Outward VC

Outward VC is a London-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2017 by Co-Founders and General Partners Kevin Chong and Devin Kohli. Originally launched as the Outward Venture Capital Fund of Investec Bank, the firm has since grown into an independent platform dedicated to fintech and adjacent sectors, including healthcare, education, property, legal services, AI, and insurance. Outward's thesis holds that fintech extends well beyond traditional financial services and that the future of finance is more open, embedded, and intertwined with society-shifting challenges. The firm typically leads rounds up to GBP 5 million, investing at least 50 percent of the round, and reserves significant follow-on capital for portfolio companies. Outward leads rounds at pre-Series A stage and has backed approximately 100 founders to date. Portfolio highlights include Bud ($80 million Series B), Curve (GBP 133 million Series C), Peppy Health ($45 million Series B), Vauban (acquired by Carta), Clearglass, Exate, Orbital Witness, and Supercede. In September 2024 the firm announced the GBP 51 million first close of Fund II, anchored by a GBP 30 million cornerstone from the British Business Bank's Enterprise Capital Funds programme, with a target of GBP 100 million at second close. Recent Fund II investments include a GBP 2.5 million Seed round into Lombard-lending fintech Firenze in March 2025 and Steward AI in March 2026. Outward VC combines high conviction with meaningful ownership, taking a concentrated approach that allows it to dedicate real time and resource to each portfolio company. The firm's roots in the Investec network and its close relationship with the British Business Bank give founders access to institutional financial relationships alongside hands-on operating support.