Connectd is a London-based fintech platform that connects startups and scaleups with fractional executives, advisors, mentors, and investors using data-driven smart matching technology.[1][2][3] Originally launched as a three-sided marketplace for startups, investors, and talent, it rebranded in July 2025 to focus exclusively on fractional work, facilitating over 25,000 connections for 3,000+ startups and 4,000+ vetted professionals across 60+ countries and 100+ industries.[3][5] It serves startup founders seeking flexible expertise for growth stages, fractional talent building diverse careers, and investors via portfolio tools, with strong momentum shown in rankings like #6 on LinkedIn's Top UK Startups 2024, #43 on Sifted's UK & Ireland list, and #117 on Sifted 250 for revenue growth.[2][3]
The platform offers utility tools like pulse metrics for showcasing startups, portfolio management systems for aggregated insights, and subscription-based access, driving month-to-month growth.[1][2] Recent achievements include a $7M fundraising round, US expansion to Miami and New York, partnerships like Google for Startups, and hires from Too Good To Go and Seedrs.[2][3]
Connectd was founded in 2020 (with roots traced to 2019 in some reports) by Roei Samuel, a 30-year-old serial entrepreneur who previously built and exited RealSport during university.[1][3] After turning to angel investing, Samuel identified a gap in accessible communities linking founders with investors, mentors, and non-executive directors, inspiring a digital platform born amid the pandemic—which proved advantageous for its remote-first model.[1][2]
Early challenges included bootstrapping tech, remote hiring to align with vision, and acquiring initial users through free trials and direct outreach to angel investors and founders.[1] Pivotal moments: seed funding of $2.6M (totaling $5.6M) from LiFE Ventures and others; platform relaunches with pulse metrics and portfolio tools; 2024-2025 US entry via Miami and NYC events; and the 2025 rebrand to fractional focus amid rising demand (71% of senior talent seeking such roles).[2][3][4]
Connectd rides the fractional work revolution, addressing startup needs for flexible, on-demand senior expertise amid economic uncertainty and talent shifts—71% of executives now prefer fractional roles per Forbes.[3] Timing aligns with post-pandemic remote work normalization, AI-driven scaling demands, and ecosystems like Miami/NYC booming for early-stage tech.[2]
Market forces favor it: rising startup funding gaps, demand for cost-effective advisors over full-time hires, and global talent mobility via platforms. Connectd influences by mainstreaming fractional infrastructure—powering 3,000+ companies' growth, fostering communities, and validating via rankings—while expanding from UK to US amid Europe's fastest-growing firms.[3][5]
Connectd's pivot to fractional talent positions it for explosive scaling, leveraging $7M fuel, US foothold, and 25,000+ connections toward 10x community growth.[3] Trends like AI-augmented matching, deeper portfolio AI insights, and mainstream fractional adoption (e.g., board-level) will shape it, potentially dominating as startups prioritize agility over headcount.
Its influence may evolve into ecosystem infrastructure—think Google-partnered credits scaling to enterprise tools—amplifying startup success worldwide, much like its origins solved Samuel's own investor access pain.
Connectd has raised $11.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Connectd's investors include Double Prime LLP, Expa, MMC Ventures, Angel Invest, Balderton Capital, Draper Associates, Maven Capital Partners, session vc, Bart Swanson.
Connectd has raised $11.0M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $7.0M Series A in July 2025.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 2025 | $7.0M Series A | Double Prime LLP, Expa, MMC Ventures | |
| Mar 1, 2023 | $3.0M Seed | Double Prime LLP, Expa, MMC Ventures | |
| Aug 1, 2021 | $1.0M Seed | Angel Invest, Balderton Capital, Draper Associates, Maven Capital Partners, session vc, Bart Swanson |