Phoenix Group, the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement business, has acquired a minority equity stake in Antler, the most active venture capital investor globally, on behalf of its With-Profits Funds. The investment will allow Phoenix to invest alongside Antler on behalf of its With-Profits customers, enabling direct access to the investment potential of the early-stage market. 

Antler systematically removes capital and network constraints for early-stage technology entrepreneurs by providing investments, co-founder matching, and extensive coaching. Operating out of 27 locations globally, the firm is seeing increasing demand from entrepreneurs for its offering, driven by the trend in global innovation, and will make 400+ investments in 2023.  

Antler’s proprietary ESG and Impact framework recognizes the importance of impact as well as returns. Antler is a UN PRI signatory and a member of VentureESG and ImpactVC. 

James Mitchell, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Phoenix Group, commented:  

“We are delighted to announce this investment into Antler on behalf of our with-profits funds. We believe investment in diversified venture capital portfolios are crucial to enabling long-term savers to unlock diversified portfolio returns. Antler is a clearly differentiated example of this asset type and this investment will give our With-Profits policyholders’ funds exposure to some of the most exciting start-ups in the UK and globally, many of which aim to address some of the biggest issues we face as a society, such as the climate challenge.

“We are very much looking forward to working with the Antler team for the benefit of our customers. “

Edward Knight, President at Antler, said: 

“Support at the earliest stages of company creation has the potential to dramatically accelerate the pace of innovation - so important to the dynamism of modern economies. Venture is an emerging global asset class appealing to a growing group of institutional investors, keen to better understand the risks of disruption and capture the returns available. We’re delighted to partner with Phoenix, an early mover in supporting innovation and the growth opportunities this provides."

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Enquiries for Phoenix Group

Dilesh Sangaran

PR Manager

Phoenix Group

Dilesh.Sangaran@thephoenixgroup.com

07974 604 323

Enquiries for Antler

Rike Döpp Bergérus

Senior Director of Global Communications

+46706313538 (WhatsApp)

rike@antler.co

About Antler

Antler is the investor backing the world’s most driven founders from day zero to greatness. Founded on the belief that people innovating is the key to building a better future, we partner with people across six continents to launch and scale high-potential startups that address meaningful opportunities and challenges. Knowing that exceptional founders can come from anywhere with any background, we have offices in 25 cities, including Austin, New York, London, Berlin, Stockholm, Bangalore, Jakarta, Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo, and Sydney. Our global community backs people from the beginning with co-founder matching, deep business model validation, initial capital, expansion support, and follow-on funding. Fueled by a personal passion that goes beyond traditional investing, we have helped create and invested in more than 900 startups across a wide range of industries and technologies, with the goal of backing more than 6,000 by 2030.