The entrepreneur behind child-friendly coding school Mums in Technology has joined a London-based venture capital firm.
Samos Investments backs a range of early-stage, high-growth UK and European companies across various sectors including consumer internet, digital media, eCommerce, retail and financial services.
The firm has appointed June Angelides, a former banker who is now one of the leading names in the world of tech, as investor.
As well as being the founder of Mums in Technology, which she set up in 2015, Angelides is also chair of Future Skills Programme and a passionate diversity advocate.
“I’m definitely wearing quite a few hats at the moment,” she told BusinessCloud.
“As an entrepreneur it can sometimes feel like you’re banging your head against a brick wall and I kept thinking ‘how can I make a difference? Wouldn’t it be great to be a VC where I can really change the conversation from the other side of the table?'”
Angelides says Samos is “sector agnostic” and her focus will be on identifying early-stage technology companies with high-growth potential.
“We invest in great founders, it’s truly down to the people,” she said.
“I think having been an entrepreneur I can relate to a lot of the challenges people will have building businesses.”
“It’s a benefit to have been on both sides of the table, because I can bring a unique perspective and an empathetic side.”
Angelides says the diversity of Samos’ investment portfolio was a major attraction.
“When I heard about their mission, met the team and found out more about all the different businesses they’d backed I knew instantly that they were a good cultural fit – and that was paramount for me,” she said.
Angelides is a passionate advocate of increasing diversity in business and technology, and is optimistic that “we’re seeing a shift” but says more needs to be done.
“Lots is being done and we’re starting to see progress, but I think it will take some time before we start to see the impact,” she said.