Participated · Seed · Mar 2024

iCustoms.AI provides an HMRC-recognised customs declaration software and an AI-powered platform that automates and streamlines customs processes. Clear Customs Group established iCustoms to make customs clearance faster, cheaper, more accurate and compliant. The platform focuses on automating customs declarations and improving accuracy and compliance. The company closed a $2.2m seed funding round and intends to use the funds to further develop its trade compliance platform. The founding team includes CEO Adnan Zaheer, a qualified accountant and MBA who is an ex-PwC and founding member of Smart Pension, and advisor Mark Denney, ex-CIO of HMRC and ex-Group CIO of Barclays who led Brexit customs technologies.

Participated · Series C · Oct 2022

Railsr (formerly Railsbank) offers embedded banking APIs that enable customers to integrate credit, credit cards, loyalty and classic banking services into their products. The company targets retailers, venues, sporting/events businesses and other fintechs, and cites customers including Wagestream, Aviva, McLaren (via QtmPay), HelloCash, Sodexo and Payine. Railsr partners with AWS, Salesforce, Visa, MasterCard and Plaid for integrations. Revenues grew 50% in the first half of the year and customer count rose to 300 from 220 a year earlier, but the company is not yet profitable. Earlier this year Railsr reduced headcount by about 14% (roughly 70 people) and downsized operations in Southeast Asia and Australia to focus on the U.K. and Europe. The company recently appointed Rick Haythornthwaite as chairman and says the new capital is a step on its route to profitability.

Participated · Seed · Sep 2022

Neem offers an integrated payments platform that consolidates collections, disbursements, and branded enterprise wallets and ledgers, addressing the fragmentation that forces Pakistani businesses to juggle multiple payment providers. Commercially launched in January 2025, the company has scaled quickly, registering transaction-volume growth of more than 30% month-on-month and serving over 50 B2B clients across logistics, insurance, healthcare, e-commerce and agriculture. By embedding deeply into enterprise workflows, Neem aims to become the financial operating system for Pakistan’s digital economy and create high switching costs for large customers. Its near-term roadmap centers on enhancing technology infrastructure, fortifying cybersecurity and data protection, and expanding enterprise partnerships within Pakistan. The team is also selectively exploring cross-border remittance rails that extend naturally from its existing platform. Founded by Vladimira Briestenska, Nadeem Shaikh and Naeem Zamindar, Neem is backed by both local and international investors who view its full-stack approach and experienced leadership as key differentiators in a large, under-digitized market.

Participated · Series A · Nov 2020

Marshmallow is a FinTech company that offers motor insurance and related products targeted at people who have recently emigrated to the UK. Founded in 2017 by Alexander and Oliver Kent-Braham and David Goaté, the company leverages proprietary technology and customer data to offer better value to newcomers. Marshmallow has provided cover for over one million customers and reports a turnover run rate of over €439 million. The business reached unicorn status in 2021 and employs around 700 people across London and Budapest. Marshmallow plans to expand its product offering to become a one-stop financial services provider for newcomers and to extend its proposition internationally beyond the UK. Marshmallow is a London-based car insurance provider that uses a wider set of data points and proprietary algorithms to offer more inclusive rates and attract a more diverse set of customers. The company has sold over 100,000 policies in the UK and grew policy sales 100% over the prior six months. Its average customer age is 20 to 40, and the team is exploring products aimed at even younger users. Marshmallow plans to deepen customer relationships by increasing engagement to help users become better drivers and by potentially cross-selling additional services. The startup is also progressing plans for international expansion, though target markets have not been announced. Marshmallow was co-founded by twins Oliver and Alexander Kent-Braham and David Goaté. Marshmallow builds mobile and web-native car insurance that uses a wider set of analytics and global data to assess risk for underserved segments, originally targeting expats who lack U.K. driving histories. The company’s algorithm incorporates international driving records rather than relying solely on national data. Marshmallow emphasizes diversity and inclusion in both its product focus and founding team. It was founded in 2018 and its leadership includes co-founders Oliver and Alexander Kent-Braham and third co-founder David Goate; Tim Holliday, a founding employee, serves as chairman. The startup plans to launch in additional countries and expand into more types of insurance over the next 18 months. With the latest funding it is valued at around $310 million, though the company is not disclosing customer numbers. Marshmallow is a U.K. insurtech building car insurance products for immigrants and expats who are poorly served by existing insurers. The startup is developing an underwriting system that aggregates global data rather than U.K.-only data and uses a proprietary algorithm intended to eliminate underwriting bias and compute more accurate prices for foreign-born drivers. It is starting with car insurance for foreign-born drivers and aims to offer fairer pricing and a transparent, convenient user experience compared with incumbents using legacy systems. The company was founded in March 2017 by Oliver and Alexander Kent-Braham and David Goate, and its team includes Tim Holliday, formerly Chief Underwriting Officer and MD of Personal Lines at Zurich. Marshmallow plans to launch later this year and targets foreign drivers who often face higher quotes after moving to the U.K. Financially, the company has raised $1.2 million in seed funding from Passion Capital and Investec Bank.