
Stride.VC
Description
Stride.VC is a prominent London-based venture capital firm, strategically focused on seed-stage investments within the vibrant tech ecosystems of the United Kingdom and France. Founded by seasoned venture capitalist Fred Destin, the firm has rapidly established itself as a significant early-stage player in the European market. Demonstrating robust investor confidence, Stride.VC successfully closed its third fund in October 2023, raising £100 million, which translates to approximately $125 million, thereby reinforcing its capacity to support a new wave of innovative startups.
The firm's investment philosophy is distinctly sector-agnostic, prioritizing the vision and execution capabilities of founders over specific industry verticals. Stride.VC is dedicated to identifying and backing entrepreneurs who are building "category-defining" companies with the potential for significant market disruption. They typically deploy initial cheques ranging from £500,000 to £2 million, which, at current exchange rates, corresponds to approximately $625,000 to $2.5 million. This flexible capital deployment allows them to engage with a broad spectrum of early-stage ventures.
Stride.VC emphasizes a founder-centric approach, aiming to be more than just a capital provider. The team leverages its deep operational experience and extensive network to offer strategic guidance and hands-on support to its portfolio companies. Their commitment extends to helping startups navigate the complexities of early growth, from product development and market entry to talent acquisition and subsequent fundraising rounds. By focusing on strong partnerships and long-term value creation, Stride.VC aims to nurture the next generation of leading technology companies emerging from the UK and France.
Investor Profile
Stride.VC has backed more than 68 startups, with 6 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 39 rounds, about 57% of its total and boasts 4 exits across its portfolio.
Investment Focus Highlights
- Concentrates on Seed, Series A, Series B rounds (top funding stages).
- Majority of deals are located in United Kingdom, France, United States.
- Strong thematic focus on Software, SaaS, Financial Services.
- Led 3 rounds in the past year.
- Typical check size: $625K – $2.5M.
Stage Focus
- Seed (51%)
- Series A (26%)
- Series B (9%)
- Pre Seed (9%)
- Series Unknown (4%)
Country Focus
- United Kingdom (49%)
- France (21%)
- United States (9%)
- Belgium (4%)
- Germany (4%)
- Spain (4%)
- Sweden (3%)
- Ireland (3%)
- Austria (3%)
Industry Focus
- Software
- Saas
- Financial Services
- Artificial Intelligence (Ai)
- Payments
- Fintech
- E-commerce
- Machine Learning
- Marketplace
- Education
Frequently Asked Questions
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