I applaud the non-VC path.  If you can do it without a VC, why would you go down that path?  Also, the notion of "venture capital" is a very American concept - yes, there are VC's in UK and other parts of the world, but it's nascent compared to the United States and maybe even limited to just the major metropolitan cities (Silicon Valley, New York, Los Angeles, etc).  I doubt the time to market timeframe is conducive to raising a venture round for KNC.  Then the trolls will start talking about how late to the game they are...