James Dyer

Numbers & insights from a deep tech venture studio that launched 11 companies (all are active) in the last 7 years, reaching £85M valuation across the portfolio: 1. Post Urban, initially bootstrapped by Luke Robinson, an academic with a PhD in physics from Cambridge, now operates with external funding from a UK-based fund. 2. Launched 5 companies during the first 5 years and 6 companies during the last 2 years. 3. All 11 completed pre-seed rounds; 1 of them got Series A, 2 of them are approaching their Series A. 4. The startups have collectively raised ~£25M in venture capital, in addition to receiving grants. The total valuation of the 11 companies is ~£85M, half of which have not yet undergone subsequent funding rounds. 5. Initial equity splits: the venture builder 20%, CEOs of startups 35% (vests over 4 years), CTOs – 20-25%, employees 10-15%. 6. The initial valuation of startups was £2 million, with £300K invested by the venture builder. The last 2 startups were at £3.5-4M initial valuation. 7. Building deep tech ventures requires significantly higher initial funding because these projects need more time to develop demonstrable products. Two portfolio companies hit £1M in ARR. 8. The venture builder has increased the capital for the last 2 startups to ensure they reach meaningful milestones. The CEOs of the startups were able to secure additional funding through their networks, £350K and £450K, respectively. 9. The deep tech investor pool is smaller than that for sectors like SaaS, which requires a stronger proof of concept and market readiness to attract funding. 10. 3-4 times, potential customers became investors in Post Urban Ventures. This is a great approach because it secures investment and validates the concept by gauging whether these potential customers truly believe in the solution and its market necessity. 11. They don't start with a technology or an idea; instead, they integrate insights about global problems and, by actively engaging with advisory boards, founders, and industry experts, identify pain points and align them with technological solutions. 12. They do not bring universities in as co-founders but source scientists or professors to contribute to research and development. This involves leveraging academic expertise to support the technical aspects of startup projects until a prototype is developed. 13. The studio maintains strong connections with major academic institutions, including Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College, and UCL, supporting its deep tech focus and facilitating access to new technologies and potential founders. 14. Areas of focus in deep tech: AI (Knowledge Graphs, NLP, DNNs, Computer Vision, Edge AI, Active Learning), Quantum Technologies, Biotech, AgTech, Enterprise SaaS. Watch the full interview to gain insights into the portfolio companies, handling IP collaborations with universities, key challenges, and team construction: https://lnkd.in/dCi7fZ7G

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Another smashing Tin Men School event done and dusted last week. This time I got to answer some very interesting questions. What most never discuss is that as VCs, we have to pitch for funds too. It’s a similar process, just that it’s to LPs. Some great topics from the floor that we got to discuss over Q&A: 💭 Q: How important is the deck? A: It’s for everyone who’s not in the room. It’s easy to refer to incase an investor forgets, but it shouldn’t steal the show. I often present without one. Treat it as a conversation - tends to work more naturally and without the audience being distracted by the screen. 💭 Q: What should startups do more of in fundraising? A: Share your ‘why’, people buy the why. When you do that you tell the story in a way that’s unique to you. Ask for specific feedback: Don’t accept generic feedback like: “It is not in our mandate.”  Get to the underlying ‘Why’ so you can make changes.  Qualify investors and keep list of them to focus your time on.  We are selling trust. When the time is right, it’ll pay off. 💭 Q: How important is personal branding for founders? A: It can’t hurt to have a strong brand, it increases the familiarity before outreach. For platforms like Linkedin - the big cost is time. Be strategic, but don’t overdo it. 💭 Q: Would it be better to raise from the US since there’s more capital there? A: It depends. Not every founder has a strong network in the states. Without an edge and business relevance, it can be tougher to raise your round, though not impossible. There’s capital in Asia, though not as deep as the US, but you’ll have to put some effort to find it. Eugene Cheng 🪄 also shared some very useful technical know-how in building pitches and a compelling fundraising stories. I’ve gotten feedback that plenty of founders found value in this session. Big thanks to our partners AppWorks and Aspire for working with us to make this possible. P.S. We’re always looking to invite experts with relevant insights to share with founders in our community at Tin Men Capital. Know someone to recommend? Tag em’ in the comments.

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Pudgy Penguins sold over 1M toys 🐧 What started as an NFT project has grown into a massive & profitable IP brand: 📈 $400M in NFT Trade Volume  Even if you hate the word “NFT”, $400M of anything is undeniably big 🧸 1M+ Plush Toys Shipped Diversifying into merch, they've already passed 7-figures in physical sales via Walmart and more 🛒 Retail Partnerships with Amazon, Target, GameStop… They're locked and loaded with the biggest retail distribution 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: The Pudgys are just getting started - their new frontier is Pudgy World, a web3 gaming ecosystem: 🤖 Blockchain-Powered Open World blending NFTs, physical toys, and decentralized gaming 🌐 Global Gaming Community Designed to onboard millions into web3 gaming with an accessible experience From conquering the NFT market to achieving plushie dominance, Pudgy Penguins has executed a multi-phase expansion like few others. Now they're full-speed into gaming and I’m here for it. If you’re an IP wondering how to get into gaming, let’s connect :) #roblox #metaverse #gaming #IP #fortnite #nft #blockchain

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🚀 Navigating the 2024 UK General Election: What It Means for Startups VCs 🚀 As we gear up for the 2024 UK General Election, it's essential we understand how each party's policies might impact us. So I took to the interweb sprinkled with a bit of chatgpt to see what we need to keep an eye on. Conservative Party 🏛️ Economic Policies: Cutting NI by 2p could enhance cash flow for startups. However, a legal cap on migration might restrict access to international talent, essential for innovation. Education: 100,000 high-quality apprenticeships and the Advanced British Standard could produce industry-ready grads, aligning with our tech needs. Labour Party 🌹 Economic Reform: Wide ranging reforms and green energy initiatives could create new opportunities, though higher taxation might affect net earnings. Carried Interest Taxation: Labour plans to change how carried interest is taxed, potentially increasing tax liabilities for VCs by taxing it like income instead of capital gains. This could affect investment returns and strategies, making the UK less attractive for investment managers compared to other European countries. Social Policies: Expanded social safety nets might lead to a more stable consumer base, increasing market potential and share of wallet for tech products. Liberal Democrats 🌼 Healthcare & Mental Health: Investing £8.4 billion in the NHS might improve employee productivity and reduce absenteeism. Green Economy: Support for green energy investments creates opportunities for startups focused on sustainability, climate and greentech. Green Party 🍃 Green Economy Transition: Investments in renewable energy and banning fracking open doors for clean tech startups. Social Justice: Enhanced social programs could expand the customer base for tech products by increasing disposable income across the population. Reform UK 🔧 Tax Reduction & Deregulation: Lower taxes and reduced regulatory burdens can boost profitability and attract VC investment. Immigration Controls: Stricter policies might limit access to the international talent pool. Key Takeaways Opportunities: Tax cuts, apprenticeship programs, and green investments are all net positives for reducing costs and encouraging growth. Challenges: Immigration caps and higher taxation may restrict talent acquisition and increase operational expenses. Labour's proposed changes to carried interest taxation could impact investment returns and disincentivise emerging managers. Obvs I can't capture it all, for example corp tax reform might have an impact on whether you choose to incorporate in the UK or elsewhere. Equally, I didn't go into the detail of how viable these policies or reforms actually are (and obviously only one party gets to implement anyway). What are your thoughts, drop me a comment! 👇 ******************************************** If you enjoyed this, don't forget to share ♲ and follow me, Aarish for more spicy takes :)

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Such an insightful post by Cintia Mano highlighting the Defiance Capital study. The rise of 'underdog founders' in the unicorn space is truly inspiring. The traits highlighted - 'no plan B,' 'a chip on the shoulder,' and 'unlimited self-belief' - are indeed defining factors. The call for new funds to support immigrant and female founders resonates deeply. Exciting times ahead for the entrepreneurial landscape! #UnicornFounderDNA #Entrepreneurship #DiversityInTech"

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Having co-founded Carbon Re, an AI and ClimateTech spinout of UCL and University of Cambridge, I have first-hand experience of the highs and lows of setting up and running a company in the UK (and trust me, the highs may be high but the lows can be devastating!). If Carbon Re is going achieve our mission to reduce gigatonnes of Industrial CO2 emissions we need a tech ecosystem in which we can thrive and scale fast. I have signed the Startup Manifesto 2024 Open Letter because the Startup Coalition exists to make the UK the best place in the world to start and scale a disruptive company and gives companies like ours a voice. We desperately need disruption to transform our economy and hit our #NetZero goals, so if you haven't signed this already, get involved. See more 👇

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Here's a list of some of the most influential UK-based venture capital firms that are actively investing in AI: The UK has become a hotbed for AI innovation, thanks to the vibrant ecosystem of venture capital firms backing these startups. These VCs are key in supporting and funding AI companies, helping them expand and advance technology. 1. Playfair Focus: Pre-Seed Ventures Investment Size: £100K-£1.5M Top Portcos: Orca AI, Protex AI, sprout.AI 2. 7percent Ventures Focus: Angel, Pre-Seed and Seed Ventures Investment Size: $250K-$2M (with angel checks $5K-$100K depending on the stage) Top Portcos: Gensyn, BreezeAI, PlumerAI 3. Crane Venture Partners Focus: Pre-Seed and Seed Ventures Investment Size: $1M-$5M Top Portcos: SeeChange, Deta, h2o.ai 4. Concept Ventures Focus: Pre-Seed Ventures Investment Size: £750K Top Portcos: SCliff.ai, Browse AI 5. SFC Capital Focus: Angel, Pre-Seed and Seed Ventures Investment Size: £124K Top Portcos: Cognism, Magic AI, TrainThis.AI 6. BGF Focus: Early, Growth and Late Stage Ventures Investment Size: £1M-£20M Top Portcos: Machine Discovery, Aimbrain, Celaton 7. Atomico Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B and Series C Ventures Investment Size: $1M-$20M Top Portcos: DeepL, Corti 8. Hoxton Ventures Focus: Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A Ventures Investment Size: $250K-$5M Top Portcos: biotx.ai, BioCorteX, Darktrace 9. Notion Capital Focus: Pre-seed, Seed and Series A+ Ventures Investment Size: $5M Top Portcos: Five AI, Protex AI 10. IQ Capital Focus: Seed and Series A Ventures Investment Size: £500K–£10M Top Portcos: Mindgard, AI Build, Myrtle 12. Episode 1 Ventures Focus: Seed and Series A Ventures Investment Size: £500K–£2M Top Portcos: kleene.ai, Auquan, PandasAI Who’s your favorite AI VC firm in the UK? Did I miss someone? Give them a shoutout in the comments! Ready to connect with the perfect investor for your AI startup? Drop a “LIST” in the comments, and I’ll tailor a personalized investor lineup just for you. At Thunder, we specialize in matching your fintech startup with venture capital firms that align with your sector, growth stage, and goals. Let’s find the right partner to fuel your growth!

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NFTs aren't that useful if they are just pictures... That's why i was super excited when one of my favourite London artists decided to mint his first set of NFTs with the ability to win some real life art if you're lucky to mint one of each NFT in the collection. There were 5 of the most limited version of the NFT up for grabs of a total of 300 issued. It was a bit of a lottery, but my luck must be turning as i managed to bag all four and receive a real life sculpture worth £600 delivered in a box tagged by the artist. Collection here: https://lnkd.in/eFUfAc58 I love this concept for the NFT space. I think in the next 5 years we will see much more of a cross over between the digital and the physical world; be that through augmented reality or proof of ownership. Real life utility is so key to wider adoption and generating user value. I'm looking forward to seeing much more of this in art, gaming and fan based ecosystems.

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UK-based AI startups are now worth $256bn, according to new data from Dealroom and HSBC Innovation Banking. They also account for 22% of the country’s innovation ecosystem value — up from 12% in 2019. In the first half of 2024, startups in the field raised $2.1bn. And this amount is projected to more than double in the coming five months. This means they’re on track for another record-breaking year, following a $4.1bn total investment in 2021. The leading AI rounds span a wide range of applications, covering sectors such as energy, healthcare, law, and finance. #ai #business #tech

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🚨 New Podcast Alert: 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘀, 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻'𝘀 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 with Aisling Connolly , General Lead of Multichain Integrations at DFINITY the foundation behind the 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿 Bridging funds in crypto is a pain - it's expensive, takes time, insecure and just causes headaches. In this episode Aisling Connolly - General Lead of Multichain Integrations at DFINITY introduces their newest technology called Chain Fusion. Chain Fusion allows you to have one smart contract on the Internet Computer (ICP) to interact with all sorts of blockchain networks directly. This allows you to create applications that interact with liquidity and data on a variety of different networks in a blink of an eye. One smart contract, to rule them all. 📺 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗧𝘂𝗯𝗲: https://lnkd.in/dBqi9UWM 🎤 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆: https://lnkd.in/d9eWD5BV There is only one question left to ask: When are you starting to build on ICP? --- Launching a Web3 project? Would love to know more about your project. https://lnkd.in/dtcfGJej

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🔥 Highlighting 27 Family Offices Investing In UK Startups At Scaling Stage! 🔥 Behind countless successful startups are visionary family offices, guiding and nurturing them to new heights. Today, it's not just about recognition but a heartfelt salute to these 27 family offices making significant investments in the UK startup ecosystem. These leaders are setting the standard for impactful investments and driving growth in various domains. It's inspiring to see their dedication to fostering sustainability and innovation. 1. Anthony Lyall, Lyall Ventures 2. Alex Loudon, Rushworth Investments 3. Neil Hutchinson, NEON Adventures 4. Dan Adler, D Squared Capital (DSQ) 5. Alex V, Mash VC 6. Pierre-Edouard Stérin, Otium 7. Stephen Diggle, Vulpes Investment Management 8. Cindy Mihalova, Ligo Partners Family Office 9. Shahzaib Khan, CFA, CMA, FCA, Kassam Investments LLC 10. Daniel Recanati, Rhodium 12. Riaz Mamdani, Strategic Group 13. Ariane SOLAL-DARMON, iVESTA Family Office 14. Polo Villaamil, Villaamil & Cia 15. Luis d'Amato, Aston Capital Management LLC Management 17. Wissam ADLI, Early Capital Group 18. Francisco Gonzalez, POLIGONO CAPITAL 19. Derrick Hunter, Bluesky Equities 20. Federico Bosetti, Alecla7 21. Henna Pihlman, Stephen Industries 22. Ján Kasper, PhD., MBA, PhD., ZAKA VC 23. Eduard Meijer,, Navus Ventures 24. Riaz Mamdani, Aezist 25. Vladyslav Nyshcheta, 1 4 All Group 26. Volodymyr Kryvko, CIG 27. Dr. Alexander Jais, YAP Capital Their commitment to diversity and impactful investing is paving the way for a more inclusive and sustainable future. 🚀 How do you see the role of family offices evolving in the sustainable investment landscape? Share your thoughts! Edit: this data was sourced via OpenVC. Investor profiles on our platform which are non-verified are on open data so anyone can edit investment thesis, stages of investment etc (think wikipédia for investors). Investors can sign up for free to get their profile verified and thus can edit this info themselves (and receive qualified dealflow if they want). Lucas Roquilly for any questions.

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I had a fascinating conversation with Brian Elders (布萊恩) 🇮🇪🇭🇺🇭🇰🇪🇺🌍 from SORS this morning all about stablecoins. We talked about the history of Sors from its Hong Kong heritage to growing into a multi-faceted virtual asset service provider (VASP) registered with the Central Bank of Ireland before diving into stablecoins. Check out the recap and episode recording below to learn all about these innovative digital currencies from their definition to major players to the fast-evolving regulatory landscape.

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Financial education is hitting social media. eToro has partnered with Elon Musk's X (although this is not their first partnership). Under the deal, the broker will publish a series of financial educational content on the social media platform, through livestream events, video on demand, and audio Spaces. What's more interesting? 1.4 billion posts on X referenced trading or investing topics in 2023 (a 54% jump). 🤔 Is LinkedIn lagging behind? #broker #finance #financialservices #forex #stocks #cfds #socialtrading https://lnkd.in/gR9UpHVs

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Announcement! Coinbase is coming to the Manchester Blockchain Alliance Event June 4th - Stand With Crypto UK in association with the MBA and Coinbase Speakers Jamie Asefa - Senior Blockchain Engineer, Coinbase Tom Duff Gordon Vice President International Policy, Coinbase Base will be a hot topic! Powered by Coinbase: Base is built to be the onchain home for Coinbase products, users, and assets. As Coinbase is strengthening its leadership in the Crypto space, Base may become the leading Layer2 ecosystem. Easy onboarding process: Seamless Coinbase integrations, easy fiat onramps, and access to the $130B assets on platform in the Coinbase ecosystem. Base network may become the best option for the Coinbase users to join Web3 World. Growing TVL and Volume: The activity on the Base network rapidly increases day by day, making ~2600% trading volume growth since January and gaining over $1.5B in TVL. More surprises are in store too! One not to be missed! When? June 4th starting at 6pm Get your seat now! https://lnkd.in/eRk7mpZC Katie Harries Katie Gallagher OBE Bruntwood SciTech

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13 x UK Start-ups to watch --> According to VC's ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ As ever, an exciting list curated by Sifted: Impressive funding rounds, Impact driven missions. How can you use this list: 1. If you're looking for your next role 2. If you're looking for an exciting company to follow 3. If you want to learn from an inspirational founder(s) 4. If you would like to understand which trends the VC's are backing ↓ ↓ 1. Cogna - AI driven hyper customised software, defined by you Founders: Ben Peters Lars Mennen 2. Scarlet - Europe's only software & AI-specialised Notified Body. Founders: James Dewar Jamie Cox 3. Treefera - AI platform for environmental impact analysis Founder: Jonathan Horn 4. 11x.ai - An automation company that builds autonomous digital workers Founder: Hasan Sukkar 5. Cradle - Protein engineering without the guesswork Founders: Stef van Grieken Elise de Reus Jelle Prins Eli Bixby 6. Intropy AI : Help businesses grow world class teams using AI Founders: Franziska Kirschner YihKai Teh 7. Runna: #1 Rated Running coaching app in the world Founders: Dom Maskell Ben Parker 8. KareHero: Dedicated adult care support for every employee Founder: Stephanie Leung 9. Lawhive: Bringing the joy back to practicing the law Founders: Pierre Proner Jaime V. Flinn Dolman 10. Apoha: Sensory intelligence for machines into physical reality Founders: Anshika Srivastava Shamit Shrivastava 11. Anam.ai: Creating digital personas using GenAI Founders: Caoimhe Murphy Ben Carr 12. Anterior (formerly Co:Helm): AI 'Digital Nurse' for health insurers Founders: Abdel Mahmoud, MD Zahid Mahmood 13. PhysicsX: Machine Learning applications to accelerate physics simulations Founders: Jacomo Corbo Nicolas Haag . . 14. ? 15. ? Which companies would you add? Repost this is you feel other founders would benefit from seeing ♻ ******************************************************************** Credit to the investors that helped with the Sifted article: - Kate McGinn @ Seedcamp - Adam Shuaib @ Episode 1 - Deepka Rana @ Northzone - Hanel Baveja @ Creandum - Irina Haivas @ Atomico *********************************************** If you enjoyed this, repost it for others ♻ Follow me Asif Ahmed for more in the future

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London: The AI Startup Capital! Big news from the heart of the UK’s tech scene! London-based AI startup Wayve has just landed an impressive $1 billion in funding (https://lnkd.in/eifTikyq), led by giants like Japan's SoftBank, Nvidia, and Microsoft. This momentous investment isn’t just a win for Wayve—it's a spotlight on London as a fertile ground for AI innovation. Why London? Our city’s unique ecosystem offers an unrivaled blend of tech talent, pioneering research, and a supportive business environment that encourages bold ventures like Wayve. Their work with "embodied AI" is setting new standards for autonomous vehicles, showcasing how startups here are not just following trends—they're creating them. This investment marks a pivotal moment, proving that London is not only attracting big names in technology but also nurturing them to compete on a global scale. As Wayve prepares for international growth, let’s celebrate London as the place where AI startups thrive and innovation knows no bounds. Join me in cheering for the future of tech, born right here in London, as we lead the AI revolution! #London #Innovation #AIStartups #Wayve #GlobalTechLeaders #UKStartups #Artificialintellegence

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🚨 The Lab3 ON-CHAIN PICK OF THE WEEK with Hirechain Ep7🎙 - This week Jac Evans, Patrick Lambert and I discuss... Caddi, a Chrome extension that optimises your crypto trades by finding the best prices across liquidity pools and bridges. 🚀 Let us know what you think 👇 #web3 #marketing #podcast #crypto #onchain #multichain #defi #blockchain

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