WE've gOT

yOuR bACK
Our Ethos
Our work is guided by three
Human-centric
principles

01.
We back founders over markets.
Every time.
Investors like to fantasise about the future, but founders forge it. That’s why we’ve followed some of Europe’s boldest entrepreneurs to every frontier from Cellular Agriculture to next-gen Popular Entertainment. Discover how we work here.
02.
You are your company’s most important asset.
This is especially true at Seed. Even at the edges of DeepTech, the people you hire and the culture you foster will disproportionately define your future success. That’s why we focus on helping our founders scale as leaders.


03.
It’s not our portfolio. It’s our community.
And from the moment we partner up, it’s your community too. A group of exceptional operators, innovators, tech optimists, investors and pirates. We’ve all got your back on this beautiful, messy, wild ride. Meet the gang here.
OUR PEOPLE
Meet the team ready to
sail alongside you.
Andre
Alex
Daisy
DOMINIC
PASCAL
RACHEL
Sonia
Vinay
Community

Andre de Haes
Co-Founder, Managing Partner
(he/him)
I cover fundraising and investing. I think venture funds should see founders like pro athletes, and feed their relentless appetite for self-development. I want to create a new movement in the European tech ecosystem based on the human-centric ethos we have at BACKED.

Alex Brunicki
Co-Founder, Partner
(he/him)
I lead on investing and post-investment support. To me, early stage investing is about human capital, and I think the best investor-founder relationships are built on empathy, earned trust and sheer hard graft – on both sides. I geek out on deep tech solutions to today’s problems (and Chelsea FC).

Ambi Mistry
Head of Network & Communities
(she/her)
I head up Network and Community at BACKED where I manage our incredible network of venture scouts and lead on ecosystem development. It’s my mission to create meaningful, authentic opportunities for the BACKED ecosystem to connect, support and flourish together (and preferably have a lot of fun in the process!).
Prior to Backed, I helped to start the UK’s first community for entrepreneurs in the creative industries, worked with No.10 Downing Street on policy initiatives to support startups, and designed, delivered and helped to fundraise the Design Museum’s Entrepreneurs Hub – the first dedicated business accelerator run by a cultural institution in the UK.
@Ambi

Tom Hopkins
COO
He/Him
I lead on all operational activities within the firm to ensure we successfully scale our business. I also manage fundraising and investor relations, and deal closing processes. I have worked in venture capital for over 15 years and there has never been a more exciting time to back ambitious European entrepreneurs.
@Tom

Dominic Barnard
Finance Manager
(he/him)
I look after accounting for the BACKED family of companies and financial administration of the fund – that’s everything from handling payments, reporting, HMRC, valuations, and more. Having cut my teeth on JPMorgan, I’m really excited to be a part of the inspiring BACKED clan and community as they back ambitious entrepreneurs.

Pascal Suhrcke
Investor
(he/him)
I split my time between sourcing, due diligence and portfolio support. I’m bullish about Europe’s role in driving the next wave of global innovation and eager to meet the next generation of ambitious European entrepreneurs on that mission. I’m pretty obsessed with startups shaping the future of consumer, food, and marketplaces.

Adena Wallingford
EA to Founders
(she/her)
My experience working in the Front Office operations of some of the world’s best hotels has helped prepare me for this varied role- no task is too big or too small and I am always happy to tackle anything thrown my way (and so is my dachshund Teddy, the Backed mascot). I love taking care of our Founders, as well as the wider team and also ensure that BACKED HQ is the place to be -to make deals and to hang out!
@Rachel

Sonia Maciuszewicz
Head of Founder Experience
(she/her)
I head up our post-investment support, including the Founder Development Platform. I support founders and their teams on everything from people management to executive coaching to mental health as they build a world-class Seed to Series A company. Prior to joining BACKED, I was part of the early team at Entrepreneur First and one of the main architects in elite talent identification and investing in Europe.

Vinay Chaudhri
Head of Marketing
(he/him)
I lead on all things brand, content, events and media for BACKED, including our legendary Slush parties and our tech frontier exploration event, VISIONQUEST. I also work closely with our companies, supercharging their brand and marketing capabilities.

Our Community
An infamous motley crew of operators, innovators, investors and pirates. They’re here to share their knowledge, networks and good vibes.