AlbionVC

OpenTrade, a platform for real world asset-backed stablecoin yield products, has successfully raised a $4 million seed extension round led by us at AlbionVC. Existing investors like a16z crypto and CMCC Global also participated in the round. This funding will help the company scale globally, enhance its product offerings, and continue building the infrastructure for the next wave of stablecoin innovation. OpenTrade is pioneering the future of real-world asset-backed stablecoin lending and yield products, enabling FinTechs, neobanks, and payment companies to unlock stable, high-quality returns (3-6% APR) seamlessly integrated into their offerings. The stablecoin market is booming, with over $175B in circulation and growing adoption among mainstream consumers globally. OpenTrade’s innovative platform makes it simple for businesses to offer yield products backed by real-world financial assets, like U.S. Treasury Bills, without the complexities of legacy banking systems. ?? ?????? ????’???? ??????????????: ?????????? ?????? ?????????????? ???????????? ?????????????????????? ???????????????? ?????????? ???? ???????????????? ???????????????? ?????????????? ???????????????? - ???????? ?????????????? ?????????????????????? ???????? ?????? ?? ?????? ????-???????????? ???????????? & $???????? ?????????????????? ???? ?????????????????????? ?????????????? ???? ????????. Jay Wilson, AlbionVC Partner, has more on why we invested on OpenTrade: https://lnkd.in/eq6HfJmy ? Congratulations to the founders David Sutter (CEO), Jeff Handler, Tom Niermann, Maxime de Guillebon and the whole team at OpenTrade on this milestone! ?? #FinTech #Stablecoins #OpenTrade #DigitalAssets??#venturecapital #funding #founders #startups #entrepreneurs Kibriya Rahman, Emmanuel Mugabo, Ronnie Jaworek

Congratulations to Humanloop on reaching this incredible milestone! Your dedication to empowering teams with cutting-edge tools for AI development has set a new standard. We're excited to see the continued success of your platform as it drives innovation across industries. #AIEngineering #GenerativeAI

Reflections on an Unforgettable #Slush2024 ??? Thank you to everyone who joined The Download Party at Slush! The night was a vibrant celebration of creativity, diversity, and connection, all set to an electrifying mix of Future + Retro beats by ?????? ???????????????? ?????? - Richard Goold & Ed Lascelles. From the "dancing boots" to the "no phones on the dancefloor" ethos, the energy and enthusiasm from all of you made it a truly unforgettable experience. ?? Another key highlight of the event — James Regan, CEO of?Oriole Networks, delivered a phenomenal keynote on the Startup Stage. His talk, "Accelerating Machine Learning in a Low-Carbon World," captivated a packed audience with Oriole’s bold vision of blending cutting-edge AI with sustainability at its core.? Slush is about celebrating the trailblazers shaping the future - Oriole Networks is paving the way for a smarter, greener world, energising the global startup ecosystem with its mission.? #TheDownload #Slush #ecosystem #VC #venturecapital #founders #investors #LowCarbonAI #Tech #Sustainability #Startups #Innovation #Slush2024

??? Fireside with Founders and Leaders: BONUS Episode with Paul! In this Investor Insights mini-series, Paul Lehair, Partner at AlbionVC chat with Rupert McSheehy, rmg digital, sharing actionable advice for startups on navigating their growth journey from seed to Series A and beyond. Key topics covered: 1?? The Evergreen Advantage: AlbionVC’s evergreen fund model stands apart, offering "patient capital" through annual fundraising. This long-term approach enables us to align closely with founders, providing continued support to promising companies as they scale. 2?? Expanding Globally: Breaking into new markets, like the U.S., is a pivotal step for many startups. Paul highlights the importance of having a co-founder or senior team member on the ground to understand local dynamics and establish relationships. Starting with a lean, focused team allows companies to test the waters before scaling operations. 3?? Series A Metrics that Matter: To secure Series A funding, consistency is key. Paul underscores the importance of showing sustained growth over time and crafting a compelling narrative that clearly articulates your solution, market positioning, and long-term vision. ?? Tune in for more insights: https://lnkd.in/ePFmYCVu #VentureCapital #Startups #InvestorInsights #AlbionVC #GrowthJourney #Podcast #founders #investors #entrepreneurs

Huge congratulations to Hazy on the acquisition by SAS! ?? Today, SAS, a global leader in data and AI, announced the acquisition of Hazy’s synthetic data software assets. Hazy's expertise in synthetic data technology, a game-changer in industries with stringent privacy requirements, aligns perfectly with SAS’ vision of providing powerful, reliable, and privacy-safe data solutions to its customers. This acquisition will empower businesses to innovate and experiment like never before, driving AI projects forward with high-quality synthetic data while ensuring privacy. As SAS integrates Hazy's technology, customers can look forward to enhanced capabilities in: ?? Accelerated AI development with rapid synthetic data generation ??? Increased data privacy and secure data-handling practices ?? Opportunities to simulate scenarios previously out of reach The first preview of the enhanced data solutions is expected in early 2025—an exciting step forward for the field of AI! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eDmwQQtp UCL Technology Fund, UCL Business Ltd #Acquisition #SyntheticData #AI #Innovation #DataPrivacy #Hazy #SAS #ArtificialIntelligence #TechNews #DataSecurity #AIResearch #DigitalTransformation #PrivacyTech #FutureOfData

Organisational Alignment ?? Maximising Value? ? In our recent ???????????????? ???????????? session, David Wascha, AlbionVC Advisor on Product & Tech?(former CTPO Zoopla (part of Houseful), MOO, Photobox) shared valuable insights on the power of organisational alignment. Misalignment can lead to significant "value leakage" where poor coordination across departments wastes precious resources.?? ? Key takeaways:?? ? ???????????? ???????????????? ?????? ??????:?Begin with a clear strategy that answers fundamental questions—Who’s the customer? What’s the differentiator? Why will they pay? A focused Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) also ensures we’re reaching high-value, profitable customers. ? ?????????????? ?????????????????????? ????????????????????:??Misalignment often stems from varied departmental incentives and timelines. Open conversations can make implicit tensions explicit, helping teams manage conflicts effectively. ? ?????????? ?????????????? ???????????? ??????????????????: Every team has unique pressures—from sales deadlines to engineering’s tech interests. Fostering empathy helps break down silos and enhance cross-functional collaboration. ? ? ?????????????????? ??????????????????: ??? Document and share your strategy. ??? Establish a focused ICP. ??? Identify competing incentives. ??? Implement a tolerance-based decision-making framework. ? These frameworks can help any organisation communicate clearly, respect cross-functional perspectives, and work as one to drive value. ? Thank you to Dave for hosting the session and to all our founders for joining and sharing their perspectives.?Watch below for some reflections from our founders! ? Andy Milligan Infact, Boris Lavrov Accelex, Cassian Scott INSTINCT DIGITAL, Charaka Goonatilake Panaseer, Dimitris Athanasiou Neurofenix, Edmund Parsons kennek, Ronald Ashri OpenDialog AI. Rosie Samuels Nadine Torbey #OrganisationalAlignment #BusinessStrategy #CrossFunctional #ValueCreation #AlbionVC

?? Introducing: ???????? ???? ???? ???? & ??? Join the dynamic AlbionVC duo, Dave Grimm, Partner & Sebastian Hunte, Investment Manager, for our monthly fireside chats where they dive deep into emerging tech, university spinouts, breakthrough innovations, and headline-grabbing trends. Whether you’re a founder, an investor, or just fascinated by all things #deeptech, tune in?for their unique take?? ?? Subscribe here to learn more: https://eepurl.com/i2nt_Y #Deeptech #Innovation #EmergingTech #UniversitySpinouts #VentureCapital #vc #investors #startups #founders #tech #LLMs #AI #machinelearning #semiconductors

?? Oriole Networks: Pioneering Energy-Efficient AI with Advanced Photonics to Tackle Global Challenges ?? AlbionVC’s Dave Grimm chats with Oriole Networks' CEO James Regan and CTO/Co-founder Prof. Georgios Zervas on the vision and drive behind Oriole’s mission to make AI scalable and sustainable. Founded in 2023 as a UCL spinout, Oriole Networks is harnessing over two decades of academic research in photonics and optical networks to tackle AI’s growing energy demands. Backed by $35M in funding— with their recent $22M Series A led by Plural and supported by all existing investors including us via the UCL Technology Fund — Oriole is setting new standards in AI efficiency. James and Georgios discuss their unique blend of academic and industry expertise, their immediate chemistry and why their team is positioned to lead the way in sustainable AI. With a full-stack, co-designed solution, Oriole is unlocking the potential of AI systems. ? AI has the power to transform everything—from drug discovery to climate change —but needs to do so sustainably. We’re proud to support Oriole Networks on this journey to a future where AI’s impact doesn’t come at the expense of our planet. Watch the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/eZpGv5rc #deeptech #AI #LLMs #UCLspinout #lab #tech #uktech #founders #cofounder #startups #entrepreneurs #venturecapital #founderstories #innovation #future #sustainable #seriesA #growth

Today, we are excited to announce $6.3 million in new capital from IPGroup, Parkwalk Advisors, AlbionVC and others; a record six-month period with 326% net new ARR growth; and our new CEO Toffer Winslow at the helm. We are proud to be serving four of the 10 largest U.S. banks and other members of Forbes’ Global 2000 to drive velocity, quality, and productivity for Java development teams working on mission-critical applications. Read more about Diffblue’s recent momentum via SiliconANGLE & theCUBE:? https://lnkd.in/egJzVdQy?

We were delighted to join HubSpot For Startups' Fundraising Workshop last week for a fireside chat with Nick Telson-Sillett, Co-Founder/CMO at trumpet ??and AlbionVC partner Paul Lehair. Having led trumpet's seed round earlier this year, it was fantastic to dive into insights on fundraising and startup growth. Key takeaways from the session included: ?? Treating fundraising as a structured sales process, akin to any sales funnel. ?? The effectiveness of raising a pre-seed round without a product by leveraging prospect interviews to show early demand. ?? Building momentum (and creating FOMO!) in a round by running a disciplined process. ?? The value of raising from a diverse mix of investors, such as angels and VCs. ??? Exploring alternative funding options beyond VC, like bootstrapping, which can be a viable route for many founders. Thank you HubSpot For Startups (Anna Gordon, Annie Fei, Melissa Braxton-Rasumoff) for hosting the session and to everyone who attended. #trumpet #hubspot #startups #fundraising #workshop #firesidechat #founders #entrepreneurs #investors #vc #venturecapital #growth