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San Francisco · London

Investor & entrepreneur — AI, quantum & frontier tech

Charles Seely — backing frontier founders.

Early-stage investor who has backed 60+ companies, including multiple unicorns and decacorns. Based in London.

Charles Seely, early-stage investor in AI and quantum computing

60+

Companies backed

$40B+

Backed teams now valued at

14+

Years investing at the early stage

I've had the rare fortune of backing category-defining companies at inception across quantum computing, prediction markets, and AI — long before the rest of the market could see what they'd become.

Born in the UK, I spent twenty years in the US — the last decade in San Francisco — building and investing in technology companies, before returning to London.

Often the first cheque in, the thread across every investment is the same: extraordinary people working at the edge of what's possible.

Most recently I was a General Partner at Hoxton Ventures (2021–2025), where I led multiple pre-seed and seed investments including CuspAI, PACT and QuantrolOx. Before that, I was a senior advisor and investor at Cambridge Quantum in the years before and leading up to its merger with Honeywell Quantum Solutions to form Quantinuum, now the world's largest standalone quantum computing company, listed on Nasdaq (QNT). While living in San Francisco, I was also a Venture Partner at Real Ventures and Head of US Investments for SGH Capital (a European fund), where I led investments in industry pioneers including Kalshi (pre-seed), Maven Clinic (seed) and Zipline (Series B).

Earlier in my career I founded and was CEO of two companies — an EdTech and data science company whose main client was NASA, and Brandfever, a pan-European flash-sales business — held senior commercial roles in enterprise software at TCS Inc, a telecom software company where I helped scale revenue from startup to $30mm, and served as an advisor to the UK Government on Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship.

CuspAI Kalshi Maven Clinic Quantinuum Zipline
01 Oct 2025 — Present

Operator, Advisor and Investor

Operator and Advisor for world leading early stage companies and continuing to invest independently at the earliest stage.

02 Oct 2021 — Oct 2025

General Partner, Hoxton Ventures

Sourced, led and supported multiple pre-seed and seed investments spanning AI, quantum, robotics and data infrastructure, including QuantrolOx and PACT. I led CuspAI's $30m seed round as the company's first investor, its first institutional financing, and we were the largest investor in the seed round. I also brought in several of the round's key investors, and served on the board from inception until its Series A. I was a board member or board observer of several other portfolio companies.

03 Jul 2019 — Present

Investor & Former Senior Advisor, Cambridge Quantum → Quantinuum

Joined 2+ years before the merger, serving as Senior Advisor to the CEO and management team from 2019 to 2021. Supported the creation of what is now the world's largest standalone quantum computing company and Nasdaq IPO (QNT) June 2026.

04 2014 — 2021

Venture Partner & Head of US Investments, SGH Capital (via Esos Ventures)

Initially a Venture Partner and then Head of US Investments, I sourced, managed and led 50+ early-stage US investments including Kalshi (pre-seed), Maven Clinic (seed), BacklotCars (seed), Zipline (Series B), Podz (seed), LeapYear (seed) and Returnly (seed). Whilst at SGH I co-conceived/played a key role in the formation of Amity Growth Ventures (investor in MaintainX, Talkdesk, Carta, Snyk), led the relationship between SGH and Amity Ventures, and led SGH's investment into the Amity Ventures SPV backing Honey's Series A, where SGH was the SPV's largest investor — Honey later exited to PayPal for $4bn.

05 2012 — 2020

Venture Partner, Real Ventures

Based in San Francisco, I invested and advised across multiple funds, and helped Canadian founders expand into the US. Portfolio includes Tenstorrent, Blockstream, Clearco, North (acquired by Google) and BenchSci.

06 2015 — 2025

Founder/CEO, then Chairman, Pensar

Built an ed-tech and data science company with customers including NASA.

07 2013 — Present

Founder, Esos Ventures

Investment and advisory vehicle, formalising activity that began earlier with companies such as Qwiki (acquired by Yahoo), Bonobos (sold to Walmart) and Oportun. Co-founded the UK Government's VC "Afterburner" programme (2013–2016) with Russell Buckley (Founding GP, Kindred Capital). The Afterburner Programme helped raise over $150mm for UK companies.

Open to hearing from founders building at the frontier.

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