Episode 1

What is Episode 1?

Episode 1 is a venture capital firm that specializes in providing funding and support to UK-based B2B software startups at the pre-seed and seed stages. With a deep commitment to nurturing early-stage businesses, they offer investments ranging from £300,000 to £3,000,000.

Episode 1's mission is to bolster innovative companies that are focused on creating software solutions for business-to-business applications, encompassing various domains such as web marketplaces, SaaS, and general business solutions. Their investment approach is aimed at empowering founders with the go-all-in attitude—those who are determined to quit their jobs and pursue their dreams despite the challenges of startups, such as sleepless nights and cash flow crunches. With over 20 years of experience in the sector, Episode 1 prides itself on building lasting relationships with founders, making swift investment decisions, and offering comprehensive long-term engagement to ensure startups reach successful Series A rounds.

Through testimonials from portfolio company founders, it's evident that Episode 1 provides more than just funding; they actively contribute to go-to-market strategies, fund-raising, and serve as a reliable support system through thick and thin. By bringing the entire firm's resources to support their investments, they are characterized as knowledgeable, approachable, and determined to contribute significantly to the success of the companies they invest in.

Their portfolio indicates a strong track record, with 73% of their portfolio companies successfully raising Series A funding, amounting to a total of £170 million raised across their investments. Episode 1 differentiates itself by being proactive and hands-on with their investments, addressing business, sales, and people challenges, and offering strategic sparring to their founders.

What they say:

We invest in UK-based B2B software startups at pre-seed and seed stage.