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WE BACK THE UK’S MOST DRIVEN FOUNDERS FROM day zero to greatness
In the vibrant tech hub of London, we bring together entrepreneurs from all backgrounds to build the defining companies of tomorrow. Our value promise to founders:
1) We are the best place on the planet to find exceptional co-founders.
2) Our companies scale faster, backed by our truly global community of founders, advisors, and investors.
3) We invest from day zero and keep backing our companies for their entire journey.
We’re looking for people committed to building game-changing businesses. We work with founders regardless of background or geography—from experienced business operators to technologists and entrepreneurs. Whether you’re an individual or team at day zero or have been building your business for years, we are here to help as a partner obsessed with your success. The residency will start on 2 October. You get up to 3 months of free office space during the residency. Antler will continue supporting you and your venture beyond this.
Antler UK welcomes applications from individuals and teams at the very beginning of their startup journey—before the company is founded—and even pre-idea.
Antler brings together exceptional entrepreneurs in a three-month cohort dedicated to helping you find a co-founder and developing and testing a startup hypothesis. At the end of this stage, your team may pitch to our Investment Committee. Successful teams will then enter the Antler portfolio and benefit from Launch, where support focuses on helping you build your product before raising further funds. Mobilising entrepreneurship in Europe’s largest tech hub.
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Find your co-founder(s)
Form your co-founding team, develop your idea, and get buy-in for your vision.
Develop and test your hypothesis
Start talking to customers, develop your MVP, refine your business model, and develop your go-to-market strategy with the support and guidance of expert coaches.
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Practice makes perfect...pitch weekly at Antler's Investment Committee check-ins
Then it’s show time... Pitch to our Investment Committee to secure pre-seed funding.
Get funded
We back you for the entire life cycle of your company—through follow-up funding (to Series C and beyond), tier-one VC access, and our truly global community that supports you forever.
Take a look at the exceptional companies we have supported
Antler is one of the most active pre-seed investors in the UK—and globally—backing game-changing companies.
75+
Portfolio companies
88%
Receive external funding within one year of Antler's investment
$90M+
Raised in third-party capital by Antler's portfolio in the UK
$250M+
Valuation for 75+ Antler portfolio companies in the UK
The full process after submitting the application takes about 2-3 weeks to complete. Once your application is reviewed, our scouting team will guide you through the full process and will be available to answer all your questions.
Apply
Apply on antler.co/apply using your LinkedIn account or CV and fill out a short questionnaire.
NB- If you want to include your pitch deck and/or CV please make sure to attach it when submitting your application form! Any documents shared with us via social media or email will not be considered for review.
Screening
We will screen your application and contact you if you are successful in the first stage.
Drive interview
Introduce yourself through a first call where we get to know you, get a better understanding of your background, and figure out if our program would be an ideal fit for you, together.
Spike interview
In this interview we will discuss your experience and knowledge in more depth. We will focus on your interests, passions, ideas, problem-solving skills and insights.
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Application process
The full process after submitting the application takes about 2-3 weeks to complete. Once your application is reviewed, our scouting team will guide you through the full process and will be available to answer all your questions.
Apply
Apply on antler.co/apply using your LinkedIn account or CV and fill out a short questionnaire.
NB- If you want to include your pitch deck and/or CV please make sure to attach it when submitting your application form! Any documents shared with us via social media or email will not be considered for review.
Screening
We will screen your application and contact you if you are successful in the first stage.
Drive interview
Introduce yourself through a first call where we get to know you, get a better understanding of your background, and figure out if our program would be an ideal fit for you, together.
Spike interview
In this interview we will discuss your experience and knowledge in more depth. We will focus on your interests, passions, ideas, problem-solving skills and insights.
Offer & Onboarding
Upon completion of both interview stages, our Antler Origination team will make a final decision. Once you have been offered a place, there will be a series of "switch on" events to meet other cohort members as a taster pre-program. Then the cohort kicks off. In the event that your application was unsuccessful, you are always welcome to reapply for our future cohorts when you feel ready.
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The full process after submitting the application takes about 2-3 weeks to complete. Once your application is reviewed, our scouting team will guide you through the full process and will be available to answer all your questions.
Apply
Apply on antler.co/apply using your LinkedIn account or CV and fill out a short questionnaire.
NB- If you want to include your pitch deck and/or CV please make sure to attach it when submitting your application form! Any documents shared with us via social media or email will not be considered for review.
Screening
We will screen your application and contact you if you are successful in the first stage.
Drive interview
Introduce yourself through a first call where we get to know you, get a better understanding of your background, and figure out if our program would be an ideal fit for you, together.
01
0
02
1
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Antler-funded founders go on to raise capital from other leading VCs.
Founder testimonials
Don't just take it from us. Hear from phenomenal people who joined Antler in the UK to launch their company.
It’s a great time to become an entrepreneur, especially with programs like Antler. They put the whole infrastructure in place, whether it’s capital, co-founders or mentors. It really helps you to de-risk.
What I love about the philosophy of Antler is finding the right team first. I completely believe that if a team has the same motivations, they can eventually find great solutions together.
The biggest realization I had at Antler is how important people are, especially one’s co-founder. With our shared vision, I believe we can collaborate, brainstorm, and evolve together.
At Antler, we’ve really learned to pivot, adapt and take feedback on board. Antler selects incredibly talented people to join the program so get to know the cohort and leverage the skill sets around you.
It’s the best time in history to build a business
There has never been a better time to innovate and build a company that solves a meaningful problem. As the issues society faces become more complex, founders are more needed than ever to tackle them.
Ollie is a partner in Antler’s London office, where he shares the overall responsibility for Antler’s operations in London. Prior to Antler, Ollie was the CPO of Bó, RBS’ Digital bank. Before joining Bó, Ollie founded Loot, a VC backed digital banking service which helped over 200,000 customers do more with their money.
Jed Rose
Partner
Jed Rose is a Partner at Antler and brings operator, advisor, and investor experience from Seed to Series C rounds. He was the GM of EMEA with Airwallex, a B2B fintech payments unicorn that is backed by investors such as Sequoia and DST Global. Prior to Antler and Airwallex, Jed was CEO at Paymentsense, where he led the fintech startup through a period of rapid growth with EBITDA growing from breakeven to £24m in just three years and to an exit. Prior to Paymentsense, Jed did product management for Microsoft Windows for six years where he focused on B2C, international expansion, and product pilots. Jed received a B.Sc. with Honours in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University and an MBA from the University of Cambridge.
Darren Murphy
Director, Origination
Darren is Program Director in Antler’s London office and Head of Program for EMEA and Americas. Darren has over seven years of experience working with tech startups, helping them go to market and secure investment. He previously worked as Head of Innovation at Unbound, connecting 100s of startups with global corporations at events such as Unbound London, FinTech Abu Dhabi and Innovfest Unbound in Singapore. Darren has also worked at the UK’s leading advanced digital technology innovation centre, Digital Catapult, where he helped establish their first accelerators
Pedro Stuart
Senior Associate, Program
Pedro is an Industrial engineer from Lima, Peru. He has more than three years of experience working for the LatAm startup ecosystem, structuring a public fund of funds at COFIDE, Peru’s Development Bank, and supporting a 30 startup portfolio at UTEC Ventures - the biggest accelerator in Lima.
Maria Schipa
Head of Talent & Scouting
Maria is our Founder Scout Manager in the UK. Prior to joining Antler, Maria worked as a recruitment consultant for early-stage SaaS startups in the Netherlands. She is a graduate in Clinical & Forensic Psychology and holds and MSc in Organisational Psychology.
Will Pearce
Talent & Founder Scout
Will is the Founder and Talent Scout in the UK, mainly focusing on bringing technological co-founders into the cohorts. Before joining Antler, Will gained technology recruitment experience from his time at global recruiter, Hays, predominantly in the early-stage startup space. He is a BA (Hons) Business and Management graduate from the University of Kent, and has also worked across retail in a leadership capacity.
Zina Alfa
Marketing & Investment Events, Lead
Zina is an award-winning entrepreneur, board member and consulting strategist with over 7+ years of executive business experience. She has transitioned from senior roles in production, editorial and marketing across news and entertainment to founding a b2b2c beauty tech & e-commerce platform.
Sarah Finegan
Portfolio Director
Sarah is an investor and Portfolio Director at Antler. She recently moved to London from Berlin, where she was a key part of Antler’s operations in DACH & Eastern Europe. Sarah brings experience from her previous roles in finance, early-stage technology companies, and venture capital, and is an avid sports fan and world traveller.
Richard Baillie
Head of Direct Investments
Richard is the investment manager in the UK, leading on sourcing and evaluating direct investment opportunities. Prior to joining Antler, Richard was helping Israeli startups raise Series A funding from UK and US investors. He has also spent time at an investment bank and five years as an actuarial consultant. Richard has an MBA from Cass Business School and an MSci in Mathematics from the University of Glasgow.
Rakesh Sah
Finance Manager
Rakesh is Finance Manager at Antler, supporting investment and capital teams to drive investments, and founders during and after the investment process. He has previously worked as Finance manager for a PE backed multinational company, helping their European segment double its turnover to £50m in three years. Rakesh has an MBA from the City, University of London and an ACCA qualification.
Mia Sinobad
Program & Portfolio - Analyst
Mia is the Visiting Analyst in Antler’s London office. Prior to joining Antler, she worked as a full-time Junior Consultant at EY’s Valuation department. Mia started her career as an intern at EY’s Transaction Support team. She has recently completed MSc in Management at London Business School.
Sungwook Eun
Program - Analyst
Sungwook, originally from South Korea, has lived, studied, and worked across Europe and Asia. As an Analyst in the Program team, he aids in running the London residency programme. He has previously been part of the Antler Korea team and brings diverse work experience in consulting, startups, and the military. Sungwook holds an MSc from the London Business School.
Sarah Mee
Scouting & Investment - Analyst
Sarah is a visiting analyst in the London office. Prior to joining Antler, Sarah worked as a product manager in Silverfin, a cloud automation and insights platform for accountants, where she helped to build the UK product offering. Sarah is also a chartered accountant and holds a Masters in Finance from London Business School.
Antler in the UK
Antler in the UK
London was one of Antler's first European locations. Since its opening, Antler has become one of the most active early-stage investors in the UK, backing more than 30 startups a year.
Rakesh Sah
Finance Manager
Rakesh is Finance Manager at Antler, supporting investment and capital teams to drive investments, and founders during and after the investment process. He has previously worked as Finance manager for a PE backed multinational company, helping their European segment double its turnover to £50m in three years. Rakesh has an MBA from the City, University of London and an ACCA qualification.
Zina Alfa
Marketing & Investment Events, Lead
Zina is an award-winning entrepreneur, board member and consulting strategist with over 7+ years of executive business experience. She has transitioned from senior roles in production, editorial and marketing across news and entertainment to founding a b2b2c beauty tech & e-commerce platform.
Veronika Patkai
Associate Partner
Veronika is an Associate Partner, based in our London office and responsible for the end-to-end design and execution of our Antler UK platform. Prior to joining Antler, Veronika worked as an early-stage advisor, dedicated start-up coach and angel investor. She has an MBA from INSEAD and focused on Private Equity advisory / M&A in the the earlier stages of her career.
Tabitha Luxmoore-Styles
Head of Partnership
Tabitha is Head of Partnerships at Antler UK, where she engages with corporate partners, government and large institutions to help build the success of Antler & portfolio companies in the UK and globally. Prior to Antler, Tabitha has worked in 3 start-ups in (foodtech & fintech) and a tech accelerator. More recently she has moved from Tilney Smith & Williamson, a financial services firm, where she worked in the Entrepreneurial Services team and ran the Female Founder & Investor program. She currently sits on the board of CONCAT Tech (refugee & women developers from countries of conflict) and is supporting work from the Dept of International Trade with under represented founders.
Richard Baillie
Head of Direct Investments
Richard is the investment manager in the UK, leading on sourcing and evaluating direct investment opportunities. Prior to joining Antler, Richard was helping Israeli startups raise Series A funding from UK and US investors. He has also spent time at an investment bank and five years as an actuarial consultant. Richard has an MBA from Cass Business School and an MSci in Mathematics from the University of Glasgow.
Pedro Stuart
Senior Associate, Program
Pedro is an Industrial engineer from Lima, Peru. He has more than three years of experience working for the LatAm startup ecosystem, structuring a public fund of funds at COFIDE, Peru’s Development Bank, and supporting a 30 startup portfolio at UTEC Ventures - the biggest accelerator in Lima.
Ollie Purdue
Partner
Ollie is a partner in Antler’s London office, where he shares the overall responsibility for Antler’s operations in London. Prior to Antler, Ollie was the CPO of Bó, RBS’ Digital bank. Before joining Bó, Ollie founded Loot, a VC backed digital banking service which helped over 200,000 customers do more with their money.
Mehdi Doghri
Venture Partner
Mehdi is an experienced tech entrepreneur who started his career as solution architect for blue chip companies before joining a mobile agency as CTO, delivering 20+ apps. For the last 4 years, he has been leading a digital innovation team at Barclays driving new digital products for the SME market. He’s now the Co-Founder & CTO of Save your wardrobe, a Fashion Tech start-up changing the way we manage our clothes post-purchase.
Maria Schipa
Head of Talent & Scouting
Maria is our Founder Scout Manager in the UK. Prior to joining Antler, Maria worked as a recruitment consultant for early-stage SaaS startups in the Netherlands. She is a graduate in Clinical & Forensic Psychology and holds and MSc in Organisational Psychology.
Lars Kvaalen
Venture Partner
Lars is one of Antler UK's Venture Partners. Lars spent more than 6 years in McKinsey & Company, supporting some of the largest telecoms and banks. At McKinsey, Lars implemented advanced analytics to drive data driven decision making in marketing and sales. Further Lars has been focusing on technology, M&A and corporate finance.
Jed Rose
Partner
Jed Rose is a Partner at Antler and brings operator, advisor, and investor experience from Seed to Series C rounds. He was the GM of EMEA with Airwallex, a B2B fintech payments unicorn that is backed by investors such as Sequoia and DST Global. Prior to Antler and Airwallex, Jed was CEO at Paymentsense, where he led the fintech startup through a period of rapid growth with EBITDA growing from breakeven to £24m in just three years and to an exit. Prior to Paymentsense, Jed did product management for Microsoft Windows for six years where he focused on B2C, international expansion, and product pilots. Jed received a B.Sc. with Honours in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University and an MBA from the University of Cambridge.
Gary Dolman
Venture Partner
Gary is Venture Partner at Antler London. Gary is the co-founder and CFO of Monzo, one of UK's largest challenger banks, and he has recently established his own consulting business to the start up industry. He is a qualified chartered accountant who has had a long career in banking having worked as a CFO and COO at Starling Bank, ABN AMRO and Mizuho Securities.
Darren Murphy
Director, Origination
Darren is Program Director in Antler’s London office and Head of Program for EMEA and Americas. Darren has over seven years of experience working with tech startups, helping them go to market and secure investment. He previously worked as Head of Innovation at Unbound, connecting 100s of startups with global corporations at events such as Unbound London, FinTech Abu Dhabi and Innovfest Unbound in Singapore. Darren has also worked at the UK’s leading advanced digital technology innovation centre, Digital Catapult, where he helped establish their first accelerators
Charlotte Mason
Venture Partner
Charlotte has helped 1000s of companies raise seed capital and grown her own portfolio of 30 investments. She has >10-years of start-up experience, holds many start-up advisor/board positions, and is INSEAD’s Start-up Bootcamp Director, delivering world-leading start-up training. She is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at INSEAD and also designs, leads, and supports Corporate Innovation Programmes for Fortune, FTSE, and SME clients. Charlotte is Co-Chair of INSEAD Alumni UK Business Angels and Entrepreneurship Group and holds an MBA from INSEAD.
Andy Hunt
Venture Partner
Andy is a Venture Partner at Antler. He is an experienced business coach frequently hired by founders and senior business leaders to support them through periods of sustained growth and transformation. Previously, Andy had a career in banking with NatWest and spent 12 years at VMware establishing the US enterprise software company in EMEA and shepherding it from start-up through to $2bn+ in revenue. Andy has a passion for driving success through people
Altan Tutar
Entrepreneur-in-residence
Altan is an entrepreneur-in-residence at Antler, one of the fastest-growing global early-stage venture capital firms. He's also an active participant and leader of Antler's web3 initiatives. Before Antler, he was a mMaster's student at Imperial College London, specializing in computing and it's applications in robotics via deep learning methods. Prior to Imperial College London, Altan was an undergraduate at Davidson College, where he double-majored in computer science (honors) and mathematics, published award-winning research in virtual reality and mathematics and worked at early-stage startups such as Lucid Drone Technologies (YC S'19).
Beatrice Zatorska
Co-founder and CEO
Karolina Szweda
Head of Growth Marketing
Ollie Forsyth
Global Community Manager
Ollie leads our global community with a focus on making Antler the best ecosystem for founders on the planet. He was previously at Molten Ventures (formerly known as Draper Esprit). In his spare time, he loves traveling and meeting new people. Contact him at ollie.forsyth@antler.co.
We are delighted to announce that we are expanding our investment activity. Our primary focus remains to invest at the pre-seed stage, but we now also have the ability to offer our portfolio companies follow-on capital as they grow and scale, up to Series C.
Today we are sharing our new brand that reflects that commitment and the reason Antler exists: to stand behind our founders from day zero and to keep backing them on their paths to greatness.
Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Antler Quarterly. This report explores the impact, risk, sustainability, and opportunity within the global VC industry.
The Early Days podcast launched in June, unwrapping how world-class founders built today’s most influential companies. Antler’s Tyler Norwood, creator and host of the podcast, talks about what inspired it, why the early days are so crucial, and why it’s important to humanize startups.
Antler was founded on the belief that people innovating is the key to building a better future. To honor them, we are launching a new content series—”It All Starts with People”—spotlighting the exceptional founders we have the privilege of partnering with around the world. Each story is a window into their passions, motivations, and vision—the reasons they are building and the positive dent they are aiming to make on the world.
In our first spotlight, we sat down with Emilia Theye, the co-founder of clare&me—a mental health app that uses language-based AI to develop an innovative approach to virtual self-help.
We are living two simultaneous realities: the uncertainty of the current downturn and the unstoppable wave of innovation disrupting every industry. Against this backdrop, Antler's Kevin Brennan shares perspectives on assessing your position in venture capital for the rest of 2022 and into 2023. Might 2023 be the best vintage for the coming decade?