Rival Secures £3.2 Million in AI Seed Funding
Deal News | Mar 28, 2025 | UK Tech Funding
This week's report on UK tech funding highlights a significant £6.05 million investment across three main companies: Rival, Ethos, and Embargo. Rival, a newly founded AI-driven 3D content generation platform, secured £3.2 million in seed funding from Speedinvest, New Renaissance Ventures, and angel investors. Another AI startup, Ethos, raised £2.5 million from notable investors including General Catalyst and 8VC to innovate within the consultancy and recruitment sectors. Meanwhile, Embargo, a CRM and loyalty platform for hospitality businesses, received £350,000 as a grant from Innovate UK. Despite the notable deals, the overall funding saw a 90% decrease from the previous week.
Sectors
- Artificial Intelligence
- Hospitality Technology
- Venture Capital & Private Equity
Geography
- United Kingdom – All companies mentioned, including Rival, Ethos, and Embargo, are based in the UK, focusing on the local tech investment sphere.
Industry
- Artificial Intelligence – Rival and Ethos are both involved in AI, addressing sectors like 3D content generation and recruitment consultancy.
- Hospitality Technology – Embargo operates in hospitality, providing a CRM and loyalty platform for over 2,000 SMEs.
- Venture Capital & Private Equity – The article discusses investments from VCs and PEs like Speedinvest, affecting the funding landscape of tech startups.
Financials
- £6.05 million – Total investment tracked for UK tech this week.
- £3.2 million – Seed funding amount raised by Rival.
- £2.5 million – Seed funding amount raised by Ethos.
- £350,000 – Grant received by Embargo from Innovate UK.
Participants
| Name | Role | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rival | Target Company | Company | An AI 3D content generation platform based in London, founded in 2023, which secured £3.2 million in seed funding. |
| Ethos | Target Company | Company | An AI startup focusing on consultancy and recruitment sectors, founded in 2023, which raised £2.5 million in seed funding. |
| Embargo | Target Company | Company | A CRM, loyalty, and ordering platform for the hospitality sector, founded in 2017, and received a £350,000 grant. |
| Speedinvest | Investor | Company | A venture capital firm that invested in Rival's seed funding round. |
| New Renaissance Ventures | Investor | Company | Provided funding to Rival along with other investors. |
| Innovate UK | Investor | Government | A government body providing a £350,000 grant to Embargo. |
| General Catalyst | Investor | Company | An investor in Ethos's seed funding round. |