TRAILBLAZER
I didn ’ t do proper due diligence - so it probably was not a scientific approach at this point ! It was just an emotional decision , which is actually very important when you invest in startups too ”, he said .
With private investment fraught with access issues with growth-stage startups , Sidorov knew the answer was institutional investment : “ I like to invite my friends in tech to invest together . London is the capital of clubs , but I was really surprised that there were no clubs around technology . I thought : why not build the London Technology Club ? We now have 85 members and are always looking for new members as investors . I ' d like to have another hundred people knocking on my door for membership .”
Established in 2018 , the club ’ s successes include Didi , Lyft , WeWork and a remarkable 500 % return with fintech Revolut .
The club utilises members with different expertise and leverages this knowledge for the benefit of the collective .
London is seen as Europe ’ s capital for tech investments and tech entrepreneurs , receiving capital of up to GBP 14bn over the first 7 months of 2021 , already well up on 2020 . Financial services and the disruption of FinTech startups has been a key factor in creating a hot-bed of investment opportunities . According to Sidorov , the best tech
“ London is the capital of clubs , but I was really surprised that there were no clubs around technology ”
22 February 2022