Form Ventures

Next up on The Form Playbook: Andrew Bennett spoke with Simon Taylor (founder of FintechBrainFood and Head of Strategy at Sardine), about the state of UK fintech. They covered: - A lost generation of UK fintechs? - What comes next after the National Payments Vision - Rebooting the UK's entrepreneurial mindset - Fraud, and how to fix the 'scamdemic' - Why regulated startups are more like F1 than a drag race [link in comments]

#fixtheregulators in Parliament this week 👇

We're thrilled to be partnering with Heim! As healthcare moves out of the hospital and into the community, Heim is building the software layer to make in-person clinical care accessible to all, no matter where patients are. By matching skilled practitioners to clinical need, unlocking untapped workforces, and optimising 'last mile' logistics to unlock huge efficiencies for both private and NHS providers, Heim is making scalable, effective community healthcare a reality. Read more on our Substack: https://lnkd.in/e-XHdttm

👉 Check out a new article on the new VC+Policy platform I launched, this time with the one and only Leo Ringer of Form Ventures - one of the people in Europe who have thought the deepest about how to better square #VC and #policy. From Obstacle to Opportunity — How Regulatory Engagement Could Reshape European Venture Capital https://lnkd.in/eA6R4fnb In this joint article, we write that the dysfunctional relationship between VCs and regulation needs a fundamental rethink. The traditional pattern - VCs reflexively opposing regulation until crisis hits, followed by policymakers imposing sweeping laws - has become both outdated and counterproductive. Instead, VCs should proactively engage in regulatory frameworks, recognizing that tech regulation is now inevitable. Regulators, in turn, must become more agile and attuned to startup innovation cycles. This shift could transform regulation from a perceived obstacle into a strategic advantage, enabling responsible innovation at scale. This article is inspired by the conversations we had in London at Frame where Leo and I hosted the VC and Policy session with Nicolas Colin, John Thornhill, Johannes Lenhard, Hannah Leach, Linda Griffin, and many others earlier in September. cc Harvard University Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University Hertie School Hertie School

Essential reading for anyone interested in how VCs assess startup founding teams, Mayowa O. unpacks the latest thinking - including hers - in a new piece for The Form Playbook! Mayowa's also launching Team Talks, a new forum to take this discussion forward - based on the wild success of her session at the WVC:E conference last month (standing room only)! Check it out 👇

You don't often (ever?!) see trade union leaders, startup founders, VCs, policy thinkers and barristers in the same room - but we were delighted to host that unique mix at Form Ventures this morning for a top discussion on the Employment Bill, introduced to Parliament last week. Almost every startup operating in the UK will have its journey shaped by the Bill, as it redraws zero-hours contracts, updates the minimum wage and establishes new enforcement mechanisms (and much more). But the Bill is silent (so far) in other areas - the role of AI in the workplace, data rights and portability for workers, the future extension of collective bargaining, and the thorny question of worker status. A special thanks to Mike Clancy, General Secretary at Prospect union and Alfie Pearce-Higgins, co-founder at Rodeo for kicking us off! If you're a startup or an investor with thoughts on the Bill, we'd love to hear from you. Jeegar Kakkad Louise Marston Phoebe Jarvis Amy Lockwood (she/her) Jacob Turner Kelly Klifa Geoffrey Norris John Bachelor Steve Garelick FRSA

📢 It's great to see the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology launch the new Regulatory Innovation Office today - something we've long campaigned for at Form Ventures through our #fixtheregulators campaign (recap: fixtheregulators.com). But.... 🚨... as my colleague Andrew Bennett told the Financial Times this morning (👇), the RIO will only make the impact we need if it has two key ingredients: political backing - proper ministerial and PM-level buy-in; and financial backing from HMT. It remains to be seen if we have either, both, or neither. 🧪 One other point: the focus on novel tech is great, and important, but regulation can be an enabler of innovation across existing regulated markets too, where tech is moving the frontier of what's possible - and if anything, the quicker political and growth wins are found here.

Huge congrats to Infact for their £4m Seed & FCA authorisation, announced today! We're excited to be doubling down on Will Mason, Andy Milligan and the whole team, alongside AlbionVC, Outward VC, 13books Capital, Portfolio Ventures and leading angels. Innovation in the CRA market is way overdue, and we're hugely excited for this next chapter. Check out our #WhyFormInvested piece in the comments!

We couldn't be more impressed by what the team at Infact are building - the credit market deserves so much more innovation than incumbent credit reference firms are providing. We're delighted to be backing Will Mason, Andy Milligan and co once again - here's to the next chapter!

In the UK, more unicorns have been built in fintech than in any other sector. It’s the source of so many startup successes yet also, critically, one of the most complicated regulated markets to navigate as a founder. So it was a delight to sit down with Maha El Dimachki (Bank for International Settlements – BIS, ex Financial Conduct Authority) to discuss the trade-offs and strategy of building regulated fintech startups, and how regulators think vs entrepreneurs. Insights here for founders of any regulated company! [Full interview link in the comments]