BIG CATOPERATIONS

Fractional COO for deep tech founders

You're good at the science. I'm good at the operations.

PhD scientist turned operator, proven scaling two companies at once from pre-incorporation to £10m+ raised. I speak your language and I know where the pain actually is.

01What I do

Does any of this sound familiar?

Operations are outpacing process, and the same bottlenecks keep coming back.

Operational foundations

  • Finance, systems and reporting that give you a clear view of the business
  • Governance that works: board packs, decision rights and a regular operating rhythm
  • Bottlenecks found and removed, from project delivery to decision-making
  • A hiring plan and process for the next stage

Typically 6 to 10 weeks · fixed fee

A raise or diligence process is looming, and the science is ahead of the story investors need.

Investor readiness

  • A financial model investors can interrogate
  • A data room that stands up to diligence
  • The roadmap and commercial story, with your IP framed as something an investor can underwrite

Typically 4 to 6 weeks · fixed fee

You're deciding whether a grant is worth chasing when cash is already tight.

Grant funding

  • A clear go or no-go on the grants worth your time
  • Bids written or reviewed, with the budget and project plan to back them up
  • A pipeline of future calls, so funding isn't a scramble every time

Per bid, or as an ongoing pipeline · fixed fee

You need a plan the whole team can work to, and the runway to deliver it.

Strategy and planning

  • A strategic plan with clear priorities and owners
  • A runway plan, with costs and funding lined up to reach the next milestone
  • A plan for putting new funding to work after a raise

Typically 3 to 6 weeks, often starting with a strategy workshop · fixed fee

Something else that needs a senior pair of hands? Get in touch.

02Who I am

Connor Frapwell

I've worked in company operations and chief of staff functions since 2020. As COO of STL Tech, I transformed it from a hardware/software consultancy into a full-stack deep tech venture builder, working with clients across life sciences, quantum, robotics, and defence. Alongside that, I co-founded Delta.g, a quantum sensing business, scaling it from pre-incorporation to £10m+ raised.

Along the way I got a Maine Coon (hence Big Cat), became a dad, and recorded drums for a metal album.

Connor Frapwell

03How it works

What working together looks like

  1. A first conversation

    30 minutes, free, to see where things are sticking.

  2. Work out what's actually wrong

    If the problem still isn't clear after we've talked, I'll run a short fixed-scope review, on site or wherever works for you. If it is clear, we skip straight to step 3.

  3. Fix it

    Usually a defined project for a fixed fee, so you know the cost up front. If you need someone embedded afterwards, I can stay on as your fractional COO or chief of staff, typically up to a day a week and reviewed monthly.

Pre-seed to Series A. Based in Bristol, working with UK teams remotely or on site.

If you're struggling with any of this, I'd like to help.

Book a free 30-minute call to talk through what's getting in the way. We'll work out together whether I'm the right fit.

Most of my work is with science and deep tech founders, but the operational problems look much the same in any early-stage company. If you're building something else, the same offer stands.

Let's talk it through Send me an email

connor@bigcatops.co.ukLinkedIn