The SBC Investment Strategy

A transparent, data-informed framework for making small, carefully selected bets on early-stage companies.

Disclaimer: This document describes the personal investment methodology of C. Ryan Shelton. It is published for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. All investments in early-stage companies are highly speculative and involve significant risk of loss.
Core Thesis

The Investment Thesis

Our core investment thesis is to back exceptional founders building capital-efficient businesses in markets we understand. We focus on pre-seed to Series A companies where our initial investment can be a catalyst for growth and where the founding team demonstrates a clear vision and capacity for execution.

We prioritize founder quality and market timing over early-stage financial projections. A strong team with a unique insight into a growing market will consistently outperform a mediocre team in a hot sector.
Sectors of Focus
Sports Technology, Media & Content, B2B SaaS, Consumer Brands with community flywheels
Stage
Pre-Seed to Series A
Minimum KingsCrowd Score
3.5 / 5.0 — a hard filter, not a suggestion
Founder DNA
Deep domain expertise, history of execution, personal connection to the problem

Hard Limits

Maximum £1,000 per individual deal
No more than 20% of total portfolio value in a single sector
No investments in companies whose product we cannot understand within 10 minutes of reading the pitch deck

Platform Strategy

Where We Invest

SBC actively sources and executes deals across four primary equity crowdfunding platforms. Each platform has a unique investor base, deal flow, and fee structure, which we leverage strategically.

PlatformMarket
StartEngineUS
RepublicUS / Global
WeFunderUS
CrowdcubeUK / Europe

Due Diligence

The One-Page Thesis Framework

For every deal that passes our initial KingsCrowd screen, we produce a standardized one-page investment thesis. This memo forces clarity and disciplined thinking before any capital is committed.

1
Company Snapshot
What does the company do? Who are the customers? What is the business model?
2
Market (The Wave)
How big is the market? What are the growth drivers? Why is now the right time for this company?
3
Team (The Surfer)
Who are the founders? What is their background? Why are they the right people to build this business?
4
Differentiation (The Moat)
What makes this company unique? What are the barriers to entry for competitors?
5
Performance & Financials
What is the company's traction to date? What are the key financial metrics and burn rate?
6
Risk Factors
What are the primary risks — market, execution, competition — that could derail the company?
7
Go/No-Go Decision
A final, concise summary of why we are or are not making the investment.

UK Strategy

SEIS/EIS: The UK Investor's Advantage

For UK-based investments, we prioritise deals that qualify for the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS). These government programs provide significant tax incentives that dramatically improve the risk/reward profile of an investment.

SEIS
50% income tax relief
Up to £200,000/year
CGT exemption on gains after 3 years
EIS
30% income tax relief
Up to £1M/year
CGT deferral and loss relief available

Source: Crowdcube SEIS/EIS guides. Tax relief eligibility depends on individual circumstances. Consult a qualified tax adviser.


Operating Rhythm

The Weekly & Monthly Cadence

3× per week

Research 3 new investment opportunities on Republic, StartEngine, WeFunder, or Crowdcube. Use KingsCrowd ratings. Log promising deals.

Weekly

Review all active investments — update current valuations, check for company news, update status if anything has changed. Write one investment thesis for any deal under consideration.

Monthly

Make 1–2 new investments if suitable deals are found (£250–£1,000 per deal). Conduct a full portfolio review — update all valuations and check for red flags.

Quarterly

Deep-dive portfolio review — assess every investment against the original thesis, flag underperformers, research exit options, and update exit probability scores.