Antler Raises Over $300 Mn; Expands Investment Focus To Invest Up To Series C Antler seeks to build on the success of its regional pre-seed fund model, currently in 15 countries across 5 continents, and with 350 investments in technology startups made
By Prabhjeet Bhatla •
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Global venture capital firm Antler has announced that it has closed over $300 million to date, allowing it an opportunity to provide continued support to its companies in subsequent funding rounds. Investors in the funds include Schroders, Vækstfonden, and Phoenix Group.
Antler is on a mission to fundamentally improve the world by enabling and investing in the world's most exceptional people. The primary focus of the firm will remain investing at the pre-seed stage, with the firm now also having the ability to offer its portfolio companies follow-on capital as they grow and scale, up to Series C.
"We continue to provide support for our founders from the earliest stages and are thrilled to be able to continue investing in them as they grow. We look forward to backing even more entrepreneurs that are redefining industries in the future," said Magnus Grimeland, chief executive officer and founder, Antler.
Antler is continually developing and expanding its senior team, and its global presence. To this end, Antler has recruited new partners Naman Budhdeo, Erik Jonsson, Jiho Kang, and Subir Lohani to lead its new Canada, Vietnam, Korea, and Indonesia teams respectively.
Teddy Himler from SoftBank also joins as a partner of the later-stage investment team.
Antler has invested in over 350 companies globally across over 30 different industries since 2018. Of these companies, 40 per cent have at least one female co-founder, with 70 nationalities represented.
"As a longstanding partner and investor in Antler, we are delighted to continue our investment in Antler. It is a unique opportunity to gain exposure to a global growth portfolio of innovative technology companies, and to ensure a steady stream of capital is being invested in companies that will define how we all live and work in the future," shared Lieven Debruyne, global head of distribution, Schroders.
Antler continues to invest in its portfolio companies as they scale. The firm has a global network of over 600 expert advisors, and an online platform of resources, tools and supports its portfolio companies with introductions to global investors, hands-on assistance with new market entry, and access to a global network of expert advisors.
In providing continued support and investment, Antler confirms its position as a long-term partner for exceptional entrepreneurs -- from the outset of their journey to the later stages as they scale.
"We are thrilled to continue our commitment to Antler. We have previously invested in Antler, and have been delighted with the firm's overwhelmingly positive contribution to the technology ecosystem since their market entry. In Vaekstfonden we want to help drive innovation and new technology, and therefore we are very pleased to see Antler continue its commitment to supporting innovative founders throughout their journey," added Lars Nordal Jensen, senior director, Vækstfonden.
Antler also intends to now invest in a number of companies from outside of its portfolio at seed and Series A stages. Antler has put together a team to oversee ongoing investments, led by Antler partners: Martell Hardenberg; Teddy Himler; Stefan Jung, and Navi Singh.
This ongoing evolution is built on what we believe to be a strong structural advantage in deal flow sourcing from regionally focused early-stage investments across 15 countries in 5 continents, including Australia (Melbourne and Sydney), Canada (Toronto), Denmark (Copenhagen), Germany (Berlin), India (Bangalore), Indonesia (Jakarta), Kenya (Nairobi), Norway (Oslo), Sweden (Stockholm), Singapore, South Korea (Seoul), The Netherlands (Amsterdam), The UK (London), US (Austin and New York), and Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh).
