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Forward Partners

Europe, England, United Kingdom, London

Description

Forward Partners is a prominent London-based venture capital firm established in 2013, specializing in early-stage investments from Seed to Series A. The firm distinguishes itself by offering not only capital but also significant operational support to its portfolio companies, encompassing areas such as talent acquisition, growth marketing, and product development. This hands-on approach aims to accelerate the growth and success of the startups they back, fostering a strong foundation for scaling.

The firm primarily targets companies operating within the applied AI, marketplace, and e-commerce sectors. Forward Partners seeks out innovative businesses that leverage technology to disrupt traditional markets or create new ones, demonstrating a clear path to scalability and strong unit economics. Their investment thesis is rooted in identifying founders with compelling visions and providing them with the necessary resources and expertise to execute their strategies effectively.

Forward Partners typically deploys initial checks ranging from approximately $317,500 to $6,350,000 (based on their stated £250,000 to £5,000,000 range). To date, they have built a robust portfolio of over 70 companies, showcasing their active presence in the UK startup ecosystem. A testament to their portfolio's strength, their companies have collectively raised over £1.5 billion in follow-on funding from various investors. In 2022, Forward Partners successfully closed its Fund IV at £40 million, further solidifying its capacity to support promising early-stage ventures.

Investor Profile

Forward Partners has backed more than 96 startups, with 0 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 37 rounds, about 39% of its total and boasts 16 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Seed, Series A, Pre Seed rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United Kingdom, United States, Israel.
  • Strong thematic focus on E-Commerce, Information Technology, Software.
  • Typical check size: $317.5K – $6.3M.

Stage Focus

  • Seed (57%)
  • Series A (18%)
  • Pre Seed (8%)
  • Series Unknown (7%)
  • Series B (5%)
  • Equity Crowdfunding (1%)
  • Series D (1%)
  • Angel (1%)
  • Series G (1%)

Country Focus

  • United Kingdom (91%)
  • United States (6%)
  • Israel (2%)
  • Germany (1%)

Industry Focus

  • E-commerce
  • Information Technology
  • Software
  • Health Care
  • Fintech
  • Fashion
  • Marketplace
  • Saas
  • Wellness
  • Finance
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Forward Partners frequently co-invest with?

Seedcamp
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 5
MMC Ventures
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 9
HOWZAT Partners
Europe, Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Co-Investments: 4
500 Global
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 4
Force Over Mass Capital
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 3
JamJar Investments
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 4
Version One Ventures
North America, British Columbia, Canada, Vancouver
Co-Investments: 3
Accel
North America, California, United States, Palo Alto
Co-Investments: 4
Downing Ventures
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 5
Frontline Ventures
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 4

Which angels does Forward Partners often collaborate with?

NT
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Shared Deals: 1
TF
Europe, Ile-de-France, France, Paris
Shared Deals: 1
AM
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Shared Deals: 1
PR
Europe, United Kingdom
Shared Deals: 1
CH
North America, New York, United States
Shared Deals: 1
MR
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Shared Deals: 2
MH
North America, New York, United States, New York
Shared Deals: 2
KD
North America, California, United States, Oakland
Shared Deals: 1
RK
North America, New York, United States, New York
Shared Deals: 1
WS
North America, Pennsylvania, United States, Philadelphia
Shared Deals: 1

What are some of recent deals done by Forward Partners?

OctaiPipe

London, England, United Kingdom

OctaiPipe is a Federated Learning Operations (FL-Ops) framework designed specifically for Edge AIoT devices.

AnalyticsArtificial Intelligence (AI)Internet of ThingsMachine Learning
Series AJan 23, 2024
Amount Raised: $3,807,425
Ctrl Alt

London, England, United Kingdom

The Expert Solutions Provider for Alternative Assets.

Financial ServicesFinTech
SeedOct 23, 2023
Amount Raised: $2,694,833
Bea Fertility

London, England, United Kingdom

Bea Fertility is a monthly subscription program that provides users with at-home fertility treatment and ovulation tracking.

FertilityHealth CareMedical DeviceSubscription ServiceWellness
Series UnknownJul 31, 2023
Amount Raised: $3,721,207
PocDoc

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

PocDoc is a pioneer in the field of smartphone-based fast disease testing.

FitnessHealth CareMedicalWellness
SeedMar 22, 2023
Amount Raised: $3,069,488
APEXX

London, England, United Kingdom

APEXX provides payment gateway solution for businesses.

FinanceFinTechPayments
Series BMar 13, 2023
Amount Raised: $25,000,000
Ozoomi

West Malling, Kent, United Kingdom

Ozoomi is a credit broker that offers rates based on the client's circumstances.

Pre SeedMar 1, 2023
Makers

London, England, United Kingdom

Our mission is to transform lives: accelerating the careers of tech professionals by integrating education and employment.

EdTechEducationProfessional ServicesTrainingWeb Development
Series UnknownDec 8, 2022
Amount Raised: $8,563,927
Koyo

London, England, United Kingdom

Koyo uses machine learning to serve customers with competitively priced credit

FinanceFinancial ServicesFinTechInformation TechnologyPersonal Finance
Series AOct 20, 2022
Amount Raised: $5,610,879
OutThink

London, England, United Kingdom

Cybersecurity human risk management platform (SaaS)

Cyber SecurityEducationEnterprise SoftwareInformation TechnologyPrivacySaaS
SeedOct 18, 2022
Amount Raised: $10,000,000
Baselime

London, England, United Kingdom

Baselime operates as the observability-as-code platform.

ComputerSoftware
Pre SeedJul 25, 2022
Amount Raised: $1,808,092