Seed20 December 2021

Lapse secures £8.3m in seed funding led by Octopus Ventures and GV to expand its private photo-sharing app.

The seed round was led by Octopus Ventures and GV, with participation from Speedinvest and angel investors.

£8.3MSeed

Lapse operates a popular photo sharing application that emulates the casual feel of disposable cameras. The platform encourages users to capture unedited moments with friends without the pressure of traditional curation.

Lapse has secured £8.3m in a seed funding round led by Octopus Ventures and GV, alongside Speedinvest and various angel investors. The fresh capital will support the team as they develop their private photo-sharing application designed to reduce the social pressures of conventional platforms.

The raise follows a pre-seed round secured earlier in the year and arrives shortly after the app achieved rapid user growth following its invite-only launch. The platform allows groups of friends to capture moments on shared digital rolls that develop only after twenty-four hours.

From the founder

"Lapse doesn’t let you review, edit, or curate photos in ways that other platforms encourage. The focus is on enjoying the moment, rather than trying to showcase it. People are taking and sharing photos on Lapse of things they never would have otherwise. By removing the pressure for perfection and the mental barrier when we review photos, a whole new world of more ‘real’ photos gets unlocked,"

Ben Silvertown

Co-Founder at Lapse

Investor perspective

"Lapse is a next-generation private social network, launched at a time when consumers are fundamentally rethinking their relationship with traditional players. With Lapse, the consumer is no longer the product. This dramatic shift in mentality enables users to communicate freely in private groups, and to provide in-the-moment images of their lives. The product design also means users no longer have the social pressures of portraying themselves a certain way and are instead encouraged to be authentic, which has a profound impact on the way we communicate. We are incredibly excited to partner with Dan and Ben as they build the modern platform for image-based memories."

Matthew Chandler

Investment Manager, Octopus Ventures