Introducing Arkley Brinc VC, the new $15,000,000 Fund for IoT Startups

We are proud to announce that we have joined forces with Brinc, one of the world’s leading hardware and IoT accelerators, to launch our new VC fund – Arkley Brinc VC.

Through this strategic partnership, we are building an entire ecosystem to support European startup companies working on hardware and IoT. With Arkley’s well-established position as the Accelerator VC for Europe and Brinc’s access to China and manufacturing expertise, our portfolio teams will be able to tap into a global support network to bring their innovations from concept to commercialisation.

Any startup founder who has looked for funding will know the process; you need to send your pitch deck to a long list of investors to stand a chance of finding the right one. However, if you’re a startup in the field of IoT or connected hardware, you’ll know that your options for finding VCs in Europe were very limited!

The total amount of funding raised by hardware startups has increased in the last few years, from ca. $1.000M in 2012, to $5.500M in 2017. The growth looks optimistic, that is until we compare it to total funding raised by startups, which amounts to $84.000M in 2017... then we realise that only 6,5% of all startup investments in 2017 were into hardware. In a time where connectivity is changing the world around us and the Internet of Things is growing exponentially, it’s about time we give some fire power to the exciting innovations in this sector.

We must keep in mind that these numbers don’t tell the whole story. You can find some European VCs that have a hardware startup in their portfolio, but as a wild card – not as their main investment focus. There are only a few hardware VCs worldwide, mainly in the USA and China; by this we mean VCs providing necessary support for hardware startups, which have completely different needs to software startups – from building the prototype to designing the product, setting up manufacturing, mass production and shipping the product to the customers around the world. Arkley Brinc VC will be a key player in this ecosystem, connecting European startups to China for manufacturing with the necessary capital to go to market.

WHO IS BEHIND ARKLEY BRINC VC?

Arkley (Poland / Europe) and Brinc (Hong Kong / Global) have much in common when it comes to supporting startups. Both are hardware and IoT focused, with a strong track record of accelerating and investing into early stage companies as separate entities. Their joint portfolio of past and present investments comprises of​ ZMorph, Tespack, Robo Wunderkind, Lovely, Soundbrenner, PillDrill, Kiddo, Lantrn, Glassy, and many more. On top of its global experience, Brinc also brings its proven thesis to the table. The company lives by a simple yet noble rule: invest in companies that change the way we all live, move, feel and eat.

Selected success stories include a $2,5M follow-on round raised by Tespack, $2M follow-on rounds raised by ZMorph, $2M follow-on round raised by Soundbrenner Pulse (and they hit their Kickstarter goal for their new product, Soundbrenner Core, in less than 10 minutes), Kiddo raised over $2.5M, Lantrn and PillDrill also raised $2M in follow on investments and $1M follow on round raised by Robo Wunderkind. Four of Arkley’s founders were selected as Best Founders by Forbes, proving the fund’s astute market instinct. A crucial and unique benefit of this partnership is the end-to-end ecosystem that supports startups from concept to commercialisation. The combined network of both entities includes more than 100 partners, which can help to propel your startup from prototype to IPO.

The VC fund is managed by Piotr Wasowski and Bryony Cooper, with 30+ years of combined entrepreneurial and investment experience. With three IPO’s under his belt, Piotr Wasowski is a pioneer in European hardware investments. Currently, Piotr specializes in early stage hardware startups, IoT, fintech, and e-commerce. He mentors and helps manage the Arkley portfolio startups by sharing his experiences from two decades of entrepreneurship.

Bryony Cooper is a former tech startup co-founder and CEO herself; T Dispatch (a Berlin-based software company) raised over $2 Million and won clients around the globe. She later ran IXDS labs, a company builder and innovation lab for IoT ventures, which eventually lead her to Brinc, where she lead the MENA connected hardware accelerator program, mentored teams in the Hong Kong program and served on Brinc’s Investment Committee.

Among the private investors that supported Arkley Brinc VC is Poland’s largest independent media communication group - Group One. The group members are media agencies, employing over 350 specialists which support each other whilst building leading brands in the market. This partnership has the potential to create added value through services for startups and their large client base.

HOW WE HELP

A crucial and unique benefit of this partnership is the end-to-end ecosystem that supports startups along every step of the way. By working closely with more than 250 startups, Arkley and Brinc have cultivated a network that reaches deep into Silicon Valley and the Pearl River Delta region; our combined network includes over 100 partners, which can support with product development (prototyping agencies, maker spaces and engineers), manufacturing (vetted factories in China), project management for production, an extensive supply chain of vendors and suppliers, plus sales and distribution (US, EU and MENA networks). We can advise on everything from go-to-market to exit strategies, connecting teams with industry experts and resources.

Additionally, Arkey Brinc VC supports startups in fundraising of follow-on rounds thanks to its worldwide investors network. Statistics say that less than 50% of hardware startups who raised initial funding are able to raise money again. Due to our proven processes and combined deal flow as well as vast network in the industry, we aim at moving the bar upwards by our hands on approach and experience we bring to the table. 100% of Arkley’s startups raised follow on funding - a total of 6,3M USD between 5 teams, and Brinc’s portfolio has raised an average of $1.7M in follow on rounds.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

First and foremost, Arkley Brinc VC is looking for exceptional teams, because we believe that venture capital is human capital. In the past both entities have had the pleasure to work with many industrious founders, whose testimonials you can read here. Our VC will invest in is seed- and early-stage startups in the following categories: hardware, IoT (Including IoMT and IoT+media), and MedTech/HealthTech.

ARKLEY & BRINC AS ARKLEY BRINC VC

Arkley Brinc VC will invest into 20+ startups over a 4 year time period, with an initial investment of ca. $250k - $500k and the option of follow-on investment ca. $500k.

Arkley Brinc VC is funded by the Polish Development Fund - PFR Ventures initiative, in the form of PFR Starter FIZ; a program tailored to innovative companies in the early stages of development. Financing is granted by chosen financial intermediaries as Venture Capital funds, in this case Arkley Brinc VC. Thanks to the experience, competences and contacts, we live up to the term ‘smart money’ and can significantly increase a startup’s chance for commercial success.

FUNDING +20 STARTUPS

INVESTMENT UP TO $1,000,000 PER STARTUP

 

CONTACT

You can contact Arkley Brinc VC via email on hello@arkleybrinc.vc or submit your startup via our application form.

Date 
October 15, 2018