multinational partners, Fintech Wales is striving to create a collaboratively rich ecosystem that will provide jobs, market service and investment formulating unmatched value on a local and national level. The founding partners, Admiral Pioneer, Principality Building Society and Cardiff Capital Region have put together an unparalleled level of support with Google Cloud, Stripe, IBM, Deloitte, Capital Law, Tramshed Tech, EY, Salesforce, SeedLegals, Hubspot, Cardiff University, GlobalWelsh, Twilio, Consilium, BGF, Amazo n Web Services, Angels Invest Wales, Cardiff Council, Innovate UK and the Welsh Government all providing expertise in their respected areas. The program has been in development for some time, but with a recent independent publication that recognised Wales as one of the UK’s emerging Fintech hubs, the program has gained immense support and traction including from the UK government. “Fintech is one of the UK’s great success stories thanks to forward-thinking firms that are innovating, creating quality jobs and shaping our economy for the future” “It’s great that this new accelerator will now give Cardiff’s promising fintech hub an extra boost and help to bring a bit more Silicon Valley to the Welsh Valleys” - John Glen, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, The program will host workshops, office space, mentoring and development credits from the likes of Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Stripe, Salesforce, Twilio, Hubspot and SeedLegals over the course of 12 weeks. “I’m delighted that Ship Shape is part of the the Foundry’s first cohort, supporting and being supported by such a fabulous group of companies. This really shows again that Wales has the vision and capacity to lead Fintech in the UK and have a global presence.” - Alistair Baillie, COO of Ship Shape The team at Ship Shape are delighted to be a part of this program and the opportunity to learn, grow and connect with other great teams in Welsh Fintech. For more information visit: Fintech Wales Foundry Website. Contact Persons Alistair Baillie, COO Email: alistair@shishape.vc Gareth Williams, Senior Data Scientist Email: gareth@shipshape.vc Bradley Evans, Marketing & PR Email: bradley@shipshape.vc Ship Shape Search: https://app.shipshape.vc Ship Shape Search Twitter https://twitter.com/VcShip Ship Shape Search LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/ship-shape-vc/

Incorporating in July 2020 amidst a pandemic, founders Daniel Sawko and Alistair Baille and Miguel Neumann had an idea to democratise funding in the U.K. Along with pulling together a great team working remotely from day 1, Ship Shape has grown and naturally evolved as challenges and opportunities presented themselves. As with milestones like today, it offers the chance to reflect. Our CEO Daniel Sawko and COO Alistair Bailie, answered some questions about the past year and what the year ahead holds. 1) As Ship Shape turns 1 years old, what are your emotions and feelings? DS: I’m really proud and excited. We’ve come from an idea in our minds and no money to a working platform that is making a difference to paying customers (plenty to do still!) and a brilliant team! We’re privileged to be in this position. AB: Pride in the team and our achievements, excitement as we talk to customers as our Product/Market hypothesis is being validated (and refined), relied that the hypothesis is validated so I haven’t been wasting my time. 2) Did you expect Ship Shape to be in the position it is today? DS: I knew we would always make progress, but looking back and measuring the time in which that has happened, it doesn’t quite feel real. AB: After we got the core team together, yes. I knew we were capable of this. 3) What/who has kept you motivated for the past year? DS: Knowing if we succeed, we’ll be making a positive difference to the number of brilliant ideas that make it, is a really strong driver. Especially when you factor in that we will be improving access to funding for founders from backgrounds or areas that have historically struggled to break into the VC funding network. AB: My daughter, 18 months old. If I flag, she makes me work harder. And she also stops me working too hard, I spend playtime with her every day. 4) What has surprised you the most in your time running Ship S hape? DS: Most days, it doesn’t feel like work at all. AB: The level of support for startups and small businesses in Wales. My co-foun der Daniel knew more about this than I did, and proposed we set up in Wales. I have been learning, and can confirm that Wales is a truly excellent place to be a tech startup. 5) How have you grown as a person over the past year? DS: Sideways! (Only a bit). On a serious note, I’ve learned the importance of balance, of multiple contingency plans, of measuring prospective investors by deeds not words (though words are important). We try and run a company based on the same principles as ‘turn the ship around’ - that ultimately we each want to be the masters of our own sphere and giving that level of control and initiative ultimately leads to better outcomes and a tighter team and better culture. I’ve grown by trying to get out of the way of other brilliant people doing so. AB: I’ve definitely grown in my belief in and support for work being a part of life, and all the other parts of life needing their own space. I wouldn’t sacrifice my family time for anything. 6) Did everything go to plan over the past year? DS: Next question! Of course not, there have been a number of disasters and near misses, in many ways this has been a big learning - doing your best to keep your foot on the throttle whilst avoiding the rocks in the road. AB: In terms of learning, yes. We’ve learnt an incredible amount. And the main aim was to learn. 7) Starting a company remotely, what was the main challenge you fa ced? DS: Believing we could make it work! I think we also struggled with the concept of long-term remote working, but it works. We think it’s brilliant however and that’s why we’re adopting hybrid working whilst having a physical centre of gravity in Cardiff (we may need to buy a solution from Schej in the future though as we grow). AB: Sometimes you just need to huddle around a whiteboard, and you can’t do that remotely. Most of the time it’s fine though, and the positives outweigh the negatives. 8) Do you suffer from what is now being referred to as ‘Zoom Fatigu e’ or how do you prevent it? DS: Keeping blocks of the day for time outside of work is the best way I have found to balance. On some days it’s impossible to do though, but I think we need to be lenient on ourselves and be pragmatic - some days you will be on calls back to back because you need to be. AB: I’m a talker so I don’t mind too much. But in general, I think Zoom fatigue comes from having one’s calendar clogged with repeat meetings that have lost their purpose. So we don’t do them. 9) Naturally you would have received a lot of advice from many people, what is one piece of advice that has stuck with you the most and one piece of advice that has been most useful? AB: Think big, dream big… and manage the detail. 10) Ship Shape has gained significant traction in the past year and is starting to cement itself in the Welsh community, so why Wales? DS: There’s an amazing ecosystem growing here. There’s talent, there’s excellent support from Fintech Wales, Universities like Cardiff, UWTSD and Swansea. There are people from Welsh Government and Business Wales like Cath Orton, Simon Ripton, Rachael Bayona and others - they want to see you succeed! I was lucky enough to spend lockdown in Swansea, it was great to see how many entrepreneurs there are in Wales, now we just need to open u 11)What does the next 3 years look like for Ship Shape? DS: We want to build the best recommendation system - there’s a lot we can then do with that in a large number of sectors. AB: First, making our investor search and recommendation engine Fathom even better, and embedding it into the ecosystem’s workflow and dare I say psyche. And from there we have ideas, though I’ll keep them under wraps for now. 12) What has been your longest period without any proper sleep? AB: That’s easy, and again a cliché that turns out to be true. After my daughter was born a VC investor I was involved with at the time told me, whilst laughing, “You’re going on a 12 week sleep deprivation marathon. You’ll get through it, we all do. And later the memories are happy. But it’s a marathon at the time.” All true. DS: I’ve tended to keep myself sleeping well - a few weeks with 4 hours a night. There’s good research on the consequences 13) To those who doubted you (if any), what would you show or tell them about Ship Shape to prove them wrong. AB: I’m not sure that anyone doubted us per se, but what we have done is be focused on a specific ‘job to be done’. I think doubts about any startup, not just Ship Shape, is that you get blown around. I’m proud of the balance we’ve struck, of being blinkered on our target in one sense but also allowing the picture of what that means to reveal itself without forcing it. And then being completely open-minded on how we get there, and particularly which steps of the journey make commercial sense to take first. It’s great to hear from Daniel and Alistar about some of the challenges, learning and growing they have done over the past year, but what about something a bit more personal to get to know them as person, not a business man. 14) Apart from starting the company, what has been the most significan t moment of your life over the past year? DS: moving in with my partner, Kasia! We had been together for 5 years but always needing to live in different places AB: The first time my daughter said “Papa” and came running to me. It’s such a cliché I know, but when you live it yourself it’s amazing. 15) What is something that not many people know about you? DS: I'm a pretty good cook! I love spending time unwinding by making things happen in the kitchen - if we do well by Ship Shape I hope to take a professional course at Le Cordon Bleu! AB: I’m a tango fanatic, it’s how I met my wife. I said this on a post a while back, but if you’re a true tanguero/a then it sits deep inside you. Tango has been the passion of my life and I’ve danced all through Australia, NZ, US, Mexico, Uruguay, Argentina, France, Spain, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Austria, Germany, Russia, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Hungary, Belarus, Georgia, Cyprus. Tango showed me the world. 16) What is your favourite tv character and why? DS: Sir Humphrey from 'Yes Minister'! AB: Probably Kerry and Kurten from This Country. It’s exaggerated, but I recognise in them many of the people from the village I grew up with. 17)What is your favorite part of the day? DS: Meal times! AB: Taking my daughter for a walk. 18) What do you and Daniel/Alistair bond over outside of work? DS: We love beer and chats about politics and ethics! We vote differently but have similar values and a shared belief in the value of human capital (and that current structures and business culture does a bad job of looking after human capital). AB: Gower Power, a lovely ale. We haven’t asked the Gower brewery to sponsor us yet, but if we talk about it much more then we’ll have to. Contact Persons Daniel Sawko , CEO Email: daniel@shipshape.vc Alistair Baillie, COO Email: alistair@shishape.vc Ship Shape Search: https://app.shipshape.vc Ship Shape Search Twitter https://twitter.com/VcShip Ship Shape Search LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/ship-shape-vc/

Ship Shape and the Data Science Academy (DSA) at Cardiff University, part of The School of Computer Science and Informatics are proud to announce a unique opportunity to collaborate and work alongside one another to provide learning and address real-world problems. Who are the DSA and Ship Shape? The DSA delivers a suite of postgraduate degrees which have been specifically designed to meet the needs of industry and incorporate elements of project-based learning which allow students and external organisations to engage directly. The DSA has been designed to respond to increasing demand for employment-ready graduates with the appropriate level of skill and specialist knowledge relating to data science, cyber security and artificial intelligence. “We're very pleased to be working with Ship Shape on this project. Undertaking industry-facing projects Is a great way for students to apply the skills that they've learnt during their studies to real world challenges. It's also an excellent way for companies to engage directly with our students with a view to future graduate recruitment.” - Mathew Turner, Industry and External Engagement Manager For School of Computer Science and Informatics Ship Shape is built and powered by AI from the ground up providing deep and meaningful intelligence to those in the VC industry. By using advanced techniques, Ship Shape are able to deliver a level of detail and personalisation that is unmatched. Ship Shape prides itself on continued growth both technologically and personally; as a result, both Ship Shape and the DSA recognise a symbiotic relationship that yields tremendous benefit for both. “We are excited to start our collaboration with Cardiff’s DSA, and see these And future projects as engines for growth. The talent in Cardiff is spectacularly strong! We’re delighted to offer the MSc students a chance to work in a professional environment so they see a firm ‘behind the scenes’. They will be well-equipped to launch straight into a fruitful career” - Alistair Baillie, Ship Shape Co-Founder & COO The gaps identified Ship Shape has identified several gaps within the VC industry that can be addressed using Data Science techniques, which will have a significant impact on the VC industry and the wider funding space. These gaps are complex, but working together, Ship Shape and the DSA aim to: Collate and produce a well-trusted, complete source of financial history. Use primary source data to show themes within UK financial services. A collaborative effort Together, Ship Shape and the DSA can close these gaps that will not only allow students to apply their current skills and further develop their knowledge, but further recognise their own input and contribution to addressing a real-world problems. By combining the drive of the aspirational graduates from the DSA and the support from Ship Shape, we aim to address these gaps with a high level of confidence. This project will last 12 weeks and marks the beginning of the great relationship between Ship Shape and Cardiff University's DSA. Keep an eye out for more updates from both Ship Shape and DSA through all social media accounts and websites.

Our CEO Daniel Sawko was given the opportunity to speak to the Capital Cardiff Region to discuss the role Ship Shape plays in solving the U.K funding gap. Cardiff Capital Region “Last week we saw how an emerging culture of collaboration across CCR gives credence to the Fintech Wales vision of building a sector that will enjoy global repute. That collaboration extends beyond co-operation between companies and academia – with a network of specialist enterprises also supporting fintech in their growth and development” We would like to thank the Cardiff Capital Region for the feature and all those involved to make it happen. The full article can be found here

Our CEO Daniel Sawko was given the opportunity to speak to the South Wales Business Review to discuss the role Ship Shape plays in solving the U.K funding gap. Daniel explored the utilisation and the potential of big data and AI in Ship Shape’s mission in helping start-ups identify the right investors for their business. Daniel also explored the role Wales has played in supporting and accelerating the growth of Ship Shape. Ship Shape was featured in Volume 8, Issue 1 of the South Wales Business Review and the full release can be found at https://lnkd.in/dZipvhi We would like to thank Associate Professor in Enterprise Education Kathryn Penaluna and SWBR for the opportunity and their intriguing questions! The South Wales Business Review is published by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David About Ship Shape Ship Shape Search provides actionable investor intelligence for start-ups, showing them the best individuals to engage with at Venture Capital firms. This saves start-ups many weeks of research and thousands of pounds. We would like to extend our thanks to University of Wales Trinity Saint David UWTSD Logo (source: uwtsd.ac.uk) South Wales Business Review Contact Persons Daniel Sawko, CEO Email: daniel@shipshape.vc Bradley Evans, Marketing & PR Email: bradley@shipshape.vc Ship Shape Search: https://app.shipshape.vc/search Ship Shape Search Twitter https://twitter.com/VcShip Ship Shape Search LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/ship-shape-vc/

A method of raising funds through smaller contributions on a larger scale. Contributions are typically made prospecting customers or individual investors. Crowdfunding platforms usually require a start-up to have raised a certain percentage of their round already (some as high as 80%). Crowdfunding is often used as a means of 'topping up' a round.

A write-off is used to revalue an asset. This is typically done to reduce the value of the said asset.

A warrant is the right to purchase stock at a fixed price (also know as the 'strike price') at a later date. This is a similar concept to a stock option, however, this is usually issued to investors rather than employees.

Warrant coverage is an agreement between a start-up and one or more shareholders where the start-up issues a warrant (see warrant ) equal to some percentage of the currency amount of investment.

On the 17th March 2021, our COO Alistair Baillie and our Senior Data Scientist Gareth Williams had the pleasure of meeting and talking with students and educators from the Data Science Academy (DSA) at Cardiff University. We would like to thank Cardiff University for their time and the opportunity they gave us to talk with their prospecting students in the field of data science and data technology. Secondly, special thanks to Dr Padraig Corcoran, Dr Andreas Artemiou and Justin James for organising the event and being such wonderful hosts. Cardiff University (source: cardiff.ac.uk) The students at Cardiff University were a pleasure to talk with. Unlike most seminar sessions, our talk became more of a discussion driven by the high level of engagement from the students and the equally thought-out questions which even caught us off guard! We are grateful that our online seminar didn’t suffer the usual drop-off in online events, quite the compliment. Or at least shows that Venture Capital and Start-Ups are always a draw! The seminar had a core focus on Venture Capital, however, intrigue and curiosity from the students drove the conversation beyond this. We discussed: Skill sets students should be trying to build that is most beneficial in a data-driven environment How to be build and be part of a team how as team-mates utilise other team member’s strengths and weaknesses to your advantage. That forming a start-up partnership is only a little less critical than forming a marriage! As part of our commitment to work with Cardiff University and the greater South Wales, we are offering placements over the 2021 summer period which consists of 3 unique tailored projects. These projects are designed to showcase how data science can be applied in real-world situations with hands-on experience. The project requires students to be committed, intuitive and exhibit a willingness to learn. The projects are challenging, but realistic of a corporate environment with the hopes of replicating future job scenarios that the students will be encountering. A few words from our COO, Alistair Baillie : “Ongoing interactions between students and the workplace are vital for the success of those students, for Cardiff’s Data Science community, and for all of us. I’m delighted to have been one small part of that sharing.” Again, thank you to Cardiff University and DSA for the opportunity they provided. It was a pleasure to meet all the students and we look forward to seeing you during the summer projects and bets of luck to those graduating. We hope this seminar provided value that you can take forward and apply to your future in data science. About Ship Shape Ship Shape Search provides actionable investor intelligence for start-ups, showing them the best individuals to engage with at Venture Capital firms. This saves start-ups many weeks of research and thousands of pounds. We would like to extend our thanks to Cardiff University and especially the DSA for presenting this opportunity. Cardiff University logo (source: cardiff.ac.uk) Cardiff Data Science Academy Contact Persons Alistair Baillie, COO Email: alistair@shishape.vc Gareth Williams, Senior Data Scientist Email: gareth@shipshape.vc Bradley Evans, Marketing & PR Email: bradley@shipshape.vc Ship Shape Search: https://app.shipshape.vc/search Ship Shape Search Twitter https://twitter.com/VcShip Ship Shape Search LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/ship-shape-vc/

Vesting is the process of scheduled issuing of shares or share options for employees for an agreed period of time. This is to ensure that the employee is rewarded for the contribution they bring to the company. A concept to bring up is a 'cliff'. This is a period in which shares and options vest, but are not issued until the completion of the period. This is typically a year (sometimes more - a warning sign if significantly more). This means that after a certain number of shares have been issued after the cliff (e.g. 25%), the remaining shares are issues periodically over the remaining period (Typically 4 year).

Product-lead growth is a growth strategy whereby the product itself is the main influence in obtaining and retaining customers. Initially, a business may offer a portion of their product for free (or full version for a limited time) with the hope of converting to a full or metric customer. This has the aim to accustom users to the product by recognising value and facilities the perception that the user made the final decision to purchase.