Crowdcube teams up with £100m fund to bolster UK fintech

Crowdfunding platform Crowdcube has partnered with London-based £100m VC fund Episode 1, which has backed the likes of Zoopla, Simply Cook and Shazam. 

The team will back fintechs, particularly infrastructure and deep tech start-ups, alongside retail investors on the equity crowdfunding platform. 

Firms searching for funding will have their pitch reviewed by Episode 1, ahead of launching a campaign on Crowdcube.

In order to be successful, fintechs will need to be registered here in the UK and be looking for between £250,000 and £3m in fresh funding. 

Simon Murdoch, managing partner of Episode 1, said: “B2C businesses are easy to understand, so they tend to get more coverage than B2B businesses, particularly those which are more specialist. What we’ve found is that a large number of IPOs in the US are B2B.” 

“In 2018-2019 there were six times as many IPOs for B2B than there were for B2C businesses. Sectors that are lacking in competition, like software infrastructure and deep tech, are good areas for investors to look into.” 

Made up of expert entrepreneurs, the team at Episode 1 invests in B2B software businesses which, a sector which has grabbed the limelight over the past few months as the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for technology. 

Matt Cooper, chief commercial officer of Crowdcube, said: “Crowdcube is delighted to be partnering with Episode 1 on our hunt for the start-ups building software infrastructure that’s enabling change.” 

“Developments in API-driven technology, open-source tech and analytics software are now more important than ever. We recognise this potential and want to give everyday investors the opportunity to be a part of their future success.” 

The application process opened yesterday and will close at the end of October.