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

Story

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

78% 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

Thesis

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

Female Founders

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

Story

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

78% 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

Thesis

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

Female Founders

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

Back to Team

Federico Pirzio-Biroli

Founding Partner & Chairman

Fede is the founder of Playfair. He first forayed into startup investing as an angel in late 2011, backing 22 companies over the next two years.



In 2013, to support the already sizeable portfolio and to bring a more professional, consistent and methodical investment approach, he founded Playfair as an LLP and brought several partners and a team of investors on board.

At the same time, he acquired and refurbished a building in Central London that became our HQ and co-working space, Warner Yard; home to many of our startups over the past decade.

Fede remains Playfair’s Chairman and sole LP, although he has stepped away from the day-to-day operations of the fund having moved to Kenya in 2017, where he lives with his young family and, when not changing nappies, spends his time as an angel investor across a variety of different sectors.

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