Welcome to Britain’s most exclusive founders’ network with £1M entry bar

Membership of Helm is restricted to business leaders running companies with revenues above £1million, setting a new benchmark for selectivity in the UK’s crowded networking market

A new business networking club that only admits founders of companies with revenues of at least £1m has opened its doors.

Helm, led by chief executive Andreas Adamides, says its model is designed to offer genuine peer-to-peer support among entrepreneurs who have already faced the pressures of scaling. 

Membership is restricted to leaders of established firms, forums are chaired by exited founders or senior business figures, and one rule applies across the board: no sales.

Adamides said: “We’re not here to sell the dream of a club where everyone’s chasing growth at any cost. If you’ve built something from scratch, fought to scale it, and dealt with the reality of leading a high-growth company, you know the value of talking to people who’ve done the same. That’s the starting point for Helm – it’s non-negotiable.”

Stephen Sacks, Founder of Funding Nav, added: “I have bought, sold and developed businesses throughout my career that have reflected my changing interests and opportunities that presented themselves.

“I started in fashion, building the Muubaa leather brand before going into furniture, then finance, founding Funding Nav and most recently property with the acquisition of Forward Thinking Lettings.

“I have been a member of Helm for almost 20 years now and the learning and network that it has given me has been invaluable in helping me on my journey.”

Other members have described the value of being in groups where everyone faces similar challenges. Clare Harris of Talking Tables said: “I have valued being part of a Forum. After each monthly meeting I have a takeaway to apply directly to my own business and I always leave with a topic to reflect on – be that a management style or a new business tool. It is very supportive and comforting to have the Forum leader cheering you on, likewise one’s fellow Forum business founders.”

Stuart Miles, Founder of Pocket-lint and a Helm Forum chair, said: “Becoming a Helm Forum chair has been a great experience. The role allows me to hear and learn from other founders, as well as working with the group to support and guide the forum members through complex situations, issues, or puzzles. It’s really rewarding to see many of the things I’ve learnt running my own businesses helping others.”

Adamides argues that wide-open membership criteria in rival clubs dilute the value of discussions. “If your only criteria is that someone wants to grow their business, you’re going to end up with wildly different levels of experience in the same room,” he said. “That might work for inspiration. But if you’re a £10m turnover founder talking to someone still pre-revenue, the reality is that your challenges aren’t aligned. You both leave unsatisfied.”

Helm keeps its forums to eight members who meet monthly for three hours, sharing strategies that work, unpacking decisions that did not, and holding each other accountable. Beyond these sessions, the club hosts workshops and talks with entrepreneurs including Reebok founder Joe Foster.

The club is also expanding to cities such as Edinburgh and Manchester, but Adamides insists quality will remain its priority. “Bigger isn’t better unless you can keep the quality of the conversation,” he said.

Business networking has grown rapidly in recent years, with new clubs competing for founders’ attention by promising growth and inspiration. Helm is positioning itself as an alternative, built around strict criteria, founder-led discussions and an ethos of trust.

As Steve Phillips of Zappi put it: “Being a Helm member opens up a world of great advice from brilliant people. Being an entrepreneur and building a business is really hard so being able to surround yourself with like-minded people going through similar issues is incredibly helpful.”

Photos: 9am Business

A version of this article was originally published by 9am Business [Why Helm Isn’t Playing the Same Game as Other Founder Networks] and is reproduced here as part of The European Digital Content Exchange Network, a collaborative initiative that shares editorial expertise and quality, original journalism between established media outlets.