The world's leading day zero investor
Antler, founded in 2017, is a global early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in Singapore. Known as a "day zero investor," Antler supports founders from the inception of their entrepreneurial journey, offering assistance in team formation, business model validation, and scaling operations. With a presence in over 30 cities across six continents—including Amsterdam, London, New York, Berlin, and Sydney—Antler has invested in more than 1,300 startups across various industries and technologies.
Annually, Antler receives approximately 160,000 founder applications, selects about 2.5% of applicants, and invests in roughly 0.5% of them, reflecting its commitment to identifying and supporting exceptional talent.
Antler's investment terms typically involve a $100,000 convertible note in exchange for a 10% equity stake, with a $200,000 commitment and a 1.5x multiplier for the next funding round. The firm offers a residency program that provides office space and fosters networking among founders. Unlike traditional accelerators, Antler treats its residents as capable entrepreneurs, granting them autonomy in running their startups.
To date, Antler has raised 18 funds, comprising 16 local pre-seed funds, a $300 million global late-stage fund, and a similar sized soon to be announced fund-of-funds. Notable examples include a $20 million fund in the Netherlands and a $40 million fund in Germany. Currently, Antler is raising a new fund that combines investments from the Netherlands, Germany, and potentially France. In regions like Southeast Asia and the United States, Antler operates single, unified funds.
Antler's limited partners (LPs) include a mix of prominent individuals and institutional investors. Notable LPs are Eduardo Saverin, co-founder of Facebook, and Christen Sveaas, a Norwegian industrialist. Institutional investors encompass entities such as Canica, Credit Saison, the International Finance Corporation, Schroders, Vækstfonden, and Phoenix Group. Additionally, Antler has partnered with regional investors like Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund, Khazanah Nasional, to bolster its Southeast Asia strategy.
Magnus Grimeland, the founder and CEO of Antler, hails from Sande, Norway. His diverse background includes serving in the Norwegian Naval Special Forces and earning an economics degree from Harvard University. Professionally, he co-founded Zalora, a leading fashion e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia, and later served as COO of Global Fashion Group. In 2017, he established Antler, a global early-stage venture capital firm dedicated to supporting exceptional founders worldwide. Beyond his professional endeavors, Grimeland is an Ironman triathlete and a family man.
Antler's mission is to democratize entrepreneurship by identifying and investing in talented individuals worldwide, regardless of their geographic location. This approach underscores its dedication to fostering innovation and supporting founders from the ground up, aiming to create a better future through technological advancement and entrepreneurial success.
