Onstage plans to make around 80 investments over the next three years, with a focus on investment and network building.
Onstage, an organiser of standalone demo events in Europe, announced the launch of its first venture fund, with an initial close of £10 million. The fund is intended to support European founders at the pre-seed and seed stages and will be led by founding partner Joel Hambly.
Founded in 2020 by Episode 1 GP Hector Mason and dmg ventures Partner Taos Edmondson, and led operationally by co-founder Issie James, Onstage’s flagship demo day has attracted more than 2,000 startups and worked with over 330 venture funds from Europe and the US, including Sequoia, a16z, Balderton and LocalGlobe.
Demo day finalists have collectively raised more than £500 million from venture capital firms, with companies such as Scan.com (£60 million) and Lawhive (£44 million) among those securing significant follow-on funding.
Separately, Onstage has established a large GP–LP gathering, with its most recent event attracting 350 GP applicants, reflecting its role within the European venture ecosystem.
A fund is the clear next step for Onstage and will enjoy a symbiotic relationship with our demo days. It further strengthens our proposition for founders and deepens our relationship with the top VCs in Europe. We can’t wait to support Europe’s next wave of founders, who are ready to compete and win on a global stage,
said Joel Hambly.
Fund I includes Peter Simon, President of US investment firm Simon Sports, who joins Onstage as a Partner and investor. Other LPs include a number of European founders and investors, such as Alex Chesterman, as well as GPs from Concept Ventures, Creator Ventures, Chapter One and Episode 1.
To strengthen links with the European VC landscape, Emma Phillips (LocalGlobe), Laura McGinnis (Balderton) and Jamesin Seidel (Chapter One) will join as external members of Onstage’s investment committee, working with the Onstage team on sourcing and selection. The Fund Incubator, Blears and Bunch Capital have supported the establishment of the fund.
Onstage plans to make around 80 investments over the next three years, with a focus on early-stage backing and network building. It will use its platform to connect founders and investors across Europe.