News from our portfolio, Google's Black Founder Fund and the latest on generative AI.

Hi?there,

I'm pleased to bring you the latest news from Forward following a productive June.

While we await fundraising announcements, there has been a slew of good news out of our portfolio since the last bulletin. Gravity Sketch and Baselime have been recognised as two of the ten UK recipients of the prestigious Google for Startups Black Founders Fund. We're also pleased to note that many companies are adopting generative AI technology, with two of our AI-focused businesses, Robin and Sourcery, announcing new products.

In recent months, we've seen a surge in companies applying generative AI to real-world problems. Forward has always prioritised 'applied' business models, backing teams that combine leading-edge tech with deep customer and sector understanding to build great products. This approach allows startups to leverage the power of LLMs whilst building defensibility, with proprietary data and embedding it in customer workflows. The patterns of success that we have observed in our six years of investing in applied AI businesses still hold true.

Within our portfolio, we're working closely with founders to share learnings in using the latest generative AI tools. Last month, we hosted growth and marketing leaders to discuss how to improve productivity and creativity. This month, we're bringing portfolio CTOs together to explore enhancing developer output with coding copilots.?

Below, you will find updates from Forward and our portfolio. Tune into the Vox Markets podcast to hear Justin Waite and I discuss the next wave of generative AI. Read our latest insights on the market with a quick primer on generative AI technology. Then dig into the latest launches and coverage from our companies. Plus, get a peek at the hands-on, tactical advice we offer our?current and future founders.

Thanks as always for your support and subscription.

Best

Gravity Sketch and Baselime chosen for Google's Black Founders Fund programme.

Gravity Sketch ?and? Baselime ?were recently announced as two of the ten UK recipients of the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund 2023.

The Black Founders Fund is part of Google's $175 million commitment towards driving diversity and racial equity in the tech industry. Companies will receive non-dilutive cash awards, support with various Google products, mentorship and access to Google's world-class technology network.

>> Read more about the fund here.

Nic Brisbourne discusses Forward's investments in AI on the Vox Markets podcast.

Nic joined Justin Waite?on the?Vox Markets ?podcast?to discuss what makes Forward different as an early-stage VC, our stance on generative AI and the progress within our portfolio.

In the interview, Nic discusses the headlines from our recent Full Year Results; how the latest wave of emerging technology businesses are leveraging generative AI to realise productivity gains in the enterprise and how Forward assesses the potential of these new businesses to find the best deals. >> Listen to the full 20-minute podcast here.

The State of Generative AI: 5 charts on growth, adoption and development.

As generative AI investment and technology development accelerates, we set out the landscape and opportunities in this rapidly evolving space. In our latest article, we provide a quick overview of how?investors are thinking about the market, how the funding is being allocated and the emerging opportunities within this fast-changing ecosystem.

>> Read the full article here.

Founder advice:?A practical guide to content analysis with ChatGPT for marketing and product.

The Forward Fortnightly is our email newsletter for entrepreneurs. Through it, we provide our audience of over 10,000 founders with practical, tactical insights to accelerate their growth.?

In our latest series, we explore how startup teams can harness ChatGPT to boost their marketing, sales and customer service processes. Dig into the first edition here to learn how those on the front-line are using this technology to analyse and craft content.?

>> Check out the latest edition here.

??? News and press coverage from the portfolio.

→?Big Health ?awarded the 'Equitable Hiring Process' award at the Plenty Awards.

→?Ably ?joins the?Datadog ?network to offer seamless monitoring capabilities to Enterprise customers.

→?Makers ?partner with?Somalis in Tech ?to bridge the digital skills gap within the community.

→?Robin AI ?release their latest?custom playbook features , aimed at making contracts simpler and providing an enhanced user experience.?

→?Sourcery ?launch?Merlin , their new coding assistant, designed to support developers throughout the coding process.?

→?OutThink ?shortlisted in the EIT Digital Competition 2023.?

→?Zopa Bank ?awarded the Best Personal Loan Provider title at the British Bank Awards.?

→?Makers ?launch?The Women in Software Awards ?for its 5th year.

Forward Thinking is our monthly bulletin for Forward investors and interested parties. To receive this email straight to your inbox every month, subscribe?here .