Global early-stage VC and startup generator Antler has invested in seven startups from its second UK cohort, taking its global investment total to over $30 million.
Operating on six continents, the startup studio helps build a cohort of startups in a region, then provides pre-seed and later-stage capital to the successful companies through local funds in each geography. The sectors of this London cohort span beauty, health, proptech, marketing and advertising, retail and finance.
The seven portfolio companies in the UK include: Glaize, a D2C startup transforming nail care into a plastic-free alternative; Liminal Health, which provides coaching to patients with long-term health conditions; Mast, a cloud-native mortgage origination system; MetaLynx, developing virtual sponsorship for sports; Noah, an all-in-one solution for video content; PriceBring, a B2B marketplace for independent retailers and “corner shops” to save costs; Scribe, a fintech startup in the lending and investment space.
Antler, which launched in 2017 in Singapore, reported that 2,600 individuals from over 30 different nationalities applied for this London-based cohort, a fifty percent rise from the previous year. After conducting 440 face-to-face interviews, 71 founders were selected for the program, half of whom had previously launched a startup. Just over half of the companies that raised money (four out of seven) have at least one woman founder, which the VC points out is above the London average of 21 percent.
During a six-month programme, Antler London helped participants find co-founders and build strong teams, validate their business ideas and gain early traction. Today is ‘Demo Day’, when the founders pitch to local and international investors in hopes of securing their next round of funding. This year’s Demo Day will be hosted remotely.
Photo: Members of Antler's second UK cohort
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