1818 Venture Capital

𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐨 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨’𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐈 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 We only back companies that are capable of making a lasting impact on how we live—companies that rise above fleeting trends and buzzwords. That’s why it’s so rewarding to see our portfolio companies harnessing the latest tech advances to enhance their core offerings in meaningful ways. Take Willo®, for example. Initially launched as a straightforward video interview platform, Willo has since expanded rapidly, now serving thousands of customers across 135+ countries. While they didn’t begin with an AI-first approach, the recent AI revolution inspired Willo to integrate intelligent solutions to streamline hiring processes, tackle critical bottlenecks and enable recruitment teams to focus on talent over repetitive tasks. Their latest tools are purpose-built to address real needs at scale, transforming hiring for the better. 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬: ●     𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: Instantly filters candidates to identify the top 10%, regardless of application volume. ●     𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬: Generates role-specific interview questions focused on essential skills, values, or motivations. ●     𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Manages interview scheduling and feedback, effortlessly sending thousands of personalised emails. ●     𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: Provides custom summaries aligned with each company’s priorities. We’re excited to see Willo continue to elevate the hiring experience globally, setting a new standard for the industry. If you’re interested in using Willo for your own hiring, get in touch with Andrew Wood 📹 or Euan Cameron 🚀 today! #1818VentureCapital #PortfolioSuccess #HiringInnovation #Willo  

Why Investing in FinTech is More Appealing than Ever in 2024 and Beyond FinTech isn’t dead. In fact, AI is driving a new wave of innovation that’s transforming the entire financial landscape – and 1818 Venture Capital is here for it. As Andreessen Horowitz highlights in a recent article, FinTech has evolved significantly over the past two decades, aligning with major product cycles — from bringing financial services online to enabling "banking in your pocket" during the mobile era. Now, in 2024, we’re entering a new phase: 𝐀𝐈-𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡. This next chapter is rapidly unfolding and promises to be the most exciting yet. In today’s financial world, entire teams are dedicated to compliance, fraud detection, and other important functions. By largely automating many of these processes, AI empowers FinTech companies to deliver faster, more efficient services, reducing costs and freeing up resources for innovation. Companies like Vesta and Valon are already proving how AI can replace legacy systems and manual workflows, transforming everything from mortgage origination to fraud prevention. What once required armies of workers can now be done faster and smarter through software, fundamentally reshaping the way financial institutions operate. At 1818 Venture Capital, we’ve always believed in FinTech’s transformative potential. With AI leading this new wave, we’re more excited than ever to invest in the companies that are redefining the future of finance. From startups revolutionising insurance pricing to platforms offering real-time merchant intelligence, the next generation of FinTech is here – and we’re committed to backing the innovators making it happen. Get in touch to learn more about our current investment thesis! Read more in the full article linked below 👇 #FinTech #AI #Investing #Innovation #1818VentureCapital

Currensea Launches the UK’s First Hotel Loyalty Debit Card with Hilton 🎉 We’re thrilled to announce a major milestone for one of our portfolio companies, Currensea, as they partner with Hilton to launch the Hilton Honors Debit Card and Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card. Powered by open banking technology, these cards seamlessly link to your existing bank account, allowing you to spend both in the UK and abroad without the foreign exchange fees typically charged by high-street banks. This innovative solution not only offers significant FX savings but also allows users to earn Hilton Honors Points on everyday spending, turning routine purchases into rewards for hotel stays and exclusive experiences. Currensea is a UK-based FinTech pioneer offering a travel money solution that eliminates the high fees typically associated with foreign transactions. Over the past year, Currensea has experienced explosive growth, with a 6X increase in customer numbers and a stellar 4.9-star Trustpilot rating from over 10,000 reviews. This summer alone, Currensea users saved nearly £1.5 million, with card transaction levels increasing to one every 5 seconds in August. We couldn’t be prouder of James Lynn, Craig Goulding, and the Currensea team for this game-changing partnership! Link to the press release with further details in the comments below. 👇 #1818Capital #FintechInnovation #Currensea #Hilton #OpenBanking

We Have Been Named a Finalist at the Growth Investor Awards! 🥳   We are excited to announce that we have been named a finalist in the ‘𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐕𝐂 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫’ category at the Growth Investor Awards! For the past decade, the Growth Investor Awards have celebrated those making an impact by investing in high-potential businesses — from sourcing and providing investment to optimising growth capital for scaling.   We are honoured to be recognised alongside other outstanding firms including Blume Equity, Empirical Ventures, Exceptional Ventures, Leo Capital, and Revo Capital.   A big thank you to Mountside Ventures! #1818VentureCapital #venturecapital #vc #emergingvc

Get to Know Us: 5 Key Facts About 1818 ✍ Whether you’ve been with us for a while or have recently heard about 1818, the end of the summer holiday season is the perfect time to reintroduce ourselves! 👉 We’ve Been Investing in Startups for Over 12 Years Founded in 2012 by Richard Avery-Wright and headquartered on the beautiful island of Guernsey, Channel Islands, we have backed over 40 early-stage companies with transformative potential. Over the years, we've supported numerous industry game-changers, such as Wealthify, Currensea, Willo®, and many other innovative startups reshaping their industries. 👉 We Invest Early – Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A Stages We specialise in supporting startups from their inception, often providing the first institutional capital. But our commitment goes far beyond funding. We work closely with our portfolio companies, offering tailored support in key areas such as corporate structuring, strategic fundraising guidance, marketing and pitch deck creation, brand development, commercial strategy, and more. We help build strong foundations for scaling and long-term success. 👉 We Focus on FinTech Startups in the UK and the Middle East Our investment focus is on FinTech and FinTech-adjacent startups, leveraging our team's deep expertise in these sectors. With a strong presence in both the UK and the Middle East — two distinct yet complementary FinTech ecosystems— we connect our portfolio companies with valuable networks, resources, and cross-regional growth opportunities. 👉 We have Decades of Experience in Entrepreneurship and Financial Markets Led by Richard Avery-Wright and Ben Lloyd, our team brings decades of experience in public and private markets, venture capital, and entrepreneurship. With a proven track record of building, scaling, and successfully exiting companies, we have a unique ability to anticipate challenges and drive growth, making us invaluable allies throughout a company’s journey. 👉 Our Portfolio Companies are our Strategic Partners Our involvement doesn’t stop after the initial investment. We continue to leverage our deep industry connections and strategic insights to help our portfolio companies achieve success. We foster synergies and collaborations among our portfolio companies to encourage mutual growth and capitalise on opportunities. A key strength of ours is facilitating successful exits—whether through acquisitions, mergers, or other strategic exit strategies. Are you an innovative founder in FinTech or a related sector? We want to hear from you! Introduce yourself in the comments below 👇 #1818VentureCapital #FinTech #VC #VentureCapital #Startups

📣📣 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐭 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬!! 📣📣   It’s official: our portfolio company, ActiveQuote, has been acquired by Howden! 🎉   Since our first investment in 2014, we’ve watched ActiveQuote grow into one of the leading comparison website and broker of health and protection insurance market in the UK. Founded in Cardiff in 2009 by Richard Theo, the company has expanded its team to over 130 and established partnerships with numerous trusted insurance providers to deliver exactly what thousands of customers need.   ActiveQuote is a great example of the type of portfolio company we love to invest in at 1818 Venture Capital: FinTech businesses developing innovative and market-leading digital tools in order to provide better and more cost-effective consumer outcomes. ActiveQuote has revolutionised price discovery, choice, and access, in a previously opaque area of the insurance market.   Huge congratulations to the entire ActiveQuote team on this well-deserved milestone. It's incredible to see how far you've come, and we're so proud to have been part of this journey with you!                                                                                        Read more about the exit below 👇👇   #VentureCapital #Exit #InsurTech #SuccessStory #1818VentureCapital

💳 How is FinTech Democratising Access to Wealth? When we think of FinTech, impact and sustainability aren’t usually the first things that come to mind. But the truth is, FinTech isn’t just about convenience or profit; it’s about creating opportunities for all. Financial exclusion is a major barrier to economic growth and personal prosperity. From democratising access to investments to offering personalised financial advice, FinTech innovations are essential in tackling generational poverty and fostering a more inclusive future. Read our first Medium article to explore: 🔹 The role of technology in making wealth management accessible to all 🔹 How our portfolio companies like Wealthify and Sidekick are levelling the playing field 🔹 The importance of financial education and robust security in the digital age We'd love to hear your thoughts! Share them in the comments below. Read the full article on Medium 👉 https://lnkd.in/gVv8Wz-i #FinTech #FinancialInclusion #Investing #WealthManagement #1818VentureCapital

What our portfolio companies have been up to this summer ☀️   While some of us have been enjoying some well-deserved time off, our portfolio companies have been working hard to hit their next milestones.   Here are just a handful of updates that we’re thrilled to share:   🇫🇷 Laka has launched in France and is now available for all D2C customers in the region. If you live in France, DM us for a promo code!   🚌 RideTandem | B Corp™ has celebrated 2 million passenger journeys – enough trips to take the entire population of Fiji to and from work.   📱 Duel Tech has been named a finalist in the Global Influencer Marketing Awards in the 'Best Micro-Influencer Campaign’ category.   💳 Currensea surpassed their crowdfunding target in just four hours and is now rated 4.9/5 stars on Trustpilot, based on 10,000 reviews.   ⚡ Sidekick’s CEO and Co-Founder, Matthew Ford, won the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award by Europe FinTech Awards. Stay tuned for more exciting updates from our portfolio companies, and enjoy the rest of your summer! #1818venturecapital #VC #FinTech #FinTechstartups

The RAW Mortgage Fund turns 9! 🎂🎉 We had a blast celebrating this milestone with our sister company, RAW Capital Partners, last week. It was a fantastic evening full of laughter, smiles, and reminiscing about how far the Fund has come in nearly a decade! 💡 A recap on The RAW Mortgage Fund 💡 The RAW Mortgage Fund connects borrowers seeking property financing solutions with investors looking for attractive investment returns. Targeting borrowers interested in quality residential properties across major towns and cities in the British Isles, the Fund has consistently delivered positive returns every month since inception and is well-positioned for continued growth. 📈 Some stats we’re proud of 👇 1️⃣ 9-year performance track record 2️⃣  46% average loan-to-value ratio 3️⃣ All loans backed by a first legal charge 4️⃣ Over £185m assets under management 5️⃣ Invest from £10,000 A well-deserved celebration it was! Follow the link in the comments to become a part of the story 🔗 #1818VentureCapital #VC #RAWCapitalPartners #Investment

Are Emerging Managers the Future of Venture Capital❓ Emerging managers have a transformative impact on venture capital – and we’re not the only ones who think so. A recent report by PitchBook, ‘Establishing a Case for Emerging Managers’, provides significant evidence that emerging managers contribute substantially to driving successful returns in funding innovation. Here are some key takeaways from the report 👇 1️⃣ Superior Performance Potential: Despite higher volatility, top-performing emerging managers have consistently outperformed more established managers since the late 1990s. Their ability to achieve higher median IRRs clearly illustrates their innovative strategies and dynamic approaches work. 2️⃣ Unique Investment Theses: Emerging managers frequently employ specialised strategies, leveraging in-depth expertise in niche markets and emerging technologies. This focused approach allows them to identify and capitalise on unique investment opportunities that others might overlook, leading to significant upside potential. 3️⃣ Resilience and Adaptability: Emerging managers have shown remarkable resilience and adaptability, particularly during challenging economic periods. This adaptability enables them to invest in high-quality opportunities, often at more favourable valuations. 4️⃣ Aligned Interests with LPs: Emerging managers often have smaller fund sizes, which increases their incentive to perform and aligns their interests closely with those of their LPs. This alignment drives them to deliver exceptional results. Based on our experience and achievements at 1818 Venture Capital, we do believe that Emerging Managers are the Future of Venture Capital! Link to full report in the comments 👇