From founder to funder, Steven Barlett launches $100 million fund

Most well-known as the youngest-ever investor to appear on the long-running BBC show Dragons' Den, Steven Bartlett has launched a $100 million fund aimed squarely at supporting the next round of European startup success stories.

The fund is targeting six verticals, with one being very much in line with Bartlett’s current company, blockchain-based applications builder ThirdWeb: blockchain, biotech, health & wellbeing, commerce, technology, and space. The fund is slated to offer tickets ranging between $1 million and $10 million, with Barlett particularly interested in supporting growing companies whose founders come from a BAME background.

Titled The Flight Story Fund, Bartlett commented, “Throughout the last decade, I developed an immense network of the most successful entrepreneurs in Europe. Flight Story Fund connects the founders to the investment and tools they need to catapult them through their growth trajectory to accelerate their timeline to Unicorn status.

I’ve been on the journey myself and now I am helping other skilled founders succeed in the same way. The launch of the Flight Story Fund is an invitation to Europe's best entrepreneurs from Europe's best companies - come and take flight with us.”

While no LPs were mentioned, according to representatives of the fund, “verbal and contractual commitments for the $100 million” are in place, and “the money is all accounted for.”