“Fourteen Forty helped us articulate what truly differentiates Upliift and translate it into a clear, founder-focused narrative that supports our entire deal process.
“They quickly grasped the nuances of our permanent equity model and the mindset of the software founders we work with. The result is content that genuinely resonates and strengthens long-term relationships.”
Lucy Jacobs, CMO of Upliift
Upliift is a different kind of software investor.
It offers permanent equity, meaning it acquires companies or majority stakes in them, holds onto them for the long term, and helps them to grow. The benefits for founders are that it gives them a clean or partial exit, while retaining the things that make their company unique.
Upliift’s approach reassures them that the business they’ve devoted themselves to will continue, and that its people and customers will be looked after.
If founders choose to stay involved, they can also share in their company’s future growth.
Founded in 2023, Upliift took just two years to grow into a €50m group, spanning the UK, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Croatia, and Belgium.
We supported this rapid growth by helping shape the way it tells its story. We brought that to life with a multi-faceted campaign aimed at founders considering their next steps.
The challenge: building credibility, providing reassurance
Europe is home to thousands of niche software businesses serving every market from food and beverage production to healthcare. These businesses are often very profitable and well-regarded by customers and employees alike. But few have a clear path to long-term growth.
Upliift provides that path to growth, supporting the companies it acquires with the advice and support they need.
To engage founders and build its pipeline of deals, Upliift needed to overcome two key challenges:
- Building credibility as a trusted partner. Founders are wary of who to talk to about securing new investment or a full sale, and the effort involved. Upliift needs to show it shares their values and is easy to work with – offering the financial settlement and the long-term commitment founders want.
- Providing reassurance every step of the way. Conversations about investing in businesses might take a few weeks, or they can drag on for years, depending on how their founders are seeing the future. Upliift needs ways to nurture relationships over extended periods and resume conversations, with the right story, the moment founders are ready to engage.
Outcomes: supporting each stage in the journey
Upliift now has a coherent founder-friendly story supporting every stage of its dealmaking journey.
We developed communications assets that have now been translated into French, Italian, Spanish, and German. Upliift sends print copies of the introductory guide we developed, “What’s next?”, to every founder it speaks to.
The email newsletter we created supports ongoing communications with a growing European prospect base.
Within two years of launch, Upliift had acquired software businesses representing €50m in combined revenues. It is now well-established as a credible, differentiated force in European software investment.
Approach: tailored messaging and content
We developed messaging and content geared specifically to the people Upliift wanted to reach. These are business owners typically aged 45-75, proud local employers, likely living in small towns.
Our content strategy focused on three areas:
- Clear messaging relating to key stages in founders’ decision-making process
- Practical advice that founders would respond to
- Success stories in text and video, profiling the founders of Upliift portfolio companies, to inspire others to come forward
Key assets we created
Founders in the early stages of planning a sale might find it hard to weigh the various options open to them. “What’s next?” clarifies the options for founders considering their future. Translated into Spanish, French, Italian, and German.
Finding the best investment partner is a big headache for founders. They may not know which questions to ask, or what to listen out for in the answers. This guide addressed some of the key ones, helping build Upliift credibility in the process. Translated into Spanish, French, Italian, and German.
Negotiations over investment are often seen as labour-intensive and protracted. Upliift’s approach is comparatively simple and can be concluded within weeks. We broke down the key stages of its process in an easy-to-understand infographic. Translated into Spanish, French, Italian, and German.
A regular series of blogs and videos from founders unpicking their perspectives on working with Upliift.
A comprehensive playbook distilling Upliift’s software expertise into practical guidance on every aspect of business management, from finance to sales and marketing. Each chapter ran on the blog before being folded into a flagship publication.
To nurture longer-term relationships, we launched an email newsletter featuring interviews, case studies and sector insights.