
Passion Capital
Description
Passion Capital is a prominent early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom, renowned for its focus on pre-seed and seed-stage technology companies. Founded by a team of experienced entrepreneurs and operators—Eileen Burbidge, Robert Dighero, and Stefan Glaenzer—the firm brings a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by nascent startups. Their strategic location in London places them at the heart of one of Europe's most vibrant tech ecosystems, allowing them to identify and nurture promising ventures from their earliest stages.
The firm's investment philosophy is characterized by a highly hands-on approach. Passion Capital prides itself on being more than just a capital provider, offering extensive operational support, strategic guidance, and access to a vast network of industry contacts. They typically partner with founders who are building disruptive technologies and scalable business models, demonstrating a strong conviction in the team and vision. While sector-agnostic within the technology sphere, they have a notable track record in areas such as fintech, SaaS, and consumer internet, backing companies that aim to redefine their respective markets.
Passion Capital has significantly contributed to the growth of the UK's startup landscape, with a portfolio that includes some of the region's most successful tech companies, such as GoCardless and Monzo. The firm has consistently demonstrated its ability to attract capital, successfully closing multiple funds to support its investment strategy. For instance, Passion Capital closed its third fund, Fund III, at £70 million in 2018, further solidifying its capacity to deploy significant capital into promising early-stage ventures. More recently, they secured £60 million for their fourth fund, Fund IV, in 2023, underscoring their enduring commitment to fostering innovation and growth within the UK's tech sector. Their typical initial investment ranges from £250,000 to £1.5 million, targeting companies poised for rapid scaling.
Investor Profile
Passion Capital has backed more than 184 startups, with 3 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 41 rounds, about 22% of its total and boasts 22 exits across its portfolio.
Investment Focus Highlights
- Concentrates on Seed, Series A, Series B rounds (top funding stages).
- Majority of deals are located in United Kingdom, United States, Germany.
- Strong thematic focus on Software, FinTech, Financial Services.
- Led 3 rounds in the past year.
- Typical check size: $312.5K – $1.9M.
Stage Focus
- Seed (45%)
- Series A (20%)
- Series B (9%)
- Series Unknown (8%)
- Pre Seed (5%)
- Series C (4%)
- Series D (2%)
- Convertible Note (2%)
- Angel (2%)
- Series G (1%)
Country Focus
- United Kingdom (73%)
- United States (9%)
- Germany (7%)
- Estonia (4%)
- Spain (3%)
- Sweden (3%)
- The Netherlands (1%)
Industry Focus
- Software
- Fintech
- Financial Services
- E-commerce
- Artificial Intelligence (Ai)
- Information Technology
- Saas
- Banking
- Internet
- Payments
Frequently Asked Questions
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