givestar raises $12M to modernise charity fundraising, eyes US push
What's the deal? givestarDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a London-based fundraising technology company, has raised $12 million in growth funding led by Mercia VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, with participation from Love VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. It is the largest round in the company's history and one of the largest ever completed by a UK fundraising technology platform.
What's the endgame? givestar wants to build the technology layer connecting charities, fundraisers, donors, and events. The money will fund product development, team growth, and expansion across the UK and US.
Where it started: Founded in 2019 after its co-founders saw charitable giving fall behind an increasingly cashless world, givestar began by turning smartphones into contactless donation points. It has since grown into a platform covering digital fundraising, event fundraising, supporter engagement, and charity stewardship.
The numbers: nearly 800,000 user accounts created, more than $70 million raised for over 4,000 charities, and active fundraisers up 225% in 2026. Notably, 76% of users are under 35 — the generation charities find hardest to reach.
Why now? givestar is the official fundraising platform for UK event partners including RunThroughDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Tough Mudder UK, Spartan UKDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Ultra EventsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Ultra XDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, spanning hundreds of events. "Fundraising is still fragmented across events, fundraisers, donors and charities," said co-founder Tom MontagueDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. "This investment gives us the firepower to take that ambition much further, particularly in the US."
The US push: givestar already runs partnerships across more than 70 US events, including Bay to Breakers, the Las Vegas Marathon, and the Portland Marathon. In 2026, it was appointed Official US Fundraising Partner to Spartan and Tough Mudder, reaching hundreds of thousands of participants annually. The new funding will deepen its presence, partnerships, and team there.
The signal: Much of the technology charities rely on has struggled to keep pace with how people give, as Mercia Ventures investor Hugo LoughDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → noted. By embedding itself into mass-participation events — where fundraising often begins — givestar is betting on a network effect to pull in younger donors who stopped carrying cash but not causes.
Read more: FinSMEs · UK Fundraising · BusinessCloud · EU.vc · Endurance.biz
