Antler in the UK: Ask Me Anything - Female Founders Edition
MEET THE UK'S INVESTOR BACKING THE MOST DRIVEN FOUNDERS FROM DAY ZERO TO GREATNESS
Antler's weekly Ask-Me-Anything (AMAs) welcome business operators, technologists, and serial entrepreneurs thinking about their first big idea or their next big thing.
Join us this week to hear what Antler is like from a female founder in our portfolio!
Kate Hofman is the Founder and CEO of Antler Portfolio company Pesto, helping food manufacturers improve their margins through supply chain optimisation and ai-driven profitability analysis. She was also previously Founder and former CEO of award-winning and pioneering vertical farming business GrowUp Farms. Kate has 12+years in creating systemic change for sustainable food systems. She launched the UK’s first vertically farmed salad brand, scaled GrowUp to nearly 100 people and represented the UK vertical farming industry at the 2023 and 2024 Farm to Fork Summits at 10 Downing Street. Kate was Recognised as one of the Top 10 Women Shaping the Future of Grocery Technology in The Grocer Power List 2024.
As the world's issues become more complex, founders are more needed than ever to solve them. Joining our residency will give you an unfair advantage from the outset in three essential ways:
Access the best place on the planet to find exceptional co-founders.
Scale faster, backed by our global community of founders, advisors, and investors.
Get support for your entire journey—from day zero through the full life cycle of your company.
Antler is one of the most active early-stage investors in the UK—and globally—backing exceptional founders. Our impact so far:
We've worked with nearly 1,000 entrepreneurs in the UK since 2019, with each residency consisting of a vibrant group of technologists, business operators and experienced entrepreneurs.
So far, we've made 100+ investments in the UK, including Capsa.ai, Baselime, HIGHR Collective, Blend, Diesta, Cloudcycle, Sorted and Homethings.
And we help our founders reach greatness. >80% of founders raise further funds within 18 months of Antler's backing, with $80M+ raised from top-tier funds such as Sequoia, Forward Partners, Octopus Ventures, Anthemis and La Famiglia.
It's the best time in history to build a business.
Read answers to the most frequently asked questions we receive, or start your application today. The selection process takes about 2-3 weeks. Our scouting team will guide you through each step.