Participated · Seed · Jun 2024

Gracia AI is a London-based startup that has built what it claims is the world’s first production-ready, end-to-end platform for 4D Gaussian Splatting volumetric video. Its cloud-accelerated system handles the entire workflow—from raw capture through processing, editing, timeline control, and creative manipulation—delivering ready-to-use 4DGS assets. The offering includes a full studio environment plus dedicated Unity and Unreal Engine plugins, enabling seamless integration into XR, VFX, film, advertising, and gaming pipelines. The company also supports WebGPU-based 2D playback on Mac and web for broader accessibility. By providing a complete tech stack, Gracia AI aims to make 4DGS content practical for real-world production workflows and next-generation creative tools. The recent capital injection will be used to expand operations and accelerate product development. Founders Andrey Volodin and Georgii Vysotskii lead the venture, which positions itself at the intersection of volumetric video, cloud processing, and creative software.

Participated · Series A · Sep 2021

Jiffy runs its own network of dark stores and an app-based fulfilment service promising fresh grocery delivery in roughly 15 minutes. It currently operates eight London stores and serves about 20,000 customers across six delivery zones. Couriers are liveried employees (e-bike and moped riders) rather than gig workers. The company also offers Click & Collect at two stores and sells its q-commerce tech platform to selected partners (for example, Send in Australia). Founders describe themselves as q-commerce veterans; co-CEOs are Vladimir Kholiaznikov and Artur Shamalov, and other co-founders fill CTO, platform and marketing roles. Jiffy plans to expand across London (aiming to cover inside the M4 by year-end), pilot in towns and target towns of 100,000+ population while continuing international tech partnerships. Jiffy operates a dark-store model to deliver fresh groceries and household essentials in around 15 minutes, offering a product range exceeding 2,000 SKUs per store. It plans to launch its first stores in London as early as this month, targeting neighbourhoods including Westminster, Waterloo, Lambeth, Battersea, Clapham Town, Shoreditch, Bethnal Green, Hackney, Whitechapel, Stepney Green and Leytonstone. The company intends to open a further 20 local fulfillment hubs across the U.K. later this year. The founding team includes former managers from Sainsbury’s and Deliveroo and is led by founder Artur Shamalov, who previously started several companies in the food and delivery space. Jiffy says it will focus on a hyperlocal expansion approach rather than rapid global roll-out. The startup is still operating in stealth mode, reports strong inbound investor interest, and is already out fundraising again. The article notes the space is highly competitive and capital‑intensive, and observers view Jiffy’s current funding level as modest compared with better‑funded rivals.

Participated · Equity · Nov 2020

Fnatic is a 17-year-old esports organization and brand with a worldwide squad of 40 pro gamers across eight games and a product business selling digital and physical performance ranges and esports equipment. The company reported an 80% year-on-year increase in revenues year-to-date and said revenues from its digital and physical performance ranges rose 91% year over year in Q1 2021. Its esports equipment line grew 52% in 2020; Fnatic now has 110 employees. Fnatic raised $17 million in a recent investment round that included Marubeni, a range of international family offices and institutional investors, plus venture debt from Bootstrap. The firm has raised $53 million to date and previously completed a 2020 crowdraise joined by more than 3,500 investors. The new capital will accelerate expansion into the Japanese and broader Asia-Pacific esports markets, expand Fnatic’s base of operations in Japan, and support its Rainbow Six: Siege team relocating to the country. The company is also launching digital products and continuing investment into advanced esports equipment while strengthening its leadership team. Fnatic operates professional esports teams and has expanded into branded gear such as gaming keyboards and team jerseys. The company has been one of the most viewed western esports teams and was the second most watched team of 2020. Its teams have earned nearly $16 million in tournament winnings across 903 events. Founded in 2004 and based in London, Fnatic has raised nearly $35 million across its funding rounds to date. The company plans to use new funding to continue global expansion and support its competitive teams. Fnatic is also pursuing broader community ownership via a Crowdcube crowd equity campaign intended to raise £1 million. Fnatic is a London-based e-sports team and brand that fields players across 22 game titles and also designs hardware gear, apparel, and community experiences. The company has a staff of 75, including 45 gamers who collectively have earned more than $8 million in prize money. Fnatic operates an e-sports equipment subsidiary and plans to launch new product categories, including a new audio line. It also plans to strengthen involvement in tier-one leagues, including the League of Legends European Championship. Founded in 2004, the company announced leadership changes: CEO Wouter Sleijffers is stepping down, founder Sam Mathews will return as CEO, Nick Fry has been named chairman, and Glen Calvert appointed COO. The recent $19 million financing is intended to support these competitive and product expansion initiatives. Fnatic is a coalition of pro gaming teams competing across major esports titles such as League of Legends, Counter-Strike and Dota 2. The company raised $7 million in a new round of financing to expand its competitive and commercial operations. Fnatic plans to hire coaches, analysts, sports psychologists and other support roles similar to traditional sports teams. The funds will also be used to expand training facilities, grow merchandising efforts, and increase the number of academy teams. The article frames the raise within broader industry growth, citing Newzoo estimates that esports revenue is on pace to reach $696 million this year and could hit $1.5 billion by 2020. Fnatic’s leadership described increased acceptance from sports franchises, media companies and high-profile individuals as accelerating opportunities in the sector.

Led · Equity · Aug 2020

Qonversion offers a subscription data platform and mobile subscription analytics tools that power app-based marketing optimization for mobile apps. The product is aimed at helping mobile-first companies manage and optimize monetization and marketing strategies. Qonversion reported growth to around 1,000 live apps on the platform, up from 160 a year earlier. The company plans to use new funding to strengthen its engineering team and build a commercial team to accelerate growth across Europe, the US, and APAC. Qonversion was founded in 2019 by founders who previously bootstrapped several mobile apps before launching the startup. The company is based in San Francisco, California. Qonversion provides a server-side solution and SDKs to embed subscriptions in mobile apps and surface granular subscription events and marketing data from app stores and ad platforms to advertising trackers. The product is positioned to improve attribution accuracy for paid acquisition by supplying detailed subscription data that the article says is hard to obtain without such a server solution. The company’s founders are described as being from Russia. The article records debate over how Qonversion differs from other analytics platforms and open‑source payment SDKs, with some commenters questioning its unique value. The piece also notes reputational sensitivity around “subscription” products and user complaints. The article reports a capital infusion of $850,000 from outside investors.

Participated · Seed · Nov 2019

Uploadcare offers an end-to-end solution that automatically optimizes files, images, and videos and delivers them over its own CDN network or partner networks. The product began as a file uploader for developers and was expanded with back-end features, including a smart CDN that can modify content on the fly based on the client. Founder and CEO Igor Debatur developed the idea while running a web development agency and converted the project from a side venture into a full product-focused company by 2016. The company reports more than 1,000 paying customers spanning SMBs to large enterprises. Uploadcare says it invests heavily in its own technology while also partnering with other CDN vendors as needed. The recent funding will be used primarily to build out sales and marketing teams.