AlbionVC

Andrew Elder is a former neurosurgeon who now invests in medical technologies and technology-enabled services for the healthcare and life-science sectors, including digital health, diagnostics and imaging, machine learning applications, and therapeutics such as cell and gene therapies. Before AlbionVC he worked on healthcare strategy at the Boston Consulting Group. He holds degrees in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Cambridge and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons.

Christoph Ruedig is a former medical doctor and ex-Bain & Co strategy consultant who has invested in healthcare companies since 2006, starting at 3i Group before leading M&A for General Electric's digital health division. He joined AlbionVC in 2011 and works with healthcare businesses ranging from early-stage biotech to eClinical technologies and telehealth. He holds a doctorate in medicine from Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, and an MBA from INSEAD.

David Grimm is a Partner at AlbionVC focusing on deeptech, including quantum computing, machine learning, data analytics, energy and hardware. He has around a decade of early-stage technology investing experience, including four years at Spark Ventures, and began his career at Detica before working at an FMCG startup in China. He advises the DSTI and DBT on UK sovereign compute and procurement matters, and holds an M.Sci in Natural Sciences (Mathematics and Chemistry).

Ed Lascelles is a Partner at AlbionVC, which he joined in 2004, and leads the firm's tech team. He invests across B2B software, fintech, cybersecurity, AI and deeptech. Before Albion he studied philosophy at UCL and worked in banking at ING Barings and Charterhouse, advising public companies on equity financing and M&A.

Emil Gigov is a Partner at AlbionVC who has served on the boards of more than 40 companies across various sectors, with a concentration in B2B software over the past decade. He is a member of AlbionVC's executive and investment committees at the firm, which manages over £1 billion in assets and invests between £3 million and £10 million per transaction, typically in Series A rounds.

Jane Reddin heads Talent and Platform at AlbionVC, focusing on assessing founders' leadership potential and supporting portfolio companies through organisational scaling. Earlier in her career she completed over 500 senior hires and worked with more than 150 startups, and in 2018 co-founded The Talent Stack, a talent management consultancy for early-stage companies. Before joining AlbionVC in 2020, she held Talent Advisor roles at EQT Ventures and Balderton Capital, and she holds a BA in French and German from Durham University.

Jay Wilson joined AlbionVC in 2019, having previously advised Bain & Co's Private Equity Group. He leads the firm's fintech investment practice, focusing on financial services, digital assets, and enterprise data architecture. He holds a first-class MMath in Mathematics from the University of Exeter and an MBA from London Business School and The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Paul Lehair joined AlbionVC in 2019, where he focuses on enterprise software including the API economy, fintech, data/AI, and B2B marketplaces. He was previously finance director at Citymapper, joining when it had fewer than 10 employees, and earlier worked in business operations at Viagogo and in M&A at Citigroup. He holds a BA in Politics & Economics from Sciences Po Paris and a dual master's degree from Sciences Po Paris and the London School of Economics & Political Science.

Robert Whitby-Smith is a Partner at AlbionVC, where he has been investing in technology since 2005, focusing on deeptech and AI/data companies. He began his career at KPMG and gained further finance experience at Credit Suisse First Boston and ING Barings before joining AlbionVC. He holds a BA (Hons) in History and is a qualified chartered accountant.

Simon Goldman is a Partner at AlbionVC, where he focuses on therapeutics, delivery systems, diagnostics and medical devices. He earned a PhD and completed a postdoc in neuroscience at the University of Cambridge, and previously worked at Goldman Sachs JBWere in Melbourne on Healthcare/Biotech and Portfolio Strategy Research teams. Before joining Albion in 2015, he held several roles in the UK and Australian biotech startup sectors.

Will Fraser-Allen is a Managing Partner at AlbionVC who was an early backer of the founders of Booking.com and has invested across sectors including leisure, media, business services, and healthcare. A qualified chartered accountant, he began his career in corporate finance after qualifying with CLB in 1996, and has spent decades advising and serving on company boards. He holds a BA (Hons) in History from Southampton University.

Kibriya Rahman joined AlbionVC in 2022, focusing on B2B software and deeptech opportunities. He previously worked on commercial growth strategy at Funding Circle and helped launch and scale digital products for Formula 1, and earlier worked at OC&C Strategy Consultants on strategy and due diligence projects. He holds an MMath from Oxford University.

Sebastian Hunte is an Investment Director at AlbionVC focusing on deeptech, including machine learning, energy tech, neuro tech, hardware, and quantum computing. Before AlbionVC he worked as a technology architect and tech team lead for a think tank advising the Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of Barbados, and during his studies co-founded two startups. He holds an MSc in Computer Science from the University of Edinburgh.

Agnese Palermo works in marketing and communications for AlbionVC and Albion Capital, supporting events management, public relations, and digital strategy. She previously spent three years at a London-based venture capital firm handling marketing, fundraising projects, and investor relations, and earlier held PR and media relations roles at Milan Fashion Week and Milan Design Week. She holds an MA in Communication and International Relations and is fluent in several languages.

Cat McDonald is a Partner at AlbionVC, which she joined in 2018, focusing on investments at the intersection of technology, markets, and geopolitics, including cybersecurity, digital risk, defence, energy, and financial infrastructure. She previously worked at Goldman Sachs in New York and London, and holds a degree in Economics from Harvard University. She writes a weekly newsletter, Venture Geopolitics, on how venture funding shapes control over critical technologies and infrastructure.

Christina Theilgaard joined AlbionVC in 2024, where she leads fundraising and investor relations for the firm's institutional funds. She was previously Investor Relations Manager at Amadeus Capital Partners and held senior investor relations roles at Rothschild & Co, Man Group, and Winton Group. She holds a first class BA in Law from the University of Cambridge and is fluent in Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian.

Dave Wascha is a product and technology leader with nearly 30 years of experience scaling startups and high-growth companies. He served as Chief Product & Technology Officer at Zoopla and Moo, leading cross-functional teams through product development and organisational scaling. As an AlbionVC Operating Partner, he works with early-stage companies on product-market fit, product and engineering strategy, AI strategy, team building, and executive coaching.

Hannah Daly leads media strategy and communications at AlbionVC, working on how the firm presents its portfolio and messaging. Before Albion, she spent several years at international PR and communications firms in New York, London and Dublin, advising institutional finance, private capital and technology clients on strategic communications, media engagement, executive visibility and reputation management. She holds a BA in International Relations and Politics from University College Dublin.

Janie Links is an Operating Partner at AlbionVC who advises founders and leadership teams on people strategy, organisational design, talent acquisition, and employee engagement, with over 25 years of experience in the field. She previously helped scale Google's team from 200 to 1000 people, supported the founder of Wonga, and worked with Trainline's leadership through its IPO. She is a trained coach and licensed Emotional Intelligence Leadership coaching practitioner who provides executive, leadership, and career coaching.

Julian Johnson is an Operating Partner at AlbionVC who advises founders and executives on go-to-market and enterprise sales strategy, including territory planning, sales team building, and pricing. He began his career as an engineer before moving through product, sales, and leadership roles, and has over 30 years of experience in leadership positions at companies such as Oracle, SAP, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Siebel. He also works as a Non-Executive, Board Advisor, and Consultant on business growth strategy and corporate governance.

Katya Pogudina is Head of Marketing at AlbionVC, where she leads marketing strategy, branding, and communications for the Albion Group. Since joining in 2020 she has worked on the firm's sustainability initiatives and ESG framework and serves on the VentureESG steering committee. Earlier in her career she worked in commodities, shipbroking, and B2B financial sales, and later co-founded KidPix, a marketplace for boutique children's brands.

Lauren Apostolidis is Platform Director at AlbionVC, where she works with portfolio founders to provide programmes, networking, and strategic support, and builds networks of partners to connect with portfolio teams. She previously served as Platform Lead at workspace accelerator Huckletree and led Fintech and Ecosystem Partnerships at Thomson Reuters (Refinitiv, now LSEG). She is a community member of Alma Angels and supports female and underrepresented founders.

Leigh Brody is an Investment Manager at AlbionVC focused on transformative technologies and therapeutics in life sciences, having joined the firm in 2021. Before that she founded a spin-out based on her own technology and helped build several early-stage life science companies, including Desktop Genetics and Quell Therapeutics. She holds a PhD from Imperial College London and a BSc in Biochemistry from Simmons University.

Lucia Rodriguez Lacasa is an Investment Associate on AlbionVC's healthtech team, which she joined after completing an MBA at INSEAD. She holds a First Class degree in Biotechnology from the University of Edinburgh and spent nearly four years at Goldman Sachs' London trading floor before moving into early-stage investing and venture building across digital health and biotech. She focuses on AI-enabled clinical infrastructure, pharma solutions, and founders working at the intersection of deep science and health systems.

Nadine Torbey is a Partner at AlbionVC, which she joined in 2018, focusing on B2B software opportunities. She previously invested in pre-seed and seed companies at Berytech, an early VC fund in the Middle East. She holds a B.Eng in Electrical and Computer Engineering from AUB and an M.Sc. in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship from Brown University.

Patrick Reeve qualified as a chartered accountant with Deloitte Haskins & Sells and worked in corporate finance at Cazenove & Co. He joined Close Brothers Group in 1989 as a director in its private equity and corporate finance divisions, founded Close Ventures in 1996, and led the 2009 management buyout that formed AlbionVC. He holds an MA in Modern Languages from Oxford University.

Tanel Ozdemir joined AlbionVC in 2018 and focuses on life science investments, particularly supporting founders launching spin-outs. He completed his PhD and postdoctoral research at UCL on synthetic biological tools for microbiome engineering, and also holds an MSc in Nanotechnology and Regenerative Medicine from UCL and a BSc in Human Biology from King's College London.

Vikash Hansrani joined Albion in 2010 and oversees the finance and administration of the firm's funds. He is a member of Albion's Executive, Valuation and Risk Management Committees. He qualified as a chartered accountant with RSM, where he later worked in corporate finance, and holds a BA (Hons) in Accountancy & Finance from Nottingham Business School.