Passion Capital

Passion Capital Research Investment Thesis Passion Capital is Europe's first operator-led venture capital fund, founded in 2011 and headquartered in London. The firm backs outstanding European founders building transformative technology businesses, investing predominantly at the pre-seed and seed stages—often before revenue or product exist. Their thesis centers on three primary verticals: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Financial Technology (FinTech & Risk), and Enterprise Software. With a "founder first" philosophy, Passion provides long-term capital alongside deep operational expertise, having pioneered the Plain English term sheet in European venture capital. The firm invests an average of £400K–£500K per new opportunity and typically acts as the founders' first institutional investor. Stage Focus and Check Size Passion Capital focuses on pre-seed and seed investments, with occasional Series A follow-ons for existing portfolio companies. Fund IV targets 30–35 new investments at roughly 10 new checks per year. The firm is flexible to lead, co-lead, or participate in funding rounds depending on deal dynamics. Typical initial cheque: £400,000–£500,000 (~$500K–$625K USD). Strong follow-on reserves support founders across multiple rounds. They explicitly state they invest at the idea stage—before revenue or product—backing outstanding founders with compelling visions. Fund History and Current Status Passion Capital has operated four funds since 2011: Fund I (2011): First institutional backer for Monzo, GoCardless, Tide Fund II : Backed Marshmallow, PolyAI, Attio, and other UK/European companies Fund III : Continued expansion; included SAPI among others Fund IV (Passion Capital IV LP, closed April 27, 2026): $55M (€46M), Article 8 SFDR-aligned, 100% backed by private capital. 13 companies already invested at close; target 30–35 total Total track record since 2011: 104+ portfolio companies; 43 achieved Series A; 5 backed at pre-seed became unicorns; net IRR of 23% and 2.5x DPI. Portfolio Highlights and Notable Exits Passion Capital has produced several major outcomes: GoCardless : Seeded in 2011, acquired by Mollie for €1.1bn in December 2025—one of Europe's largest fintech exits of 2025 Ravelin : AI-powered fraud prevention platform seeded in 2015, acquired by Worldpay in February 2025 Tillo : Gift card platform, returned 33x in a secondary buyout to Tenzing in May 2025 Mendeley : Academic research management, acquired by Elsevier Monzo : UK digital bank, multi-billion valuation unicorn Tide : UK SMB banking platform (unicorn) Marshmallow : Insurtech for immigrants (unicorn); raised $90M Series C in April 2025 PolyAI : Conversational AI for enterprises; raised $86M Series D co-led by Georgian, Hedosophia, and Khosla Ventures in December 2025 Attio : Modern CRM platform; raised $52M Series B led by GV/Google Ventures in August 2025 Xelix : AP automation; partial stake sale during $160M Series B led by Insight Partners in July 2025 SAPI : Financial services infrastructure; raised $80M Series A led by Hudson Cove in 2025 Team Passion Capital operates with a four-partner investment team: Robert Dighero (Founding Partner) : 30+ years in technology. Former CFO of Tradus plc (startup through IPO to £1bn exit) and CFO of AOL UK where he built the finance function as the business became UK market leader. Deep operational expertise across the technology cycle. Andrew Jenkins (Partner) : Venture investing since 2001. Led seed funding for Mimecast (UK tech unicorn) in 2006, serving as lead financier across four rounds. Founded Conviction VC in 2017 before joining Passion. Asset management background at GAM, Barclays, and Ansbacher Bahamas. Will Orde (Partner) : 12+ years early-stage VC specializing in software and fintech. Previously Partner at Conviction VC and investment roles at Downing Ventures and Oxford Capital. Greg Bennett (Partner) : 17-year equity markets career before joining VC in 2020. Former Partner at Conviction VC. Founding member of Neptune Investment Management; leadership roles at Marlborough Fund Managers and Argonaut Capital. Support team includes Sarah Stafford (General Counsel; ESG, legal, and risk), Paul Walker (Finance Director; ex-PwC and Molten Ventures), Fern Scott (Operations Lead; LP communications and reporting), and Antonia Brine (Accountant; ex-Haysmacintyre and Osmond Capital). Geographic Focus Exclusively UK and Europe. The firm requires portfolio companies to have annual turnover below £50 million at the time of investment. London-based with 2nd Floor, Laxmi, The Tanneries, 57 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XJ. Recent Activity (2025–2026) New investments (Fund IV): Aloft ($1.0M pre-seed, February 2026) Paypercut (€2.0M pre-seed, July 2025)—Eastern European payments Teal (£1.4M pre-seed, June 2025)—payroll data fintech; Passion led LangWatch (pre-seed, 2025)—AI agent simulation GeoSurge (pre-seed, 2025)—AI search visibility Emblematic (pre-seed, 2025)—CFO automation Fund IV closed on April 27, 2026 at $55M / €46M. The firm plans to launch a growth-stage fund focusing on the best-known growth opportunities in the Passion portfolio. Decision Process and Founder Approach Passion employs structured due diligence including founder reference checks and market/technology validation. They describe themselves as flexible to lead, co-lead, or participate depending on deal structure. The firm emphasizes collaborative relationship-building over rigid mandates and accepts direct applications via their website contact form. As an operator-led fund with all four partners having deep operating backgrounds, they provide hands-on support beyond capital—including strategic guidance, network introductions, and follow-on investment capacity via SPVs. ESG and Impact Fund IV is Article 8 SFDR-aligned. The firm explicitly excludes investments in fossil fuel extraction, deforestation, non-sustainable fishing, weapons manufacturing, controversial weapons, Black Hat hacking, and illegal activities. ESG responsibility for post-2023 vintage funds falls under Will Orde; Sarah Stafford executes the ESG policy firm-wide. Anti-Thesis Passion Capital does not invest in: fossil fuel extraction, deforestation, non-sustainable fishing, weapons manufacturing, controversial weapons, Black Hat hacking, or companies with illegal activities in operating jurisdictions. Outside of UK/Europe geographies. Hardware-heavy businesses without strong software components are generally not a fit. The firm is not a generalist—companies outside AI, FinTech & Risk, and enterprise software are less likely to be funded.