Hackquarters

Hackquarters, based in London, United Kingdom, operates as an innovation consultancy and corporate venturing firm, distinguishing itself from traditional venture capital funds. Its core mission revolves around fostering collaboration between large corporations and early-stage startups to drive innovation. The firm specializes in designing and executing tailored accelerator and incubation programs, acting as a bridge that connects nascent companies with established industry players.

Through these programs, Hackquarters provides startups with invaluable mentorship, strategic guidance, and crucial access to corporate networks and resources. Their model emphasizes market validation and partnership opportunities, rather than solely capital injection. They have established a robust network, having collaborated with over 30 prominent corporate partners, including global brands like ING, Visa, Ford, and Google, to deliver specialized innovation initiatives across various sectors.

While Hackquarters states it also invests in early-stage startups, its primary financial involvement is often integrated within the structure of these corporate-backed programs. This can involve facilitating grants, prizes, or small equity investments that may originate from the corporate partners themselves, or a modest equity stake taken by Hackquarters in exchange for program participation and strategic support. The firm has successfully supported over 150 startups through its diverse range of programs, helping them to refine their business models, achieve product-market fit, and secure follow-on funding from other investors.

Due to their unique operational model, which prioritizes program facilitation and corporate partnerships over direct, large-scale equity investments, specific typical first cheque sizes from Hackquarters' own balance sheet are not widely disclosed or consistently applicable as they would be for a traditional venture capital fund. Their value proposition lies more in strategic acceleration and ecosystem building.