David Horne · September 1, 2026

Podcast: Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Show
September 1, 2026 · 34 min
In this episode, Dr Faiz speaks with David B. Horne, founder of Add then Multiply and Funding Focus, about why access to capital remains so uneven for female and underrepresented founders.
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Business Growth Strategist | M&A Expert | Author
40+ years International business experience£120M+ Growth funding raised30+ M&A transactions completed£2M–£20M Founder businesses advised by revenue range
David B Horne has spent nearly four decades helping ambitious founders build businesses that don't just grow, they multiply. A Chartered Accountant by background, David has raised more than £120 million in growth capital and completed 33 mergers, acquisitions and exits. He has helped companies scale from startup to market leader through strategic funding, acquisitions, and disciplined financial leadership. Today, as founder of ADD THEN MULTIPLY, he works with entrepreneurs turning over £2–20 million who want to accelerate growth, increase business value, and build companies that can ultimately thrive without them.
Throughout his career, David has served as CFO for listed companies, high-growth businesses, and entrepreneurial ventures, including Daniel Priestley's companies, giving him a front-row seat to what separates businesses that plateau from those that scale exponentially. His proven FACE methodology: Fund, Acquire, Consolidate, Exit shows founders how to move beyond the limits of organic growth and create transformational business value through strategic acquisitions and robust financial foundations.
David is also a passionate advocate for female founders. After being asked a simple question following a speaking engagement: why so little investment reaches women-led businesses, he began researching the issue and uncovered the systemic funding gap that continues to exist across venture capital.
David draws on decades of experience as a CFO, advisor, author, and entrepreneur to explore the structural barriers that shape funding decisions, from investor bias and limited access to networks to the way founders are questioned, assessed, and introduced to capital.
The conversation also explores what makes a founder genuinely fundable, why warm introductions matter, how entrepreneurs should think about bootstrapping and growth, and what needs to change to build a fairer funding system.
A practical and thought-provoking conversation about capital, opportunity, investor behaviour, and the realities behind who gets funded.
For more content, do visit:
Email David: dbh@addthenmultiply.com
David’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-b-horne
Add then Multiply: https://addthenmultiply.com
Funding Focus: https://fundingfocus.co.uk
Get David's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Add-Then-Multiply-businesses-exponential-ebook/dp/B07V9WYX8S/
David's TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeGN2Yp8_fY
Catalyst Now: https://catalystnow.net
AstroX: https://www.angkasawan.org.my
Email Dr Faiz: mfaiz@angkasawan.org.my
Dr Faiz’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gofaiz
Creating positive change, one episode at a time.
This show is sponsored by Faiz Space. https://faizspace.org
Guest: David Horne
1+ podcast & stage appearances. Remote or in studio, broadcast-grade audio.