The British Business Bank announced a £25 million cornerstone commitment to Antler’s UK Fund II, marking the Bank’s first commitment to Antler and reinforcing support for ambitious founders and innovators across the UK.
Founded in 2017, Antler is one of the world’s most active early-stage investors, backing technology startups from inception. The firm partners with founders before company launch, providing resources, coaching, funding, and access to a global network designed to help startups grow and scale.
Antler operates across 27 cities worldwide, with dedicated funds spanning Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia. The company has maintained a presence in the UK since 2020 through its residency programme, investing at the earliest stages of company formation. The new UK strategy represents Antler’s largest single-location fund to date and will be led by partners Adam French, Hannah Leach, and Jed Rose.
The fund plans to support exceptional founders in the UK from inception, initially committing up to £500,000 into new UK startups. Antler also intends to support top-performing portfolio companies through later growth rounds via its later-stage investment vehicle, Elevate, allowing founders to receive backing from inception through scale.
The British Business Bank said the investment aligns with its mission of strengthening the UK venture capital ecosystem by supporting funds that invest in high-potential entrepreneurs and intellectual property. Antler’s focus on company creation and early-stage investment closely matches the Bank’s objective of expanding the pipeline of investable UK businesses.
The Bank joins a syndicate composed primarily of UK limited partners, including Lloyds Banking Group, highlighting growing institutional participation in the UK innovation economy.
Christine Hockley, Managing Director & Co-Head of Funds at the British Business Bank, said the UK continues to produce exceptional founders and globally competitive intellectual property, but entrepreneurs need stronger support systems to transform ideas into scalable businesses.
Michael Laycock, Investment Director at the British Business Bank, said Antler has established a proven model for supporting entrepreneurs from the beginning of their founder journey, adding that the commitment would help expand the availability of early-stage capital and support for UK startups.
Adam French, Partner at Antler, said the new fund was created to support outlier founders in an era where speed is increasingly critical for startup success. He added that advancements in AI are enabling founders to achieve more and move faster than ever before, making it an ideal time to build companies in the UK.
KEY QUOTES:
“The UK consistently produces exceptional founders and world-leading IP, and we need to give entrepreneurs the tools to take the leap and start building the companies of the future. This fund is dedicated to creating UK companies and will help turn more high-potential ideas into scalable businesses.”
Christine Hockley, Managing Director & Co-Head of Funds, British Business Bank
“Antler has an established model to support aspiring entrepreneurs from the very start of their journey. We are pleased to support Antler to scale and grow their UK activities. This commitment helps increase the availability of both early-stage capital and support for ambitious UK entrepreneurs as they start their founder journey.”
Michael Laycock, Investment Director, British Business Bank
“Our new fund is designed to support outlier founders in a new era when speed is everything. Most funds wait for traction, we back with conviction from inception and then create the conditions for founders to move faster than they could anywhere else. This Fund is here to back the world-class founder talent in the UK. Founders can achieve more and move faster than ever before, thanks to AI. There has never been a better time to become a founder in the UK, and we have created a fund that will help exceptional founders realise their full potential.”
Adam French, Partner, Antler
