Itxaso del Palacio, PhD

"Funding Collapse sends investment in start-ups to six year low" The Times today covering the shocking stats that VenturePath uncovered, with our partner Beauhurst. Great quotes from supporters Michael Moore CEO, BVCA and Julian David CEO, techUK. * UK VC funding at Series A is -44% from last year, and worsening * Q3 24 is down a staggering 57% from Q2, itself down from Q1 * 9 in 10 seed funded startups cannot access Series A VC funding, the next 'rung on the funding ladder' * Just 32 future scaleup companies across the whole of the UK were able to access their first VC funding round in Q3...a 6 year low * Half a billion less capital is going in to UK scaleups at Series A, than just 2 years ago! As the UK scaleup funding gap widens, we are losing ground against other countries, at both startup stage (a position the UK worked hard to achieve, since 2011), and for scaleup support. OECD data: 13th in the world for scaleup support, and that's before Series A funding access dried up. I get that its confusing. Another report (BBB, Nations & Regions) released this week spoke of positive trends in private investment, stating "The data for Q2 2024 shows that investment value has continued to grow". Great, I love to see optimistic data. But under analysis that bundles venture with private equity (later stage), where a few megadeals skew the numbers. Otherwise the exact opposite is true. Our independent research here, for the UK ScaleUp Investment Mission, is laser beam focussed on Series A. The funding round where companies move from the c.1m startups launched each year, through the 2,179 that access seed funding, into the rarefied category of being recognised as future scaleups, attracting Series A funding (£2-10m). The UK venture landscape is currently funding just 248 pa of these companies, and declining. We've been sharing this urgent call for support with the new Government since the day after the election. I've personally met with several Ministers, and spoke to all the relevant Government departments. I will shamelessly repeat loudly what is at stake. UK scaleup funding at Series A has nearly halved in a year, and continues to decline steeply, more than halving in the last quarter. VenturePath developed The UK ScaleUp Investment Mission to convene the scaleup support ecosystem and £7bn of funders to help address this problem, to improve nationwide access to VC investment, and create more venture-backed successes. We have clear support, clear recommendations to reverse this decline in UK scaleup investment, and have made a clear ask of Government for participation in this, to ensure immediate action is taken to create the conditions for success for UK scaleups, ensuring the focus on growth isn't undermined by lack of capital, or equitable access to it. Government decision makers, we'd love your interest, to progress to action. HM Treasury: Rt Hon Rachel Reeves Spencer Livermore James Murray & CC Poppy Gustafsson (welcome to the debate).

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When the first alphabet in these conversations changes from 'M" to 'B', you know the funding winter is transforming into spring 🌱 #VC #VentureCapital #Earlystagefunding Read more about the latest monthly funding report for VC funding in July 2024 here: ttps://https://lnkd.in/dhdWF8fP

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I'm speaking at SuperVenture 2024 on the 5th of June in Berlin. The topic of the panel is emerging VC managers: time to shine or out of their depth? Are LPs fleeing to established names and those that cut their teeth during previous cycles? Or is now the time for emerging managers to bring something different to the table? Is volatility leading to true innovation and disruption? We’re on track to see approximately 44% of the total LP capital committed to US VC funds since the start of the year go to just two large established VC platforms, according to PitchBook data. While many established VCs maintain their allure, there is a subset of LPs who are making a deliberate choice to increase their allocations to specialist emerging VC managers - managers who have spun out from established funds and have an attributable track record, founders with deep operational experience turned funders or academics with deep domain expertise. There is non-trivial added complexity when it comes to emerging VC selection – given the large number of funds needed to be screened and the more complicated referencing and DD process. Data highlights how important it is for GPs to identify & back ‘big winners’ early on to drive fund returns. Typically, ~5% of invested capital in a few winners drives most of the return (>50%). The VC model is built around investing in early-stage companies each with the potential to more than return the whole fund. Who has the right to win? Who will the best founders (and LPs) decide to partner with? #SuperVenture #VC SuperReturn

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I couldn’t be prouder to be a Venture Partner at Isomer Capital (aka the best European FoF - at least for me) as we just announced the launch of our pioneering £100m secondaries fund. This fund is dedicated to acquiring stakes from LPs in various VC funds, tapping into a massive and largely unexplored market. 🌟 Key Highlights: - Focused Investment: Primarily targeting stakes in VC funds, with selective investments in private companies. - Robust Funding: Already over 20% funded, thanks to strong support from Nordic family offices and a German foundation. - Market Potential: With a growing number of private tech companies and a VC liquidity crunch, Europe's VC secondaries market is poised for rapid growth. - Track Record: This isn’t Isomer’s first foray into the secondaries market. As a firm we’ve done several secondaries deals with portfolio companies and VC firms, including early-stage VC Seedcamp (in 2021) and mobility giant Bolt (in 2023). - Expert Team: Welcoming the amazing Omolade (Rachel) A., formerly of Coller Capital, as a principal to lead this initiative. 💡 Investment Strategy: - 65-75% of the fund will buy "LP interest" stakes in VC funds. - 15-25% will be directed towards stakes in companies. - Up to 15% reserved for flexible investment opportunities. 📈 Looking Ahead: We're targeting returns of 2-3x, with significant distributions expected in the next 4-7 years. As one of the few players in this space, we're not just participating in the market—we're driving it forward. Read all about it here: https://lnkd.in/dc7sbC3G #VentureCapital #SecondariesFund #EuropeanVC

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The fall of seat based & the the rise of usage based pricing is a major trend in SaaS. Hear more about it from the experts at m3ter at Money20/20.

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Looking forward to joining this panel to discuss the fine balance between growth and burn for SaaS companies in the current funding environment alongside some great investors and operators:Jaysri, Julia, Rasika & Eva!

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Help make this happen 🗣️ Want to be part of a discussion that will actually drive change at SXSW London? WVC:E has applied to host an session on this important topic: 🚼 VC’s Wake Up Call: Making VC more inclusive for parents We need your vote 💜 The session delves into: ✨ Key statistics and insights to understand the current landscape ✨The challenges and opportunities for reshaping venture capital ✨ Real life experience's and anecdotes We need your vote 💜 What you will gain: ✅ A supportive network of like-minded professionals advocating for change. ✅ Practical solutions to create a culture that supports parents, promotes gender equity, and unlocks untapped talent. ✅ Tips to drive policy changes in their organisations. We need your vote 💜 🗳️ Here’s how (it only takes a few minutes): 1️⃣ Create a login: SXSW London Voting Portal (link in comments) 2️⃣ Search for ‘VC’s Wake Up Call’ in the session bar. 3️⃣ Click the 💜 to cast your vote. Thank you x

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Cambridge Future Tech builds companies. But what makes us different? We get involved from the pre-incorporation stage and join the team as co-founders. We start with the tech. ⚡⚡ Our research team perform extensive due diligence on product, tech and market fit. Then, we build the company around the tech. We help to build : 🚀 The team. 🚀 The vision. 🚀 The narrative. We’re hands-on. We support with: 🚀 Legal and governance. 🚀 Operational process and structure. 🚀 Financial and business models. We prepare the venture: 🚀 For pitching and fundraising. 🚀 For commercial engagements. 🚀 To bring the product to market. Then, we connect them with our international network of investors and VC. 🔗 We’re with them every step from incorporation through pre-seed, seed and beyond. #cambridgefuturetech #venturebuilder #deeptech

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Its's a deal flow time! We are about to share the details of 637 start-ups who joined Rare Founders London's largest #demoday 2 weeks ago with all the investors (only verified ones) in our community. If you are a #founder who is #fundraising and want to get more exposure to investors (IT'S FREE) - submit your details following the link in comments. If you are an #investor interested in pre-seed to series A start-ups join our community (link in comments) to get access access to the monthly deal flow. Please tag #investors and #founders who this might be applicable for.

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Want a deeper glimpse into how people are feeling in the run-up to the UK elections? 🇬🇧 This whitepaper reveals the real human emotions behind the numbers. 🔍 Using Prolific’s pool of 200k+ participants and Voiceform's #AI technology, this poll captures authentic responses on a range of key political issues. It’s got extensive insights into how the UK truly feels about: * The current Conservative Party leadership under Rishi Sunak. * Keir Starmer’s opposition Labour Party and its changing direction. * Which policies and themes register as most critical for voters. * What it could take to sway voting intentions at this stage. You can download the full whitepaper here: https://lnkd.in/e9qSTQQd #UKgeneralelection #PoliticalInsights #UKPolitics

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What is interesting in this sifted piece re the Babylon AI founder and his new project is they miss out on how he refused to allow clinical & evidence-based review of Babylon. It was fundamentally viewed as unsafe (couldn't tell the difference between MI and upper GI symptoms) https://lnkd.in/dX-S9Y22

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Welcome to the club! At Antler, we are proud to announce that we have just invested over £1m into nine new British tech startups. Our tenth residency in the UK attracted more than 1,100 ambitious founders, with 66 founders taking part. Representing 27 different nationalities, with women comprising 24% of the cohort, it was truly a diverse group of amazing people. Spending 10 weeks with us allowed us to undertake over 200+ hours of due diligence, helping us make high-conviction investment decisions, in which we end up investing in 1% of all applicants. We are delighted to welcome the following eight startups to Antler’s portfolio, and we’re excited to be on this journey with you! ⚙️ AlphaLoops - Automating investment management operations using AI ⚠️ BankBridge - Bridging the due diligence gap between financial institutions 🔎 Capsa AI - AI Operating System For Private Equity 📝 Falco - powered platform that empowers financial firms to identify and translate regulatory changes into actionable insights 🚚 Fleevo - The AI-driven Operating System for Modern Commercial Fleets. Driving Efficiency, Uptime, and Sustainability 🛍️ frnt - Optimising retail operations with digital workers 🎯 Intriq - Transforming businesses with the power of AI through the use of private equity playbook strategies 🦾 RoboMinder - Elevating industrial robot uptime with AI-powered computer vision In addition, Antler has made one seed investment in the first quarter of 2024, into a tech startup that is currently in stealth mode. Check out the press release in the comments section! #VentureCapital #Investments #Founders #TechStartups

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 📣Join Our Mission: Women's Health! Despite recent growth in the women’s health space, there is still unmet demand for products and services. Menopause has been a particularly overlooked segment of the market: only 5 percent of FemTech start-ups address menopause needs globally (McKinsey & Company, 2024). Nevertheless, the acceleration of advances in women’s healthcare holds considerable implications for investors and stakeholders across the value chain and beyond. At KRING, we're pioneering innovative solutions in women's health, focusing on cognitive health, sleep management, menopause, fertility, and more - with Menopause, an active health challenge we are currently exploring. While diving into Validation, our concept has garnered significant interest across the health innovation ecosystem, corporate partners, and investors. ✅ Chief Commercial Officer (Co-founder) We're seeking dynamic Commercial Co-founders with robust entrepreneurial backgrounds with experience of scratch to commercialization, and exceptional leadership skills. Experience in negotiating complex agreements is advantageous, but a passion for women's health is essential. https://lnkd.in/dVRwJ6i8 ✅ Menopause Expert: Chief Product Officer (Co-founder) We're looking for a scientific expert with a deep understanding of medical science, clinical research, and regulatory requirements, to lead the development of innovative healthcare solutions for women's health. https://lnkd.in/dXX3RWQY 🧠 The Concept: Building a Digital Platform for Women's Health Our digital platform helps women tackle midlife challenges, including menopause, by enhancing sleep quality, addressing weight gain, and boosting self-confidence. Components include data gathering, tailored recommendations, personalized wellness programs, and a supportive community. 📍Join Us in Copenhagen Our team is headquartered in Copenhagen, offering an exciting opportunity for individuals based in these cities or open to relocation. If you're intrigued by this opportunity, we'd love to hear from you. Reach out to Marina Miteva and Agnes A. to learn more. Join Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Investors like Britt Meelby Jensen, Kristine Leerbeck, Christina Høgh Selmer Kirk, Anne Mette Bang, Benjamin Suhr, Anja Monrad, Sonal Pendharkar Kulkarni, Ella Smoraczewska Harris, Fanny Hauterat, Sumeya Hassan, Rosemarie Wedell-Wedellsborg, Jane Kudsk, Susanne Brønnum, Pernille Foss, Sara Maria Franch-Mærkedahl, Gitte Nipper, Jenny-Ann Axson Johnson, and more in revolutionizing healthcare and shaping the future of women's health. Apply now.

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Cologne-based SaaS platform eyva.ai has announced a €2.7 million seed funding round to optimise product portfolio development in the beauty and personal care industry using AI. This financing round was spearheaded by Earlybird and WENVEST Capital, with significant contributions from True Global Ventures (UK), xdeck, Wepa Ventures, Robin Capital, Superangels, and an array of business angels. “Companies have been trapped in a cycle of spending over €100,000 on fragmented, single-point solutions that fail to deliver real decision-making value,” says Djef Riady Rifamole, CEO of eyva. “This outdated approach wastes time and resources. To stay competitive in today’s fast-changing market, shaped by economic shocks and evolving consumer demands, companies need faster, smarter solutions.” Founded in February 2022, eyva.ai focuses on leveraging artificial intelligence to optimise product portfolio development for midsize and enterprise businesses, particularly in the beauty and personal care sectors. The platform streamlines the traditionally time-intensive process of product portfolio management by connecting consumer, market, and product data, allowing companies to cut research times by 90% and speed up the development of product concepts by 60%. According to eyva, in the beauty and personal care industry, brands face increasing challenges such as rising costs, sustainability demands, and rapidly shifting consumer expectations. With nearly 60% of new product launches failing, inefficiencies in portfolio management and trend evaluation can result in costly setbacks. According to industry statistics, employees typically dedicate around 10 hours weekly to research and concept development, often relying on disjointed solutions that lack actionable insights. eyva.ai seeks to replace these fragmented approaches with a comprehensive, data-driven platform. By uncovering portfolio gaps, identifying opportunities for new launches, optimising existing products, and strategically phasing out underperformers, eyva.ai offers tools to enhance decision-making and drive efficiency. The platform also aims to expand its capabilities beyond product management by incorporating marketing and R&D departments, fostering a collaborative approach throughout the product lifecycle. With over 250 product managers from brands such as Beiersdorf and Junglück already relying on its platform, eyva.ai continues to gain traction as an innovative tool for the industry. The latest funding will enable eyva.ai to expand its services beyond beauty and personal care into the broader consumer goods market, aiming to position itself as a leading AI-driven platform for product development. Additionally, the company is exploring advanced integrations with internal data systems to enhance risk identification and support global innovation.

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We had the pleasure of speaking to the inimitable Gordon Sanghera, co-founder and CEO of Oxford Nanopore Technologies, valued at around $6.8bn in 2021. Gordon somewhat accidentally ended up as an entrepreneur, breaking the conventional VC wisdom around 'born founders'. The technology is wild - democratising access to genomic sequencing giving us a new understanding of living organisms. In the episode of Riding Unicorns, we cover: 00:00 Defining Entrepreneurship 00:55 Understanding Oxford Nanopore's Technology 06:10 Gordon's Journey to Founding Oxford Nanopore 12:09 Commercialization Challenges and Strategies 16:27 Building a Strong Founding Team 20:55 Navigating the Ups and Downs of Deep Tech 25:54 Innovative Applications of Nanopore Technology 28:57 Company Culture and Operational Insights 35:05 Attracting Talent in a Competitive Market 37:22 The IPO Experience and Future Outlook https://lnkd.in/eQZVSGeK

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🌟 AI is Revolutionising Business: Insights from the E2E Dynamic Track 100 Launch. The E2E Dynamic Track 100, spotlighting the UK’s fastest-growing private companies, launched with a powerful panel discussion on AI’s transformative impact. Industry leaders shared how AI is reshaping sectors: 💼 Brightsun Travel is enhancing customer choice and streamlining bookings. 🚗 Vizion Network is leveraging AI to boost efficiency and eliminate repetitive tasks. 💱 Universal Partners is integrating AI into forex systems for cutting-edge solutions. Howard Leigh of Cavendish Corporate Finance predicted AI would create new opportunities while improving work-life balance in finance. Chris Blackhurst has written an amazing piece in The Independent to read more click the link below. https://lnkd.in/gHB2rH8w Congratulations to the top E2E100 dynamic businesses driving the future of UK enterprise! 🚀 #AI #Innovation #E2EDynamicTrack100 #Entrepreneurship #E2E #BusinessGrowth

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Welcome ecoLocked to the Climentum Capital portfolio! We are proud to have led the €4M funding round together with Matterwave Ventures, and delighted to have existing investors Counteract, Startup Family Office, Sabancı Building Solutions, and VOYAGERS.io joining the round. The investment will support ecoLocked’s mission to revolutionize the construction industry with carbon-negative building materials. Concrete production accounts for 8% of global CO2 emissions, making innovations in this field crucial for achieving net-zero goals. ecoLocked is leading the change by converting carbon captured from biomass into functional, carbon-negative building materials. This funding will accelerate ecolocked's efforts to turn buildings into carbon sinks, scaling their innovative biochar-based solutions and enabling 1Gt carbon removal by 2040. Doerte Hirschberg Morten Halborg Stefan Maard

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Last week, the ‘CAIO Collective’ caught up in central London for an event that was anything but ordinary. Since last month’s meetup with our Business Safari through Big Data LDN, we’ve welcomed a further seventeen in person members and over 60 virtual members!  So… this was a gathering of some of the sharpest minds in AI leadership all focused on navigating the increasingly complex landscape of driving real value from artificial intelligence and its real-world applications. This session came at a critical time, as the sector grapples with new regulations, ethical considerations, and the rapid pace of technological advancement and this meant a packed agenda. By strong demand, we pushed the AI talent, learning, and development into December’s meetup using the time instead to focus on this month’s hot topic… the European AI Act (AIA). So… the AIA was at the forefront of our discussions this time around. Its impact on the industry is set to be profound, but not without some controversy. While many welcomed the Act’s intent to enforce transparency, fairness and accountability, there was a fervent shared concern about its potential to curb innovation. This was especially the case for small and medium enterprises. For many in the Collective, this regulation represents a call to action. It’s not just about compliance; it’s about demonstrating how responsible AI can genuinely thrive under a robust framework. The debate also touched on the strategic importance of engaging with policymakers early and ensuring that the voices of practitioners who understand AI’s real-world complexities are really heard. Another focal point was the rise of AI-powered decision-making systems. From dynamic supply chain optimisation to real-time fraud detection, AI’s ability to handle complex decision-making processes is driving a new wave of operational efficiency across industries. However, it’s not without its challenges. Many organisations are grappling with how to deploy these systems at scale while ensuring transparency and maintaining a human in the loop oversight. The discussion highlighted that successful AI deployment isn’t just about technology; it’s about building trust - both within organisations and with their customers. The event was not just a forum for discussion but a call to action. The Collective is dedicated to shaping the future of AI by building frameworks that are ethical, strategic and sustainable. If you’re a Chief AI Officer or in AI leadership and want to engage with a community that’s on the cutting edge of these issues, we’d love to have you join us. Our next gathering is provisionally scheduled for 4 December at The Century Club, where we’ll dive into the critical topic of talent, learning, and development in AI - a key factor in sustaining the industry’s momentum. #CAIOCollective #ChiefAIOfficer #EUAIAct #AIRegulation #AILeadership #EthicalAI #DataGovernance #AIinBusiness #ChathamHouseRules

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Pre-seed is so vital for the whole ecosystem and in recent years we’ve seen a steep decline in funding at this stage. The emergence of soloGPs, sitting between angels and VC firms, is a great development and we see firsthand the positive impact on companies coming through to seed stage. I wanted to shine a light on this category of investor and celebrate some of the top ones we see emerging in Europe. Carmen Alfonso Rico 🍫 , Gloria Baeuerlein, Pietro Invernizzi, Finn Murphy, Annelie Ajami, Sam Cash, Felix Plapperer, Sarah Drinkwater, Anke Huiskes and Declan Kelly. Article here: https://lnkd.in/d69S8aBx

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