Founders
We back early-stage founders propelling UK productivity — with capital, conviction, and real support from people who’ve built before.
How We Partner With Founders
We believe in building close, committed partnerships with the founders we back. When you need us, we’re in your corner - on call and in the details. When you don’t, we give you the space to focus and grow.
While every founder journey is different, we consistently add value in three key areas:
Fundraising - sharpening the story, prepping the process, making the right introductions
Go-to-Market (GTM) - refining positioning, testing motion, scaling sales
Network - opening doors across our ecosystem of operators, founders, and co-investors
Our community is powered by over 200 founders and investors, supported by a dedicated group of advisors and connected to many of the top VC funds across the UK and beyond.
What We Love To Back
We back founders who move fast and see the world differently.
We invest early - typically pre-seed or early seed - when the product might not be perfect but the potential is clear. We’re drawn to bold ideas and the people who won’t stop until they’ve made them real.
→ Founder-Market Fit
We look for founders with a deep connection to the problem they’re solving and a unique advantage in solving it - whether that’s experience, insight, or obsession.
Whether it’s a differentiated approach, a unique wedge, or the ability to attract exceptional talent, we want to understand your path to market leadership.
→ Velocity Over Defensibility
At the earliest stages, we care more about speed and direction than long-term defensibility. Progress signals ambition, execution, and clarity - with the right strategy and support, long-term defensibility will come.
We want to see signs of product pull and customer love, but don’t expect a finished playbook. We help shape what’s next using what we’ve seen work (and not work) across the companies we support.
→ Early Traction
We want to see signs of product pull and customer love, but don’t expect a finished playbook. We help shape what’s next using what we’ve seen work (and not work) across the companies we support.
Leon Ballard, Kato“In Love Ventures, we have got passionate, smart and supportive partners who we are thrilled to welcome aboard for the next phase of our journey.”
Our Investment Process
Fast, clear, and founder-friendly.
We run a simple four-step process:
First Meeting – an initial conversation with a member of our investment team
Partner Meeting – a deeper dive with a General Partner
Internal IC – the investment team builds conviction and votes
Final Step – a conversation with an external advisor, followed by a vote at our full investment committee
We move quickly and give clear feedback at every stage. Whether we invest or not, we aim to make the process useful.