Private & Confidential
A private technology
firm, ready to scale.
Cognito Technology sits at the intersection of technology services, home automation and the UHNW private client space, a position few firms occupy, and fewer still occupy well.
A unique position, poised to scale
Cognito Technology has built a quiet reputation among high-net-worth households and family offices as a trusted, technically fluent partner. That combination of technical breadth, depth and discretion is difficult to replicate, and it is the foundation on which the business is now positioned to grow. The business is led by co-directors Ryan Burton, Technical Director, and Cara Burton, Studio Director, whose combined technical and creative expertise underpins Cognito's bespoke, client-led approach. This proposal sets out our current financial position, the terms on which we are inviting investment, and the growth plan that investment will fund.
For further information, please visit our website: https://www.cognito.technology
Three years of consistent growth
Turnover has grown steadily year on year. Margins have narrowed slightly as we've invested in delivery capacity ahead of client growth, a deliberate trade-off to enable consistent service delivery standards.
| Period | Turnover | Gross Profit | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year End 2024 | £24,448.49 | £15,176.00 | 62% |
| Year End 2025 | £60,543.26 | £31,719.69 | 52.4% |
| Year To Date 2026 | £80,530.43 | £39,903.22 | 49.55% |
Active clients
How we've valued the business
The valuation is built on projected Year End 2026 turnover, applying the 3.5x multiple standard for service businesses of this kind.
The offer
To make this opportunity appealing, we are offering the following stakes at a preferential rate to the headline valuation.
Scaling slowly and sustainably
The full £80,000 raise will be used to scale the business conservatively, for sustainable growth. Cognito is currently a two-person operation, so the strategy is straightforward: expand the client base and the team concurrently, in step with one another. A breakdown of exactly how the raise is allocated follows, in Use of Funds.
| Year | Individual | Family Office | Special Projects | Total Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 (2026/27) | 21 | 3 | 1 | £282,600 |
| Year 2 (2027/28) | 33 | 4 | 1 | £756,000 |
| Year 3 (2028/29) | 57 | 6 | 2 | £1,292,400 |
How the £80,000 will be deployed
The raise is allocated across three areas that work together: additional delivery capacity to free the Technical Director for sales, targeted advertising to fill the pipeline he'll be selling into, and a cash reserve to protect margin as client and hardware volumes scale.
A third team member, to free the Technical Director for sales
Cognito is currently a two-person operation. Ryan and Cara each draw a modest £2,500 per month, reinvesting in the business rather than founder pay. Roughly half of Ryan's time today goes to hands-on technical delivery. Active clients number 8 today; the Year 1 target is 25, rising to 65 by Year 3 — growth two people can't deliver alone. We're proposing a third hire, an engineer priced above either director's own salary to secure the right level of experience, landing once the advertising campaign opposite has begun generating enquiries.
Reaching HNW households in London
Rather than broad-reach or digital advertising, we're targeting a specific niche: high-net-worth individuals with primary residences in London. Print lifestyle titles hand-delivered directly to homes in the relevant postcodes reach exactly this audience, with none of the wasted spend of wider-reach channels.
| Publication | Coverage Area | Est. Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Chelsea Life | Chelsea | £7,200 |
| Mayfair Life | Mayfair | £7,200 |
| The Resident | Kensington & Chelsea | £7,200 |
| Total | £21,600 |
Working capital for hardware purchasing
Much of Cognito's delivery work involves specifying and purchasing hardware — AV, networking and automation control systems — on the client's behalf. Today, purchases are often timed around when a client's invoice is paid, which can mean missing time-limited trade pricing, bulk-order discounts or limited stock — a direct hit to margin, which has already narrowed from 62% to 49.55% as the business has scaled. Holding £33,400 in reserve lets the business purchase at the best available price and terms, independent of invoice timing.
Full allocation
| Area | Allocation | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Team Capacity — Engineer Hire | £25,000 | 31% |
| Targeted Advertising — 3 Publications | £21,600 | 27% |
| Cash Reserve — Working Capital | £33,400 | 42% |
| Total Investment | £80,000 | 100% |
Year 3 investment return & stimulus payment
At the end of Year 3, we aim to commence payments to shareholders from the available pool: 50% of cash held in the bank. We are also offering a stimulus payment that matches each shareholder's initial return.
Total Year 3 return on a £20,000 investment:
Where the business is headed
Healthy growth continues beyond Year 3. By Year End 2030, projected turnover supports a company valuation of £10,177,650, and an exit opportunity for shareholders.
| Year | Total Revenue |
|---|---|
| Year 4 (2029/30) | £1,938,600 |
| Year 5 (2030/31) | £2,907,900 |
Exit return at Year 5 (excludes dividend payments):
Let's talk
We're happy to walk through the figures above in more detail, and to share the full financial forecasts spreadsheet on request. Please get in touch to discuss this opportunity further.