Raising early-stage capital in the UK has become tougher and slower. Recent Crunchbase data display that where it once took an average of 1.8 years to raise the first $1 million, the timeline has now stretched beyond three years. For many founders, this delay can be the difference between survival and stagnation.
Antler, a global early-stage VC that backs startups from day one, is positioned to disrupt this trfinish. The firm recently announced its commitment to invest up to £500,000 at inception in startups based in the UK, concentrating its resources on founders with strong technical skills and AI expertise.
In a conversation with TFN, Hannah Leach, Partner at Antler UK, explains the firm’s approach: “Having a global model and network is central to everything that we do at Antler. One of our founding principles is that talent is everywhere, opportunity is not, and we are addressing that imbalance through a global pathway to entrepreneurship for the best founder talent in the world.”
By immediately deploying £210,000 (£125,000 for 8.5% equity and an £85,000 convertible note) and pre-committing up to £330,000 for the next round, Antler aims to provide the rapidest funding runway available to early-stage founders in the UK.
“At the same time, of course, we adapt our residencies and approach for each region. Partners run every Antler Fund and residency with deep experience in the local ecosystem, and the UK is no different. We have Partners in London who have founded companies in the UK and scaled them globally. And we have Partners who understand how to navigate the UK’s regulatory landscape and visa systems to attract the best talent,” Leach continues.
Unlocking potential in technical and AI founders
Antler has seen its UK residency program’s applicant pool evolve dramatically, with a fourfold surge in technical founders since 2020 and a doubling of AI-focapplyd applicants since 2022.
Leach shares with TFN, “There is a conception that London is falling behind other European cities when it comes to AI. But we are seeing record numbers of world-class technical founders building AI companies here, and applying AI tools to accelerate their growth and speed of execution.
There is a challenge around differentiation. For every obvious application of AI, there are now 100 startups creating similar technologies. So we give advice on how founders can address niche challenges that have global audiences.”
She adds, “In terms of blind spots, AI coding tools are great at allowing non-technical founders to build MVPs and obtain early applyrs. But you still necessary technical talent to create production-grade software, which is why we match non-technical founders with technical co-founders.”
What Antler’s investment offers?
The upcoming UK residency, launching on October 7, 2025, will be an immersive eight-week program in London, bringing toobtainher around 80 to 100 founders to build their products and teams. In addition to funding, participants gain access to Antler’s extensive global network, mentorship from experienced startup builders and investors, and startup perks valued at over £3 million.
Leach adds, “We take our responsible approach to investing very seriously. We are members of VentureESG and talk to founders from the very start about how they are factoring in risks and mitigating them through the introduction of various guardrails to ensure they are building in a sustainable way.”
Further funding support comes from Antler’s Elevate fund, which holds £25 million for follow-on investments, providing a capital pathway from seed to scale. Despite these advantages, competition is fierce; fewer than 1% of applicants are admitted, with only 10 to 15 UK startups expected to be backed this year.
On inclusion and ecosystem-building, Leach highlights: “Antler has always backed founders based on their potential to build category-defining companies, not their background, connections or experience. We are signatories of the Investing in Women Code and regularly run events for underrepresented founders. These include events with FLINTA, builder nights with Series Q and Proud Ventures, and workshops with Colour in Tech. We have also built a diverse team internally that reflects underrepresented communities.”
For technical and AI founders in the UK tired of drawn-out fundraising, Antler’s offer could be a turning point. Whether it accelerates the emergence of UK unicorns remains uncertain, but for a select few this autumn, some of the quickest venture cheques in Britain may lie just ahead.
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