The Artists Collective has officially launched as the UK’s first artist-led investment collective, following a period in which it quietly backed 20 early-stage technology companies.
The platform brings together established cultural figures, including Maya Jama, Daniel Kaluuya, Jack Whitehall, Roman Kemp, and Tom Grennan, alongside experienced venture investors to support early-stage businesses. Its model combines capital investment with access to professional networks to provide practical support for founders.
The collective was established by brothers Fergus and Ruari Bell, founders of The Players Fund, to enable longer-term collaboration between artists and founders and to improve founders’ access to the creative and entertainment sectors. The focus is on sustained engagement rather than short-term promotional activity.
Ruari Bell, Managing Partner at The Artists Collective, commented:
Artists want a trusted home to invest together, learn together and support founders where it actually counts. We aim to do the work quietly and let the results speak for themselves. We're bringing The Players Fund's approach to artists - pairing capital with targeted support that drives tangible results. TAC sits inside The Players Fund's ecosystem and invest alongside our athlete network.
Investments are made through the personal portfolios of participating artists, with fund management provided by The Players Fund team.
The collective typically invests between £50,000 and £300,000 in Seed and Series A companies across various sectors, including AI, B2B software, cybersecurity, fintech, healthtech, and media, with a primary focus on the UK and Europe. It has co-invested alongside firms such as Andreessen Horowitz, Accel, SV Angel, and Seedcamp.
Participating artists support portfolio companies by facilitating introductions and commercial opportunities, helping to accelerate growth.
The launch consolidates multiple artist investor groups into a single platform designed to support founders and promote greater artist participation in venture investing across the UK and Europe.
Would you like to write the first comment?
Login to post comments