Portfolio of 15; 1 exit
#CapitalAtRisk
Keep calm and Uber on
I met up with an entrepreneur last week who I hadn’t seen in at least 10 years. Apparently last time we met I told him about this new app that was launching in Europe — it was Uber.
Over a lime & soda opposite Victoria Station he said he had done some angel investing, was keen to do some more, and liked seeing my portfolio updates. I deleted my LinkedIn account (read more on that here) so he was missing my posts about Unplugged, what3words et al.
Ever-evolving
Of course my investment thesis has evolved and yours should too. One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is that I want to get to know people before investing — I start by being a non-investor.
My aim is to invest in Star Founders who are building Star Businesses (using The Star Principle framework).
Seep — Cleaning up the way we clean up.
Unplugged — Escape from endless Zoom calls.
Particity— Research operations made simple.
Looper Insights — Optimizing content and app placement on smart TVs.
What3words — The simplest way to talk about location.
Stitched — Curtains & blinds that are handmade for homes with character.
Cudoni — Gucci, LV, Chanel, and more, up to 90% off retail.
Stay One Degree — Stay in the finest one-percent of holiday homes.
Century — Supercharge learning through AI personalisation.
Coconut — Taking the stress out of freelancer tax.
LiveSmart — Remote, digital-first health MOT and one-to-one health coaching.
IDu — Secure onboarding and compliance monitoring.
NoblyPOS [acquired by Revolut, 2021] — Easy to use iPad EPOS system.
Desmond & Dempsey — Making fancy pyjamas for a celebration of life at home.
FanBytes — Helping the most forward thinking brands win the hearts of Gen Z.
Bearded Colonel — Top of the line razors delivered for a fair price.
One of many?
It’s a good thing that I’m patient — these things take time. After having some equity in startups since 2014 I had my first exit last year when Revolut made their first ever acquisition and bought NoblyPOS. I’m looking forward to some more exits in the coming years.
And you?
If you like the look of the above and want to invest in them, or others that I’m closely following, please email matthew@stafford.vc
Important:Â None of these posts are investment advice. If you are thinking about investing you should seek the advice of a suitably qualified independent advisor.
#CapitalAtRisk