Waterspring Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm based in Wales that invests between £100k and £500k in EIS-eligible Welsh companies.
Portfolio
3
companies
Distil.ai
Distil.ai provides artificial intelligence-driven data and analytics platforms for the hospitality sector.
Operati
Operati offers specialist software to help manufacturing businesses streamline bespoke production.
Tourhub
Tourhub provides a travel aggregation platform for comparing and booking adventure holidays.
Sam Huxtable
Managing Partner
Sam is the founder and managing partner of Waterspring Ventures, backing early-stage Welsh businesses with global ambitions. He also serves as an investor and board observer across several companies.
LinkedInThe round was backed by investors including the South West Investment Fund and Waterspring Ventures.
"With its scalable technology and strong foothold in the restaurant sector, Distil.ai is a compelling investment opportunity. The company’s unique access to OpenTable data, along with its credible management team, make it an exciting proposition. Distil is well-positioned to achieve significant growth and we are delighted to be supporting them on this journey."
The investment forms part of a £1m round backed by The FSE Group and Waterspring Ventures.
"This funding is allowing us to invest in key activities to accelerate our growth trajectory and solidify our position in the market. Planned developments mean we can continue to provide customers with unparalleled insights at exceptional value. We are excited to partner with The FSE Group and South West Investment Fund as we continue to expand our capabilities and enhance our platform."
Waterspring Ventures and the Development Bank of Wales backed the travel platform in a £1m co-investment.
"We set up tourhub because we could see the growth of experiential travel and cultural holidays, but there was a need to bring it all in one place for travellers. We offer everything else but the standard, traditional beach package holidays. With close to over 800 worldwide suppliers, we provide you with whatever you dream of – from seeing snow monkeys in the Japanese Alps, hiking around 18 national parks in America, to cycling tours across Vietnam – we have something for every type of adventure seeker, no matter what your age."
Waterspring Ventures and The Development Bank of Wales backed the round alongside company founders.
"Our mission at Operati is to offer a completely new approach, creating the first SaaS estimating solution of its kind on the SME market. With a cloud-based end-to-end system built from the ground up specifically for bespoke products and projects, our focus is entirely on meeting customers' needs. We are providing the industry with a much-needed all-in-one estimating and quoting solution, giving access to the latest sales intelligence technology to help SMEs boost their businesses."
