Singapore-based early stage venture capital firm and startup generator, Antler, has opened its first bureau in London.
The company, which has set up in Old Street, in the heart of London’s so called ‘silicon roundabout and FinTech area, also opened two other offices in Amsterdam and Sydney.
Antler plans to invest £24m in new startups from its base in the British capital and has installed 10 staff at its new London office.
Founded by Magnus Grimeland, co-founder of Singapore online fashion site, Zalora, the Rocket Internet VC backed e-commerce platform, Antler builds companies from the ground up, starting with one ambitious individual with a specific skill, strong inner drive and grit.
Many individuals come from tech companies like Google, Spotify, Uber and Klarna and have on average 10 years’ work experience.
Antler pushes them out of their comfort zones by paying them a nominal grant so they can quit their job and focus on building their startup.
Founders are coached throughout their entrepreneurial journey by a panel of 150+ advisors – many meeting with participants on a weekly basis.
Antler’s Advisors are all global business royalty, including Andreas Ehn, Spotify’s first CTO, Lawrence Summers, former US Secretary of the Treasury for President Clinton; and Dominic Barton, Global Managing Partner Emeritus of McKinsey & Company.
The firm’s wider team also comprises accomplished tech and business professionals who can support founders every step of their way.
These include industry leaders from the likes of Bloomberg, PayPal, Harvard, Google and Stanford. Many have first hand experience of building their own startup.