AlbionVC
A venture capital business with more than 20 years of expertise, Albion Capital Group is situated in London. Currently, it oversees funds totaling more than £600 million. Through AlbionVC, The Group makes investments in the fast-growing technology industry in the UK, supporting startups from late seed to Series B with investments ranging from £250k to £10m each round.
The fund focuses on deep tech (computer and physical sciences, life sciences), B2B software (SaaS, fintech, AI, and digital risk), and healthcare (digital health and medtech). AlbionVC has supported 40 London businesses since 2011 by participating in at least 60 equity fundraising rounds.
Conceptual Capital
Notion Capital is an early-stage investor in cloud-based software, SaaS, and enterprise technology in Europe. The fund was originally established in 2009, and its co-founders and partners are experienced company owners and operators with experience expanding innovative companies. Ideal candidates for Notion Capital are fast-growing businesses with annualized revenues of $1 million or more (ARR).
The fund normally invests $3 million to $5 million. In 28 London-based firms since 2011, it has supported 59 equity investments, nine of which have achieved an exit event. Fintech startups GoCardless, Currencycloud, and Paddle are among the portfolio companies. Notion has supported many European unicorns outside of London, including Tradeshift, Unbabel, and Mews System.
Utilize EIS
One of the newest funds on our list, Access EIS is run by the former SyndicateRoom, a platform for crowdfunding (which moved to a VC fund model in 2019). Focused on innovative UK companies that qualify for the government's Enterprise Investment Scheme, it is a sector-neutral fund.
Driven by information from the Beauhurst platform, Access EIS exclusively invests with so-called "super angels" in carefully screened projects. Co-investment, diversification, maximizing access to transaction flow, and getting in early to decrease risk are all stressed by SyndicateRoom while keeping the process open to new investors. Usually, it makes investments worth up to £5 million.
Access EIS has already supported 56 innovative London enterprises via at least 57 investments, with a strong preference for new initiatives over follow-on investments into existing portfolio companies.
Fuel Ventures
Fuel Ventures is a seed VC that only invests in businesses that meet the requirements for the EIS. It focuses on rapidly expanding digital companies creating platforms, markets, SaaS, and transaction technology. In addition, the investment team seeks for businesses with the potential for rapid scaling, a proven business plan, and global expansion. Each financing round generally sees investments of between £250k and £2m.
The fund aspires to function as a "startup studio," providing early-stage funding and assistance for new businesses' development. For the length of the program, most firms are required to move to their London office. Fuel Ventures is particularly active in the Capital as a result, having completed at least 57 equity fundraisings into 40 London-based businesses since 2011.
The equities management platform Capdesk, Curve, and the e-commerce start-up Heroes (formed by the "phoenix founders" Alessio & Riccardo Bruni) are notable firms in the fund's portfolio.
Regarding Partners
An early-stage venture capital company called Forward Partners offers startup companies growth funding, a purpose-built startup studio, and revenue-based financing. With an emphasis on applied AI, marketplaces, and e-commerce firms, its Pre-Seed and Seed fund makes investments in software companies. Between £200k and £3m are invested, ranging from pre-seed to Series A rounds.
Beauhurst analysis shows that, although having no geographical limits, Forward Partners mostly invests in UK firms with sporadic investments in the US. The fund has supported 40 London-based companies since 2011 and has participated in at least 56 equity investment rounds. These companies include data infrastructure provider Ably, online plant store Patch, and payments-as-a-service platform Apexx.
Playfair Capital
One of London's top pre-seed and seed VC firms, Playfair Capital was established in 2013 by angel investor Federico Pirzio-Biroli. It primarily invests in creative software firms in the UK, although it has so far supported more than 70 founding teams across 12 nations. The fund generally makes pre-seed investments in seed-stage businesses of between £100k and £500k and rounds of up to £2m.
In addition to providing expansion funding, Playfair also gives entrepreneurs guidance on running, growing, and recruiting a team. Since 2011, the fund has supported 33 innovative businesses in London through at least 55 equity fundraising rounds as an active investor in the city's digital industry. These include Omnipresent, Sprout.ai, Ravelin, and Thought Machine.
The fund hosts a number of female founder office hours and is a strong supporter of ambitious female entrepreneurs. Over 2,800 one-on-one mentorship and pitch sessions with over 90 investors have already brought together 700 startups via these.
Beringea
A US-based fund manager with over 25 years of experience, Beringea makes investments in start-up companies in the US and Europe. Since 2000, it has overseen the management of two ProVen venture capital trusts (VCTs) in the UK, with a combined management budget of more than £300 million.
The funds make investments in post-revenue, later-stage businesses with solid management teams and well-defined paths to profitability in their business plans. In addition to providing development funding, Beringea supports MBOs and MBIs and typically looks to join the board of directors of a company. The fund's focus sectors range from life sciences and cleantech to media and e-commerce, typically investing between £1m and £10m.
Beauhurst has tracked 54 equity investments made by Beringea into 39 London-based companies between 2011 and 2021, eight of which have already experienced an exit. Its portfolio companies include the jewelry retailer Monica Vinader, the fashion stylist service Thread, and Papier.
Anthemis
Anthemis is a platform for venture capital investments that focuses on tech-driven businesses, particularly in the field of digital financial services. Although the company has offices in London, New York, Luxembourg, and Geneva, it will make investments anywhere in the globe.
The European Investment Fund and UniCredit sponsor the fund, and its group of fintech investors offers its portfolio firms development money as well as assistance and guidance. Several of them are headquartered in London, including Fluidly, Proportunity, True Layer, and Currencycloud. Since 2011, Anthemis has supported 29 forward-thinking London-based companies through at least 53 equity fundraisings.
Connect Ventures
A pan-European venture capital business called Connect Ventures supports impact-driven entrepreneurs who are developing novel, scalable software products and technology. The fund has previously invested anywhere from $450k to $1.8m. The majority of its attention is given to startups in London, while over 40% of its investments have gone to businesses throughout the EU.
Through at least 52 equity fundraisings, Connect Ventures has supported 33 high-growth London-based companies since 2011. Fintech Soldo, open banking API provider True Layer, lawtech Genie AI, and retail analytics startup Purple Dot are among its portfolio businesses.
Force Over Mass
Force Over Mass invests in European B2B technology startups that have sound business concepts and cutting-edge technology. Force Over Mass invests in EIS or SEIS-eligible companies via its EIS Funds in addition to its Growth Funds.
37 aspirational London-based firms have received support from Force Over Mass since 2011 via at least 47 equity fundraising rounds. Its portfolio includes augmented reality (AR) adtech Admix, drone company SenSat, and what3words, a provider of geocode systems.
ACF Investors
The Angel CoFund is managed by ACF Investors, an early-stage venture capital fund that shares due diligence with angel investors who are specialists in their field before making investments. In rounds starting at £200k and higher, the fund generally invests between £100k and £1m, contributing up to 49% of the capital.
The ACF Delta Fund, aimed for UK firms funding equity or convertible credit note rounds that are higher than £500k, was recently introduced by ACF Investors as well. Once again, the fund aims to contribute between £200k and £1m in each round, or up to 49% of the total capital.
Some notable portfolio businesses include fintech startup Form3, the unicorn company Gousto, which the fund has backed since 2013, and City Pantry, a London-based online marketplace for ready-to-eat food delivery (which was acquired by Just Eat in 2019). The fund manager, who is based in Sheffield, has so far invested in 47 rounds in at least 31 London-based startups.
Jenson Funding Partners
Southwark-based A variety of financial services are offered by Jenson Solutions, which also runs an SEIS and EIS fund via Jenson Funding Partners. The fund, which has been operating since 2013, offers disruptive UK businesses growth capital and operational support. It has a five to seven-year exit horizon.
The investment range of Jenson Funding Partners is not disclosed, but according to Beauhurst research, it typically ranges between £100k and £5m. Wherever possible, it aims to invest the full £150,000 in SEIS investments.
Over the course of 46 rounds, the fund has so far supported 43 London-based businesses. Portfolio businesses include Dame, which offers a postal delivery subscription service for tampons and sanitary towels, and TreeApp, a mobile app that allows users to plant trees by responding to surveys.
Multen Ventures
A tech-focused VC, Molten Ventures (formerly Draper Esprit), primarily invests in European businesses with international aspirations. Although any tech-related firm may qualify for investment, the fund often focuses on hardware and electronics, consumer and corporate technology, and digital health and wellness.
Molten Ventures, which was established in 2006, takes involved in around 20 projects each year. It offers growth capital ranging from £2 million to £50 million (depending on growth stage). At least 45 equity rounds in 29 high-growth London companies have been supported by the fund since 2011, and seven of those companies have since been sold. PrimaryBid, Cazoo, and CausaLens are some of its portfolio firms with headquarters in London.
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