Venture capital companies play major roles in financing start-ups and companies that want to launch an innovative plan or simply give financial support to an existing company. Any new start-up would require adequate funding. There are not many venture capitalist firms that finance technology at the early stages. Finance for such new start ups is difficult to obtain if you do not approach the proper type of venture capitalist. This is the reason why getting and talking to investors is increasingly becoming one of the most difficult tasks for technology start-ups. Most angel investors and venture capitalists receive lots of pitches all the time and screening for innovative ideas can lead to neglect of start-ups that have actual potential. Due to these road blocks, it is not unusual for inventors to speak with 50 investors before finally getting one to invest in their tech idea, while some might not even get an investor at all. So, if you are a tech startup looking for investors, here is a list to help you find and identify potential investors that would be interested in your company:
1. Rosemont Group Capital Partners
This is a London-based seed and early stage venture capitalist firm that last year announced its intention to invest in as many as 20 startup and early stage technology companies. Its target was to do so within 2 years, with a primary investment focus on consumer Internet, digital content, advertising, marketing, and commerce. Due to the precariousness of the investment sector presently, this seems like a tough decision, particularly for a small firm. The group invests capital through direct equity investments, convertible loan/notes, options, warrants or preferred shares and invests on its own or with co-investment partners. So far, the firm has achieved some enviable success and insists there is more to come in the very near future.
2. Octopus Investments
A venture capital company with a fund management team of GBP 300 million with total funds under management for the entire Octopus Investments at £ 5 billion. They invest in Europe wherever they find the right talent and opportunity. Its venture capital funds are pan-European, with about two-thirds currently earmarked for UK-based businesses. On average, they make investments of £ 2.6 million. Basically, they support exceptional technology launch equipment with the ambition to grow big business. Its main objective is the identification of fast-growing entrepreneurs and companies that can scale explosively to create, transform or dominate an industry in several sectors like consumer innovation, hardware, and software.
3. Lakestar
Lakestar is another venture capitalist company looking to invest in promising new start-ups. Their geographic focus encompasses both Europe and the United States, representing partners in key cities on both continents. Lakestar has invested in companies based in the United Kingdom and has about 20 companies in its portfolio. Instead of focusing on a particular segment of the technology industries, Lakestar is looking at a wide range of sectors.
4. Passion Capital
Passion Capital is made up of partners, Stefan Glaenzer, Eileen Burbidge and Robert Dighero with a total of 86 million pounds in investments. They particularly invest in sectors such as cyber security, information security, education technology, health and medical technology as well as some others.
5. Index Ventures
Founded in 1996, Index Ventures invests in early stage start-ups in both Europe and the US. However, approximately half of their current portfolio is in Europe, and they are active in major European technology centers including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Paris, and London. They invest from the early stages in the beginning and in all the later stages of the company from A, B to growth. They have made more than 100 investments in Semillas in the last five years, with about 25 new investments in growth yearly. They are very active in all areas, investing in multiple stages, geographies, and themes. Featured photo credit: lsbf via lsbf.org.uk
