About Us

We're Vespa Capital, a dynamic venture capital fund, providing seed and start-up investment to aspiring entrepreneurs.

Our focus is to invest in graduates with fresh ideas, or those who have built the foundations of business and are looking for the capital and expertise to take it to the next level. And our investment decisions are made with an entrepreneur focus; meaning the analysis of a new venture is led by judging the potential of the people behind the idea as the first priority, rather than biased towards focusing on the business plan and numbers on a spreadsheet.


We typically invest up to $100k in pre-seed or seed rounds. And for us it’s never too early. We’re comfortable backing companies in their infancy, often pre-revenue. The entrepreneurs we believe in not only possess innovative ideas, but the passion and determination to realise their ambitions, along with the conviction and tenacity to succeed.

In short, talented people with brilliant ideas.

Our focus is to invest in graduates with fresh ideas, or those who have built the foundations of business and are looking for the capital and expertise to take it to the next level. And our investment decisions are made with an entrepreneur focus; meaning the analysis of a new venture is led by judging the potential of the people behind the idea as the first priority, rather than biased towards focusing on the business plan and numbers on a spreadsheet.

We typically invest up to $100k in pre-seed or seed rounds. And for us it’s never too early. We’re comfortable backing companies in their infancy, often pre-revenue. The entrepreneurs we believe in not only possess innovative ideas, but the passion and determination to realise their ambitions, along with the conviction and tenacity to succeed.

In short, talented people with brilliant ideas.

Meet the Team

Director

Jonny Robson

Based in Sydney, Australia, Jonny is the founder of a boutique recruitment firm, Augment Talent, that specialises in placing top talent into creative, media and marketing roles in Australia. Jonny has worked with a range of start-ups and creative agencies, helping to improve the way they attract, retain, and engage the best talent. With over a decade worth of international experience in the recruitment industry, he is an expert in helping businesses scale; both in terms of building their internal team and finding external experts to provide support and expertise as required. Away from work Jonny is a proud father of two, Paige and Jesse, and a devoted Arsenal fan.

Director

Nadeem Kunwar

Nadeem has over 15 years experience in working with start ups and SMEs in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Based in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Nadeem comes from a legal background having been a senior finance lawyer at major American and Canadian law firms. Nadeem is currently First Vice President (Group Legal) at an international bank focused on the MENA region. Nadeem has been recognised as a leading lawyer in the Middle East by numerous legal directories. Nadeem has degrees in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) from the University of York and in Law from BPP Law School (London).

FAQs

We are early stage specialists, and our typical stage of investment is Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A.

We offer seed and start-up capital ranging from $20k to $100k USD.

With early stage investments we find there isn’t a one size fits all in terms of process. But typically speaking we follow these 4 steps:

          1. Pitch. An elevator pitch style executive summary of your business plan in written or video format
          2. Meet. Meet the team and present your business plan, with analysis following the John Mullins Seven Domains Model
          3. Review. We invest in people first, so our review starts with your entrepreneurial potential, before we test the strength of the business plan
          4. Invest. We commit our capital, our time, and access to our wider network, to help accelerate the success of your business.

We prioritise swift decision making, and for those businesses that are successful in securing investment, we typically have funds transferred within four weeks from the initial pitch.

We are sector agnostic. The only criteria we apply to our investment selection is backing talented people, with big ideas that we can also get passionate about. To date, we have invested in founders leading business across industries including Travel, Sport, Legal, Technology, Fashion and Hospitality.

Having made our first investment in 2010, we have experience and expertise in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, enabling us to provide valuable insights, resources, and support tailored to each start-up’s unique situation. Our founding team has extensive experience in the legal and recruitment fields, so we’re particularly well qualified to advise on legal matters and consult on growth plans and talent acquisition.

We never want to be a burden on the founders we invest in and take a flexible approach, offering a range of engagement levels based on the specific requirements of the business. Some companies may benefit from more hands-on guidance, while others might prefer a more independent path. Our team works closely with founders to determine the right level of involvement that aligns with their goals.

We seek ideas that resonate with our team on a personal level, believing that our enthusiasm and passion for an idea play a critical role in supporting its success. We’re more than just investors; we’re partners who are dedicated to the growth and prosperity of the companies we support. When we are genuinely excited about an idea, our commitment to its success becomes unwavering. We then ask;

  • Is your idea, distinctive and unique, with a durable competitive advantage?
  • Does it capture a potentially large market?
  • Are you able to demonstrate existing traction and early demand for the value proposition?

But first and foremost we back people. The entrepreneurs we back show proven hustle, a compelling vision, the hunger and drive to build a successful business and the capability to sell their vision to employees, partners and future investors.

Yes. To date we have invested into businesses in UK, US, Canada, Middle East, Australia, Indonesia and Africa.

We understand that securing funding is a critical challenge for early stage start-ups. Whilst we might not be able to fund ventures entirely with our own resources, we leverage our connections and introduce our portfolio to new potential investors who align with their vision and mission.

Investment Portfolio