Roberta Draper, Senior Associate at Kingsley Napley and Women in Tech Judge Talks About What She Wants To See From Entrants

Tell us about yourself

As a Senior Associate in the Corporate, Commercial and Finance practice at Kingsley Napley, I work with startup founders, angel investors, family offices and established businesses, many of whom are in the tech sector, advising on all legal aspects of running and growing a business. My specialism is helping startups and scaleups to structure and formalise agreements for early-stage investments (and advising angel investors and family offices investing in the same).

I also advise on corporate sales and acquisitions, asset sales, shareholder relationships, restructuring (including share buybacks) and share option schemes.

I have been actively involved with Angel Academe, for nearly 10 years now. They are an award winning, female focused angel investor network that supports women-founded or co-founded tech businesses in the £1m-£15m pre-money valuation stage, raising £250,000-£5,000,000 of equity investment. If you haven’t heard of them, I’d encourage you to check them out!

Out of work I like going to any sort of live entertainment, a Sunday morning Bounce fitness class and hanging out with my girls.

Tell us about your company

Kingsley Napley is a full-service law firm with c300 lawyers based in Shoreditch. We advise a range of HNW and entrepreneurial clients on a variety of corporate and commercial matters, on disputes, employment law, immigration issues, real estate matters and more. From securing investment and managing intellectual property to advising on director appointments and data protection issues, we can support founders on all aspects of starting a business and a company’s growth journey.

We have experience across a wide range of businesses, from fintech to medtech, from wearable devices, to metal forging and vegan snacks, and love getting to know your business with a view to providing you with cost effective and focussed legal support.

What advice do you have for companies entering the Women In Tech awards 2025?

I’d say there is no right way to win an award! Be proud of your story, your journey and your mission. Tell us judges your USPs as you would convince an investor to back your company. But winning isn’t the be-all and end-all. Don’t treat the other entrants as competitors but enjoy this process as an all-round networking and learning opportunity.

How do you suggest entrants should stand out from the crowd?

I want to hear why you started a business, the issue your business is solving, the size of your market and your ambitions. I’d love to hear about your traction/impact to date and successes, but also about problems you have encountered and any learnings. Simply tell us why you are brilliant.

Any final thoughts?

Operating just outside your comfort zone is where growth lies, so embrace that ‘I don’t want to show off’ discomfort, and good luck!