Episode 1 introduces £76 million fund

Episode 1 Ventures presents a new £76 million fund to support early-stage innovators. Learn more about the data-driven investment strategy

London, February 6, 2024 - Episode 1, an established force in pre-seed and seed investing, announces the launch of a new £76 million fund to support early-stage innovators. The fund aims to support B2B innovators while strengthening Episode 1's position as an early-stage investor in the UK. A significant investment of £20 million has been made by British Patient Capital and the National Security Strategic Investment Fund.

Data-driven investment approach

The fund will continue to focus on investments of £250,000 to £3 million in UK startups in AI, infrastructure, healthcare, open source and marketplaces. A significant amount of the fund will also be reserved for follow-on rounds. A new feature is the use of internal software that analyzes data from various sources, such as LinkedIn and GitHub, to identify promising startups and their funding needs at an early stage.

Since the fund opened last year, Episode 1 has already made around 15 investments, including an $11 million Series A round for London-based clinical research technology company Sano Genetics. About a quarter of these new investments were found using Episode 1's new data-driven tool.

Solid track record

Episode 1 Venture is an established investment group with a long track record in early-stage investing. Since its founding in 2013, Episode 1 has invested in around 70 companies and has a track record of successful exits, including FatMap and SimplyCook. Episode 1's investment strategy focuses on pre-seed and seed stages, with the firm investing specifically in UK startups. With a broad network of limited partners, including founders and investors, Episode 1 remains a key player in the UK and European venture capital ecosystem.