Why PAXOS VC Syndicate?
The beautiful island of the Ionian Sea took its name from the word “passion”. Finding and investing in early-stage businesses is a passion of ours and so we thought we’d create an investment syndicate so our friends could get access to the same deals that we do and benefit from what we’re doing. We also absolutely love the island of Paxos, and it’s where the idea was formed – nothing quite says ‘romance’ like starting a VC Syndicate on honeymoon!
Together we’ve invested in over 80 companies and have learnt a lot along the way. We want you to join us as we find and invest in some incredible founders who are solving big problems. We also focus on SEIS/EIS investments, meaning UK investors can benefit from substantial tax benefits.
Why a syndicate?
Ability to invest smaller tickets: most founders won’t accept cheques less than £20k - by using a syndicate, investors can put in cheques starting from £2k.
Access to high-calibre businesses: with both partners actively working in the start-up and VC ecosystem, we have access to deals that are being pitched to the UK’s top VC funds. These deals will typically be hard to access for someone who hasn’t spent considerable time building deal flow.
No management fees: unlike typical investment funds, we charge no upfront management fees. We only take a portion of the upside carry.
Ability to opt into deals you’re excited about, and pass on those you aren’t
Ability to hold close relationships with founders: we like to get to know the people we invest in, and will spend a considerable amount of time with founders before bringing a deal to the syndicate.
Who is ‘we’? Great question.
Kirsten Ellis (formerly Gohl): Leads the investment function at Velocity Capital (a London-based VC Fund) – sourcing the best consumer and technology businesses and playing an active role at a board level post-investment. Kirsten sees hundreds (possibly thousands) of pitch decks every year and knows a good deal when she sees one.
Simon Ellis: Simon has a passion for entrepreneurship and loves the start-up world. Having raised money for a number of early-stage businesses, and now running one himself, he has a strong network within the start-up eco-system and loves investing in interesting businesses. Over the past 8 years, Simon has personally invested in over 30 businesses and has convinced many of his friends to do the same. Starting Paxos VC Syndicate is simply an extension of what he’s already doing.
Join the crew
Be part of a community of people who share your interests by clicking the button above. By joining the syndicate and being a part of this mailing list, there is no commitment to invest in deals. Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox - feel free to invite others to join or unsubscribe if this isn’t something that interests you.
We really appreciate your support and look forward to bringing you some exciting businesses!
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