We aim to back the next wave of founders building the tools and platforms that will facilitate the shift from analogue to digital practices. We have a long and successful track record of investing in founders and companies providing highly scalable, digital technology solutions.
We cultivate enduring partnerships with founders, providing early-stage investment from the inception of a mere concept on paper and offering comprehensive support throughout every phase of growth. This support goes beyond funding, encompassing genuine humility and hands-on assistance for both founders and their teams.
About 1818
1818 is an innovative Venture Capital firm focused on early and growth stage digital technology companies. Typically, we are amongst the first to invest, and we always personally invest in everything we do.
We partner with companies that have significant growth potential, and founders who have the vision, determination and commitment to achieve it. Providing capital is the first step of what we do. With a team comprised of entrepreneurial and motivated individuals, we serve an active role in our portfolio companies to ensure each business thrives to deliver the best possible results for our investors.
Founded by a Serial Entrepreneur
1818 Venture Capital was founded in 2012 by Richard Avery-Wright, a highly accomplished and successful serial entrepreneur.
Following in the footsteps of his ancestors who pioneered the Avery weighing scales in 1818, Richard has founded and co-founded several businesses himself. Among his notable ventures are Pie Funds Management, RAW Capital Partners, Castle Point Funds Management, Wealthify, and his latest endeavour, 1818 Venture Capital. The clients of 1818 Venture Capital reaped the rewards of Wealthify's successful exit, which resulted in a 22.5X return.
Why 1818?
- Founded by entrepreneurs: Our team and network consists of highly accomplished entrepreneurs, enabling us to possess a deep understanding of nurturing and expanding early-stage companies.
- Alignment with investors: 1818 personally invest in every single investment opportunity offered to our investor base (and on the exact same investment terms), ensuring alignment and confidence in our selection process.
- Unparalleled investment standards: Our process allows us to meet with over 1000 Founders a year, yet we only typically invest in 10-15 new businesses per year, thus our bar for investment is extremely high.
- Empowering diverse founders: Our focus lies on supporting underrepresented founders and businesses with a positive social purpose. We believe that purpose-driven founders are more engaged and motivated and are therefore more likely to succeed compared to purely profit-focused ones.
- Competitive fee structure: Our fees are simple and highly competitive and we do not charge an annual management fee. Instead, we charge a one-time 5% fee upon entry, which covers the life of the discretionary managed account. A typical fund would charge 2% per annum over the 10-year life of the fund.
- Exposure to 'winners': Our venture portfolios exhibit a high level of diversity. They provide exposure to both promising new investments and what we believe are existing 'winners' (1818 portfolio companies that are experiencing exceptional growth). This helps establish a well-balanced risk profile and a diverse range of investment exposure.