Playfair VC (Playfair Capital) is a London, England–based early-stage venture capital firm that focuses exclusively on pre-seed technology investments across the UK and Europe, partnering deeply with visionary founders and backing them from their very earliest institutional rounds through to later growth stages.

Pre-Seed: Core focus — Playfair typically leads or co-leads pre-seed rounds, often as the first institutional capital for founders.
Seed / Series A Support: Provides follow-on capital and support for later rounds; reserves ~60% of its third fund for follow-ons and can invest up to ~£5M per company over time.

Typical Cheque Range: £100K–£1.5M on initial investments — with an average around ~£700K–£1M — and capacity to deploy larger amounts across rounds for follow-on support.
Conviction Approach: Highly selective, committing to ~6–8 new companies per year to provide deep strategic support.

Submission Method: Founders can apply via Playfair’s “Pitch Us” portal on their website (open to all with merit, without requiring warm intros). 
Founder Conversations: The team aims to respond quickly (often within days) and prefers founder alignment before formal diligence.

Sector Focus: Technology-centric companies across sectors including SaaS, AI & machine learning, fintech, healthtech, marketplaces, cybersecurity, and other digital innovation — essentially generalist tech with a strong product and team.
Geography: Focused on UK and Europe — Playfair invests broadly across European tech ecosystems.
Stage: Pre-seed stage companies, often pre-traction or early traction, yet ready for meaningful institutional capital.
Company Profile: Founders with visionary strategy, strong execution capability, and a scalable tech model aligned with global market potential. 

Initial Intake: Founder pitch decks and key materials are reviewed for alignment with Playfair’s thesis — first institutional capital and technology-centric name. 
Partner Evaluation: Deep partner discussions on product vision, technical differentiation, team strength, and market potential. 
Due Diligence & Terms: Once aligned, the firm undertakes structured diligence and negotiates terms tailored to stage and growth plan, often leading or co-leading rounds.

Strategic Capital: Early institutional financing to launch and accelerate product, team, and go-to-market strategy.
Follow-On Support: Continued capital and strategic support through seed into later rounds — Playfair reserves a large portion of its fund for follow-ons.
Mentorship & Network: Access to a robust network of co-investors, operational support, and Europe’s broader VC ecosystem; historically ~78% of Playfair’s portfolio graduates to Series A.
Diversity & Inclusion Programs: Initiatives like Female Founder Office Hours support founder mentoring, pipelines, and investor linkage for under-funded demographics.