ANTLER ONE

Not quite, we’re inception stage investors, backing founders often before they’ve found their co-founder or developed their idea. We take massive pride in helping our founders identify, develop, validate, and start scaling their ideas and business models quickly through our residencies. We don’t launch and leave; instead, we keep supporting our founders throughout their company's life cycle. 

‍Expect to move further, faster.

You’ll keep building at full sprint - just with a level of intensity, structure, and a cohort of equally committed, exceptional founders around you that makes everything move faster and hit harder.

You’ll join a cohort of ~100 hand-picked founders (from a pool of ~10,000 applicants), from across the continent to join a single, highly selective residency - run from our main hub in Berlin, with a launch pad in Amsterdam.

There are two tracks, depending on your setup:

• Complete teams track: Teams typically join for ~6 weeks, focused on building, tightening execution, and accelerating progress. Teams that are based in Amsterdam typically join the community physically in Berlin for 2 weeks before then working alongside our team in Amsterdam in our local launch pad.
• Co-founder matching track: Solo founders or incomplete teams join for ~10 weeks, using the early phase to shape direction and founder dynamics - while continuing to build hard. If teams once completed decide to build their company from Amsterdam we will then work together on the ground from our local launch pad.

The timings are directional and if it makes sense we can also invest earlier and proceed to the next stage of building together. No matter which track you join, the expectation is the same: you're here to build something serious. Fast.

Founders can expect:

• Free office space - Nothing moves you faster than being in-person with other highly driven builders
• Full focus on building - No distractions. Support is bespoke and 1:1. Optional content on key topics, only when useful. This is not a startup school
• Potential co-founders - For those looking to strengthen their team. You’ll meet a highly curated group of founders with diverse and complementary backgrounds
• Resources - Access to the worlds best package of perks alongside A16Z & YC with a total value of €4M+ for services across: infrastructure, tools, ops, legal advice and more
• Community & network - At day zero, warm intros are everything: first hires, early customers, pivotal investors. You’ll tap into a network of exceptional peers and Antler’s own global access from day one
• And the residency is only the beginning of the journey and our commitment - the real work then only starts...

Some founders arrive with traction and a team. Others show up solo and pre-idea. What matters isn’t where you start - it’s how far and how fast you're willing to go. Not everyone makes it to investment. And that’s by design.

Antler is looking for outliers. Here’s what that means.

We back founders who are wired differently - the kind of people who must build, who don’t wait for permission, and who can turn nothing into something fast.

Some join with an MVP in motion. Others start from scratch and find a co-founder during the residency. Stage matters less than trajectory - how fast you move and how much you raise the bar.

Across backgrounds, we look for four things:

• Drive – A level of urgency and ownership most people simply don’t have
• Grit – Not the performative kind - the real kind, where you keep going long after it stops being fun
• Spike – You’re exceptional at something. Could be commercial instinct, storytelling, technical depth, leadership, or attracting top talent - but it’s visible, and it makes you dangerous
• Commitment – You’re all in. This isn’t a side project. No freelancing. No safety nets.

Our founders span a wide range. Many have 10+ years of experience and have built or led teams at scale. Some have started multiple companies before. Others are earlier in their careers but already moving like outliers - the kind of people who rally others, who ship fast, who learn faster.‍

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We’re highly selective. Only ~2% of applicants are invited to join the residency. It’s not for everyone - but if you’re serious about building something massive, this is the place to start.

‍When we decide to invest, we commit €500K at inception. Those typically convert into around 10% equity at €5m valuation. Success for us is not writing the first check, but backing founders all the way to Series C with up to €30m. The decision to invest is made as we work together, typically within weeks - if you're building something exceptional, we move fast.

Here's how it works:

• €200K are wired immediately at inception:
  
  • €100K converts into 8.5% ownership before your next equity round, i.e. is diluted by the round
  • When you raise additional capital before that (typically through CLA / SAFE), our stake will dilute accordingly - no fixed equity protections apply
  • The other €100K is an uncapped convertible note with MFN (Most Favored Nation), converting into equity on the same terms as your next round
• Up to €300K immediate follow-on commitment through our Agreement for Rolling Capital (ARC) - invested in your next round within 9 months, on the same terms as your external investors
• Up to €4M in cloud, software, and AI credits via our global partner network. Companies typically use >€400K worth of free credits, which means serious extra resources at zero dilution.

Why we designed the structure this way:

• Protect your ownership Most of the capital comes in at your next round's valuation so your dilution stays in check as you raise more

• Boost your raise ARC acts as built-in investor validation - a pre-committed €300K that helps you close your round faster 

• Increase your odds of success Startups that raise >€250K early are 3x more likely to raise a Series A. We help make that happen without wasting time on a fragmented angel round

• Back you for the long haul €500K is just the start - Antler can invest up to €30M per company, supporting you from Inception through Series C

We're here to back the companies that earn it - early, seriously, and for the long run.

We’re usually the first investor on the cap table - and that creates a different kind of relationship.

We don’t take board seats. We don’t interfere. What we offer is trust, sparring, and long-term alignment - the kind that often makes us the first person a founder calls when it really matters.

That might be:

• When co-founder dynamics get complicated
• When you’re preparing for a high-stakes board discussion
• When there's a term sheet on the table and you want a clear, founder-aligned perspective - not from someone further up the waterfall, but from someone who’s known you since day zero

Because we came in first, we often know the founder better than anyone else on the cap table. That creates a level of openness and support that's hard to replicate later on.

Here's how we support founders post-investment:

• Strategic sparring you can trust - thoughtful, fast, and often just a WhatsApp away
• Fundraising support that moves the needle - from round strategy and investor targeting to warm intros, portfolio showcases, and active guidance throughout the process
• A founder network with real utility - 1500+ companies around the world means first customers, hiring referrals, investor backchannels, and operator connections across markets
• Built-in global reach - whether it’s go-to-market support in Asia, intros to growth capital in the US, or a fellow deeptech founder in Australia - it’s all within the Antler network
• Capital that grows with you - we can invest up to €30M per company, from Day Zero through Series C
• Free office access post-investment - many founders choose to stay in our offices in Berlin or Amsterdam for 3–9 months after the initial investment, working side by side with the team and other portfolio founders
• World-class perks and platforms - including hundreds of thousands in cloud credits and best-in-class deals with top AI and infrastructure providers. [See FAQ on perks ➝]

We also create high-leverage moments for our portfolio - not on a fixed schedule, but based on real founder needs:

• A week in San Francisco with curated Series A companies from around the world, preparing and meeting with top-tier Bay Area investors
• A multi-day retreat in Oxford with our top European portfolio founders, culminating in a partner-level investor summit with the majority of Europe's VC capital in the room

Our role evolves, but we stay in the picture - as sparring partners, co-investors, and long-term allies.

We invest at the end of the residency - after working closely with founders for 6–10 weeks. That gives us a rare vantage point: we make founder-first investment decisions, based on direct observation, not just pitch decks.

By that point, we’ve seen how you work, how you think, and how you lead. That’s what we base our conviction on - not one meeting, but the full experience of building alongside you.

What we look for in founders

Because we’ve worked with you day to day, we look for real, observable signals - not polish.

• Outlier behavior
  High energy, fast learning, sharp thinking, and a work ethic that sets the pace for everyone around you
• Trajectory
  It’s not about where you are now, but how fast you’re moving. Momentum - the slope of the curve - is the best predictor of long-term success
• Founder–idea fit
  You’re building the right company for you - based on your insight, credibility, and drive

There are hundreds of teams around the world working on similar problems, often with equally impressive backgrounds. We’re looking for indicators that this is the team that can win.

You don’t need perfection. You need pace.

What we look for in companies

We back companies with a credible path to billion-euro outcomes.

We’re truly sector-agnostic - from satellites measuring emissions from space to consumer apps used by millions. What matters is scale and ambition.

We look for:

• Scalability - can this become a category leader?
• Early signs of convergence - signals that the team is honing in on a real, valuable problem

How we decide

At the end of the residency, every team pitches to Antler’s investment committee.
The decision is made by the general partners - the same people who’ve worked with you throughout the process.
It’s fast, direct, and based on real conviction.

No. Antler is an inception-stage VC. We often invest before a co-founder, product, or even a defined idea exists. You’ll get the earliest capital, hands-on guidance from partners who’ve built companies, and access to a global founder network — without the “school program” feel of accelerators or incubators.

We invest at inception — often before there’s a team, product, or revenue.

• £125,000 for 8.5% equity (We take a £40,000 program fee at this point which covers our ability to deliver the residency)
• £85,000 via a Convertible Note (with a Most Favoured Nation clause — see below)
• £40,000 service fee (deducted from the total for workspace, infrastructure, legal, and residency support)
  

That means you receive £210,000 at inception.

What’s MFN?

MFN (Most Favoured Nation) means your convertible note converts into equity at the best terms offered to any investor in your next round. It protects you from worse terms later, ensuring you always benefit from the most favourable valuation.

Agreement for Rolling Capital (ARC) commitment

From day zero, Antler also makes a follow-on commitment to invest in your pre-seed round:

• If you raise £1.5M or more → Antler can add up to £330k
• If you raise under £1.5M → Antler can add up to £165k
• To qualify, the round must be raised from professional investors within 9 months of inception.
  

In total, that’s £500k net funding locked in (or £540k gross, before deducting the service fee).

Longer term, our growth fund, Antler Elevate, can invest up to £25M at Series A and beyond.

We’re industry-agnostic. Our UK portfolio includes companies in AI, fintech, healthtech, climate, and deeptech. What matters is solving meaningful problems in big markets. We invest in founders first, not sectors.

Yes. You’ll get the most out of Antler when you’re all-in. Momentum compounds when you’re fully focused. Founders usually spend 4–6 days a week in person with their cohort during the eight-week sprint.

No. Some founders join with a clear concept, others explore multiple directions. What matters is the depth of your insight and your drive to build. We’ll use the scouting process and residency to test your thinking, sharpen your approach, and accelerate progress.

Antler is the first investor. We back founders at inception — often pre-team, pre-product, or pre-revenue. If you’ve already raised a meaningful pre-seed round, you’re likely too far along for our residency.

That said, many successful Antler founders joined with elements already in place — an MVP, early customers, or a team. What matters is whether Antler can still be catalytic: helping you build momentum, form the right team, and raise your first significant round faster than you could alone.

If we invest, you’ll join the Antler portfolio with:

• A dedicated partner and coach

• Access to our global founder network and early-stage VC partners

• $4M+ in perks from AWS, Google, OpenAI and more

• Office space in London

• Tailored support to refine your roadmap and raise your seed round

If we don’t invest, you’ll still be part of the Antler community for life — with events, perks, and chances to reapply or join portfolio companies.

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