Adam French’s Post

I am excited to welcome fellow The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) alumna Sophia Draper to the Antler team. Having previously spent time in Equity and Commodity Derivatives before realising that startup life would be more fulfilling, I can't help but be reminded of the same steps I took about a decade ago. Having spent 2+ years as a Founders Associate at Volteras, a startup specialising in electric vehicle software, assisted them through a pivot focusing on GTM and early traction and helped to raise a $2.9m Seed, it is great to have a Day 0 operator join the team. 🚀

📣 Calling all Europe-based techies looking to start a business 📣 I have great news! My data-driven colleagues Christoph Klink and Jack Davies have crunched the numbers. They analysed data from 1,000 founders of tech giants and unicorns in Europe and the US, plus 60,000 founders applying to Antler’s European residencies. Our research shows that tech giants are built by technical founders who solve complex problems with technology. Historically, Europe lacked enough technical founders to produce a tech giant, but this is changing. Layoffs and emerging technologies like AI are driving a new generation of experienced technical founders. Key insights: 👉 Over 50% of new European unicorn founders have technical backgrounds, building amazing deep tech products. 👉 Applications to our residencies from technical backgrounds have grown 4x, and AI/data backgrounds 8x (2021 vs 2023). 👉 The fastest-growing roles in founder applications are leaders in data and engineering. 👉 Across our European portfolio, technical founders raise 50% more and at 60% higher valuations. 👉 Founder applications from alumni of companies undergoing restructuring have increased 9x within a year. The result? There has never been a better chance for Europe to build its first tech giant. As one of the most active pre-seed investors in Europe, if you're a technical founder looking to build, join our upcoming AMA to discover how we’re supporting Europe’s new tech founders: https://lu.ma/75joehry Link to the full report in the comments below.

Last week, I had the honour of closing the second (bigger and better) Antler European Founder Conference with two unicorn founders who have personally played significant roles in my own entrepreneurial journey. First up, Alex Tew, co-founder of one of the most loved consumer apps, Calm, who also built the world-famous 'Million Dollar Homepage' in 2005. This stunt is vividly etched in my mind as one of my earliest memories of recognizing the commercial power of the Internet. And secondly, Philip Belamant, co-founder of one of the fastest-growing fintechs in Europe, Zilch, who recently launched the Unicorn Council for UK FinTech, co-chaired by Janine Hirt at Innovate Finance - the industry body for FinTech in the UK, where I proudly sit on the board. This panel, with these two very special individuals, was a clear highlight of the day for the founders in the room - incredibly authentic and insightful. Want a chance to join us in the room next year? Join one of our upcoming online events to learn more about building a business with Antler. The link is in the comments below.

Excited to be a part of my first Antler European Founder Conference next week - our flagship event in Europe. We are bringing 50+ of our most exciting founders across Europe to London for two days of events, workshops and networking. I will be closing the event with a fireside chat with two unicorn founders - Alex Tew (Calm) and Philip Belamant (Zilch) on a day where we will bring together 250 institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, VCs and founders to discuss the European innovation flywheel and the biggest growth opportunities in European tech. We will also be launching our latest Europe’s New Tech Founders annual report. This year we’re looking at why Europe finally has the talent and capital to build our first global tech giant. 🦄 🚀

🔍 Join Our Team at Antler: Investment Manager Position in London 🌍 We're on the lookout for an exceptional Investment Manager to join our awesome team in London. At Antler, we believe in backing the world's most driven founders from Day Zero to Greatness. As an Investment Manager, you’ll play a hands-on role in identifying, supporting, and investing in diverse, high-potential founders and startups. Ready to make an impact? Apply via the link below. #JoinAntler #InvestmentManager #VentureCapital #StartupEcosystem #LondonJobs #CareerOpportunity #Entrepreneurship #VCJobs #TechStartups

A few weeks ago, I finished my first full Antler residency here in London and it is one of the most privileged parts of my job - spending 10 weeks with 75+ people in our office as they embark on their entrepreneurial journeys. We will join some of them as their investors and, for the others, our paths will certainly cross in the future. Some reflections now the dust has started to settle: 🏎 Velocity matters - I've said it previously but speed is an indication of hustle and productivity. It allows us to not make an investment in the here and now but project forward and imagine where you will be in the one month, one year and ten years time. 👨🎓 Lean into your superpowers - Over 2,500 people apply for our twice yearly residencies and we say yes to the top ~75. However, you have to lean into your superpowers to be able to stand out from the crowd when thinking about the business you want to build. It doesn't have to be the industry you have worked in your whole life; but it should take advantage of what makes you a rockstar. 📖 Stay customer-focused - The ongoing success of your business hinges on understanding and meeting the needs of your customers. Spend time engaging with them, gathering feedback, and iterating on your product or service is time well spent. I am amazed how much the best teams achieve in 10 weeks. Bring on the next one in September 💪

Pitch deck competition slide leaving you lost or confused?... After sitting on my bookshelf for way too long, I decided to open the business classic "Blue Ocean Strategy" for the first time (likely in a moment of wishing for the summer to arrive)... and stumbled across a tool I thought could be used quite well in a pitch deck on the competition slide - the Strategy Canvas. This powerful visual tool maps out the key factors that the industry competes on and where competitors invest their efforts, allowing you to identify where the opportunities for innovation and differentiation lie. Here’s why this could be a standout feature in your next pitch deck: 🎯 Clear Visual Differentiation: Ditch the dense tables and lists. The Strategy Canvas offers a clearly showcases how your startup differs from others. This simple visual helps investors quickly grasp your unique position. 🧲 Customer-Centric Focus: This tool pushes you to look beyond just beating competitors and to focus on what your customers truly value. By pinpointing and highlighting these needs, you can communicate more effectively how your startup meets these unmet needs or solves problems in unique ways. 🌟 Spotlight on Innovation: The Strategy Canvas goes beyond what you do—it shows how you stand out. It visually demonstrates where your ideas break from the norm, highlighting your innovative approaches whether in product development, service, or technology. Thinking of trying out the Strategy Canvas in your pitch? Keen to hear from anyone who’s tried this approach—what was your experience? [link to an article explaining more in the comments] #Entrepreneurship #BlueOceanStrategy #PitchDeck

📢 Calling all future or current female founders 📢 Join us on the 21st May at Google for an amazing event “Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: Building Venture-Scalable Businesses”. We will be joining AlbionVC, JV Investment Network, Sie Ventures and WVC:E for a full day of workshops, panels and networking all rooted in how to build a venture-scalable business. Expert facilitators will be covering essential topics such as navigating VC dynamics, practical insights on product-market fit, go-to-market strategies and sales! We’ll also hear from experienced founders, sharing their journeys and key takeaways for you to apply to your own business. Spaces are limited, so if applicants/founders can answer ‘yes’ to the following questions, we’d love them to join us: -> currently a CXO or co-founder, or are you planning to become one. -> prior operational experience in startups or big tech. -> considering or just started building a tech-enabled startup. #womenfounders #diversity #founders #vc #technology Find out more and apply to join the event here: https://lu.ma/88el00ji

I recently read, for the first time, Jim Collins classic book "Good to Great" and found two words that basically define the startup journey - Stockdale Paradox. The Stockdale Paradox is named after Admiral Jim Stockdale, who survived captivity during the Vietnam War by embracing a powerful mindset: he accepted the harsh realities of his situation while maintaining an unwavering faith that he would prevail in the end. This paradox isn't just about hope; it's about marrying gritty realism with relentless optimism. For startups, this becomes a blueprint: 🎯 Face Reality: Every startup has its set of challenges. Recognise them. Don't shy away from the difficult parts of your journey; embrace them. 🌟 Stay Optimistic: While acknowledging the hurdles, maintain an unwavering belief in your vision. This balanced optimism keeps teams motivated even through tough times. For any entrepreneur, blending realism with unwavering hope is not just a strategy—it's essential. #Entrepreneurship #StartupLife #Resilience

VELOCITY 🚄 Awesome research (link in the comments) from Adam Shuaib, PhD confirming something in the data that, after spending time with 100s of founders, I felt to be so fundamentally true. No matter what the topic, what time of day it is or day of the week, the best founders seem to be able to respond at a speed which almost feels unnatural. Respond Like Lightning: Quick email turnarounds show investors you’re on the ball. Set Up for Speed: Use tech to manage your inbox efficiently. Show investors your team can handle the heat as you scale. Keep the Conversation Hot: Don’t wait! Proactive follow-ups can make a huge difference.