Vanta

Santander is a global retail and commercial bank headquartered in Spain, founded in 1857, operating across 10 core markets in Europe and the Americas. The institution serves nearly 180 million customers with a workforce exceeding 202,000 employees, positioning itself around values of simple, personal, and fair financial services. Leadership includes Executive Chair Ana Botín and CEO Héctor Grisi. The bank's core business centers on retail and commercial banking services for individuals and businesses, with particular emphasis on small business lending, financial education programs, and green finance initiatives designed to support sustainable growth. The organization frames its mission as helping people and businesses prosper while addressing financial complexity and exclusion through accessible banking products. Santander's operational approach reflects a purpose-driven model that positions banking as a tool for inclusive economic progress. The institution has articulated commitments to breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for prosperity, with stated aims of ensuring broad access to financial security and success across its European and American markets.

While we love speedy success, we're acutely aware that greatness comes in many forms and at different times. That's why we're not afraid to break the mold to bring something spectacular to life. Our approach is personal. We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach, but there are a few absolutes intrinsic to who we are and how we work. And these values weren’t contrived out of thin air, they’re hard earned over the past 30 years and counting. High performance, low ego. The old adage “actions speak louder than words” rings true within Canaan’s walls, and in our interactions with companies out in the wild. Words like "understated" and "effective" are often used to describe our partners, and that’s fine by us. We’ll leave the bragging to the others. People are more than statistics. A diverse team means we bring varied perspectives to the table. And that table welcomes out-of-the-box thinking, spirited debate, and people from all walks of life. It’s our individual backgrounds and interests that inform our collective approach, which spans industries, generations, and coasts. In short, our diversity is who we are and what we do. We ask for help, and so should you. We firmly believe that two heads are better than one. So while our investors thrive in 1:1 partnerships, our companies also have the support of the entire Canaan team whenever, wherever. Recruiting your executive team? We’ll mobilize our full network. Need operational advice to bring a product to market? We’ll connect you with the right partner or colleague. Our resources are yours. The Golden Rule still applies. We treat you like we treat ourselves - with respect, transparency, and honesty - even if it’s sometimes not what you want to hear. It’s this approach that makes our portfolio companies more like family, because we’re not afraid to get in the weeds and help solve big hairy problems. In fact, it’s what we live for. We’re acutely aware that our success hinges on your success, so we do what it takes. We're in the know, not in the way. We’d be lying if we said we weren’t hands-on, but we also know when to step back and let you soar. Our goal is to add value to your process, and help you grow in ways you couldn’t alone. That’s why you’ll never see us booking meetings just to check a box or “see how are things are going.” We’ll already know, because that’s the kind of relationship we have with our companies.

Traditional law firms often prioritize billable hours over meaningful work, leaving lawyers trapped in rigid structures that stifle creativity and professional satisfaction. NEON exists to transform this outdated model by creating a law firm built on freedom, self-determination, and the genuine joy of practicing law. The firm redefines conventional legal practice boundaries through a groundbreaking co-entrepreneurial spirit, empowering lawyers to take ownership of their careers while delivering exceptional results for clients. As a German transaction boutique based in Berlin, NEON brings expertise seamlessly across the globe, handling complex transactions and litigation with a collaborative, international approach. The firm's 25 top-notch transaction advisors and litigators work together to create perfectly fitting solutions for each client, treating every case as a blank canvas for innovative legal strategies. Beyond client work, NEON fosters a culture of continuous learning through Think.NEON and believes that professional growth thrives when personal connections are made, creating a workplace where lawyers can excel without sacrificing their autonomy or passion for the law.

Adyen operates a financial technology platform that processes €970.1 billion in payment volume annually for global enterprises including Meta, Uber, H&M, and Microsoft. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in the Netherlands, the company built a single unified system to handle payment acceptance, data management, and financial products - replacing the fragmented infrastructure that preceded it. The platform maintains a 99.999% uptime target across 28 offices supporting global commerce operations. The company's technical architecture centres on in-house engineering across payments processing, financial infrastructure, and high-availability systems. Adyen employs over 4,000 people representing 115+ nationalities, with technical capabilities spanning APIs, SDKs, machine learning, and MLOps. The platform serves clients across technology, mobility, retail, and enterprise software sectors, processing the first payments from Amsterdam and subsequently expanding to support cross-border transactions globally. Adyen's business model focuses on providing end-to-end capabilities through a single platform rather than modular third-party integrations. The company develops payment acceptance services, payment-related data management tools, and financial products for merchant clients. This approach reflects a long-term development strategy emphasising reliability and consolidated infrastructure over incremental feature additions.

ARQIS is an independent commercial law firm founded in 2006, operating from three offices in Düsseldorf, Munich, and Tokyo. The firm employs approximately 80–89 lawyers and legal specialists who provide cross-border and domestic legal services across transactions, employment law, data privacy, compliance, and regulatory matters. Under the leadership of Dr. Andrea Panzer-Heemeier, ARQIS serves domestic and international companies requiring sophisticated legal counsel in Germany and Japan. The firm structures its practice around specialized service lines designed to address complex commercial challenges. HR.Law by ARQIS, which received the JUVE Law Firm of the Year for Employment Law award in 2021, focuses on employment law and HR-related legal issues. DATA.Law addresses digital legal challenges, including privacy and data protection matters. The transactions practice handles cross-border and domestic M&A work, while dedicated practices in risk management and regulatory compliance round out the firm's technical capabilities. ARQIS also advises clients on restructuring, ESG compliance, and supply chain management. The firm positions itself through a transparent organizational structure that prioritizes client needs over billable hours. ARQIS serves companies engaged in cross-border transactions, organizations requiring data privacy counsel, and businesses navigating regulatory compliance requirements. Its Tokyo office extends the firm's reach into the Japanese market, enabling it to support clients with legal needs spanning European and Asian jurisdictions.

Carthona Capital was founded in 2014 when a group of like minded venture investors came together to invest on a deal-by-deal basis. Since then, Carthona Capital has shifted to a more traditional venture capital fund structure, and is now deploying its third fund with approximately $400m in funds under management from a mix of Institutional (Superannuation), Family Office and High Net-worth investors. Our Approach At Carthona we like to invest very early - our initial investment into a business is usually at the Pre-Seed, Seed, or Series A stages. We then like to follow-on strongly and continue to deploy larger amounts of capital as the business matures - in one instance we have supported a business by participating in seven different independent financing rounds. We are highly thematic in the opportunities we look to invest in. We are extremely hands-on with our portfolio companies.