About Us

We team with fast growing, exceptional Fintech businesses across Europe, and push them to achieve their full potential.

OUR INVESTMENTS

Fintechs that stand out from the crowd

Unique or disruptive business models, first mover advantages and best of breed businesses get us excited. We invest in teams that have the talent, passion, and grit to transform sectors, and entrepreneurs that have the potential to become industry leaders.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Get to know you early, stick with you long term

We nurture relationships with entrepreneurs early, investing only when the time is right for their business. When we invest, we invest for the long term. We are patient. We seek to maximise the potential of businesses rather than limit upside in pursuit of short term gains.

OUR STYLE

Hands-on, hands-off

Having been on both sides of the fence we understand the fine line between investor help and hindrance. We love working with our companies, but focus on the most important issues without getting in the way of day-to-day management. Our network is at our entrepreneurs’ disposal, to help refine products, develop strategic partnerships, enter new markets and add potential investors, customers and advisors.

We’ve gone public!

On March 13th 2018 we became the first publicly traded Fintech focused VC in the UK. Listing on the main market of the London Stock Exchange puts us in a unique proposition:

We play for keeps

We expose you to the world

We let everyone take part

We want to back our companies for as long as it takes. Now we can

World beating Fintech companies aren’t built overnight.

Success takes time; we want to be able to keep working with you until you reach your peak. Our structure frees us from conventional VC restrictions. While other VCs drop their companies after 5 years, we provide funding for as long as it takes.

We want to give you exposure to the public markets. Now you’ve got it

Exciting Fintech businesses, meet World; World, meet exciting Fintech businesses!

As a public fund anyone can invest in our companies, from large institutions to your latest app downloader. That means more public exposure, more engagement, and, if the opportunity is right, an advantaged route to IPO.

We want to democratise investment in Fintech businesses. Now we have

Exciting Fintech businesses, meet World; World, meet exciting Fintech businesses!

For too long access to flourishing Fintech companies has been privatised. We’ve opened the door of opportunity to everyone!

Tim Levene

Tim graduated in Russian Studies from The University of Manchester and joined Bain & Company in Moscow, Boston, Sydney and London. Tim embarked on an entrepreneurial path and left Bain in early 1998 and created a new retail concept when he opened his first Juice bar (Fresh n Smooth) in 1999 in Canary Wharf. The business has since evolved into a 31-store business across London called Crussh.

In the summer of 1999, Tim joined 3 former colleagues from Bain & Company and launched Flutter.com. Flutter became one of the highest profile internet businesses in the UK after it merged with Betfair.com in 2001. Tim became the Commercial Director of the newly merged business and launched Betfair globally.

In 2010, Tim returned to London to start his next venture. He founded Augmentum Capital with the backing of RIT Capital and Lord Rothschild. The team focused on finding talented entrepreneurial teams in the Fintech industry that were bringing fundamentally disruptive products or platforms to the European market.

In 2018, Tim and Richard successfully launched Augmentum Fintech on the main market of the London Stock Exchange, in the process becoming the first publicly listed Fintech fund in the UK.

Tim was made a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2012 and for several years advised The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry on digital strategy and innovation. Tim was elected in March 2017 to The Court of Common Council in the City of London to represent the Ward of Bridge (as an Independent). Tim is also a Governor of The City of London School.

Outside of the office, Tim has a young family and has been a Chelsea FC season ticket holder since 1979. He remains a keen footballer, golfer and skier although operating at a more sedate pace than in recent years.

Richard Matthews

Richard has 17 years venture capital and private equity experience in the technology, retail and leisure sectors on both sides of the fence. Having studied economics at the University of Manchester, Richard started his career as a Chartered Accountant at Coopers & Lybrand before leaving in 1999 to join Tim at Flutter.com (now Betfair) as CFO.

In 2002 following the merger with Betfair he left to join Benchmark Capital Europe (now Balderton Capital), one of the early investors in Betfair. At Benchmark he worked on early stage technology investments both in the investment phase and assisting the investee companies post funding. He then joined Manzanita Capital in 2005, where he spent 5 years investing in the retail and leisure sectors globally before leaving to form Augmentum Capital. In 2018 Richard and Tim successfully launched Augmentum Fintech on the main market of the London Stock Exchange, in the process becoming the first Fintech focused public VC in Europe.

Away from the office Richard enjoys spending time with his family, watching Arsenal and playing golf, though in the case of the latter 2 the word “enjoys” is used in its loosest sense.

Perry Blacher

Perry is a fintech specialist with 25 years’ experience in building and operating online businesses, and has spent the last decade as an investor in, and advisor to, numerous fintech businesses.

Perry graduated from both Cambridge and Harvard before starting his career at McKinsey & Company. In 1998 he left to join Microsoft, before later moving to become a founding Principal of Chase Episode 1 Partners.

Perry later followed the route of the entrepreneur when he went on to become founder and CEO of two businesses, both of which sold to public companies (Serum in 2002, and Covestor in 2007). More recently, Perry is an Venture Partner at Amadeus Capital, and holds advisory or non-executive roles with Barclays UK, Google, Onfido, Transfergo, Clearscore, CDC and other fintech businesses.