We play fair by founders

Giving you an unfair advantage, to take you from where you are to where you want to be

We’re a sector agnostic fund with a contrarian approach to pre-seed investing

92% of our portfolio recommend working with us

About

We look for visionary founders, with hustle, heart and humility, who see the world, not as it is, but as it could be

73% of our companies have successfully raised a Series A round

Portfolio

We combine financial capital, emotional intelligence and a willingness to do whatever’s required

Because we know it takes more than funding for a startup to survive and thrive; the right support goes beyond writing cheques

Approach

We’re an ecosystem player here for the long-term

It’s a step towards the tomorrow we all want to live in

Content

We’re committed to readdressing the gender imbalance in venture, by breaking down barriers and opening doors

Collaboration is Queen: Our female founder network has collectively raised £600m

FFOH

We believe that access to VC should be open and based on merit, we review each and every application

It’s never too early for an initial conversation

Pitch us

We play fair by founders

Giving you an unfair advantage, to take you from where you are to where you want to be

We’re a sector-agnostic fund with a contrarian approach to pre-seed investing

92% of our portfolio recommend working with us

About

We look for visionary founders, with hustle, heart and humility, who see the world, not as it is, but as it could be.

73% of our companies have successfully raised a Series A

Portfolio

We combine financial capital, emotional intelligence and a willingness to do whatever’s required.

Because we know it takes more than funding for a startup to survive and thrive; the right support goes beyond writing cheques

Approach

We’re an ecosystem player here for the long-term

It’s a step towards the tomorrow we all want to live in

Content

We’re committed to readdressing the gender imbalance in venture, by breaking down barriers and opening doors

Collaboration is Queen: Our female founder network has collectively raised £600m

FFOH

The Playfair Angel Community is a core part of our ongoing commitment to angels across Europe

Our growing angel community is open to active angel investors in Europe

Angels

We believe that access to VC should be open and based on merit, we review each and every application

It’s never too early for an initial conversation

Pitch us

About us

About us

We are Playfair. We’re a sector agnostic fund with a contrarian approach to pre-seed investing: bringing discipline, diligence, dedication and depth of thought to an intentionally low volume of investments. We exist to nurture the most promising founders of today to build the category-defining companies of tomorrow.

Our Team

Our team is a mix of angel investors, operators, founders, engineers, lawyers, bankers, accountants, professional poker players, salespeople, product managers and biochemists who share a deep passion for startups.

Andrew Sheffield

Principal

Anouska Moss

Executive Assistant

Chris Smith

Managing Partner

Clare Zhang

Associate

Deanne Saunders

Receptionist & Office Manager

Felix Neubeck

Analyst

Henrik Wetter Sanchez

General Partner

Lucia Polverino

Analyst

Matt Gill

Chief Financial Officer

Investment Committee

Federico Pirzio-Biroli

Founding Partner & Chairman

Simon Blakey

Chair of the Investment Committee

Our guiding principles

(Roll over stars for more info)

Build bridges, join forces.

We’re stronger together and more than the sum of our parts. Our diverse backgrounds, experiences and abilities enable us to see things differently and collaborate with founders, investors and industry players

Be your whole self.

The more voices at the table, the more interesting the conversation. We welcome diverse thought, different ideas and divergent viewpoints.

Don’t be a d*ck.

We’re humans first, foremost and we invest in humans. We don’t view startups as an asset class, we bring care and consideration to all of our interactions; with founders, investors… anyone.

Ask, always.

We’re an open bunch with a ‘better out than in’ philosophy. We follow our curiosity to build understanding. Because the better we understand, the more we can help.

Own your zone of genius

Everyone brings something different. We empower each other to understand and build on our strengths and make a real impact where it really counts.

The Back story

The Back story

Federico Pirzo-Biroli (aka Fede) is one of the early pioneers of the London tech ecosystem.

Following time spent working at startups, charities and NGOs post-graduation, Fede started his angel career in 2011 across the road at White Bear Yard. Taking a desk as an angel in residence, he developed a passion for investing in and working with startups. He backed 22 companies over the next 2 years across a broad range of sectors and technologies.

Spotting a gap in the market for a firm that combines the best aspects of angel investing with the scale and resources of a fund, Fede founded Playfair in 2013 and brought a team of partners and investors on board. He also acquired Warner Yard, which over the past decade was home to many startups, investors and incubators, and remains our HQ to this day.

Today, our team has grown to 10 people, who all share a genuine devotion to the startup world and are focused on delivering the best possible outcomes for all the founders we work with.

Listen to a podcast about Fede shaking up London's VC Industry here.

That's
our story

What's yours?

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