Cornerstone VC
UnclaimedAt a Glance
- Check Size
- $. – $.
- Stage
- Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B+
- Sectors
- Aerospace & Defense, Digital Health, Other +2
- HQ
- London, United Kingdom
About Cornerstone VC
Cornerstone VC is a London venture capital fund built around a people-first investment strategy, backing pre-seed and seed-stage UK technology businesses. The firm's own formulation is blunter: people before product, software second. It assesses the team first and treats the diversity of that team as a selection criterion rather than a reporting line item, deliberately sourcing management teams from outside London, from non-traditional backgrounds, and from technical and operator careers.
The mandate runs pre-seed through pre-Series A, with the firm's stage tags reaching into Series A and later for follow-ons. Sector coverage spans enterprise software, fintech, health tech, climate and carbon tech, supply chain, proptech, ed tech, machine learning, networks and communities, adtech and martech, alongside consumer and other categories. Cornerstone organises that range under three themes it calls Live, Work and Play, which keeps a wide aperture from collapsing into generalism.
The firm looks for post-MVP companies raising £250,000 or more with global ambition and a realistic path to a trade sale or IPO in five to seven years. What it offers beyond capital follows directly from the people-first thesis rather than sitting beside it: recruitment and HR support, access to a network of more than 50 function specialists and operators, strategy and fundraising help, and structured introductions for Series A and beyond. Portfolio companies include Capsa AI, Smart Bricks, Evaro, Monq, Storia, Definely, Passionfruit, Litehaus and Exactly AI, several of which have raised priced follow-on rounds since late 2025. Cornerstone VC is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and works from Haymarket in central London.
Leadership Team
Rodney Appiah is founder and managing partner, a former investment banker and board member who previously led the Cornerstone Partners angel network that the fund grew out of. General partner Edwin Appiah spent his earlier career as an international banker at Coutts advising more than 100 owner-managed businesses across the US and Europe, and now covers B2B software and business services. General partner Wilfred Fianko came through KPMG's strategy consultancy and investment banking at UBS and Goldman Sachs, with a stint in private banking at Lloyds.
The investment committee adds Susannah Nicklin, non-executive chair of Frog Capital and of Schroders BSC Social Impact Trust, and Oksana Stowe, formerly of Google and previously head of consumer and retail tech investing at True. Nat Falconer is venture partner. Dean Forbes, chief executive of Forterro Group, and Lord Dr Michael Hastings CBE sit on the board.
Sector Focus
Investment Stage
Notable Portfolio Companies
Fund History
Cornerstone VC does not disclose fund size publicly, and as a UK manager it files no Regulation D offerings with the SEC. It is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 1009827 and operates from 10 Orange Street in Haymarket, central London. The firm grew out of Cornerstone Partners, the London angel network that founding managing partner Rodney Appiah previously led, and invests from pre-seed through pre-Series A in UK technology and technology-enabled businesses raising £250,000 or more at post-MVP or seed stage.
Deployment is visible through the portfolio's follow-on rounds rather than through disclosed fund vintages. Monq raised $3 million in November 2025 for an AI negotiation platform for enterprises. Evaro raised a $25 million Series A in January 2026. Smart Bricks raised $5 million in February 2026 to build an AI infrastructure layer for global real estate. Capsa AI raised an $18 million Series A in June 2026. The firm underwrites to a trade sale or IPO on a five- to seven-year horizon.
Frequently Asked Questions
What stage does Cornerstone VC invest at?
Cornerstone VC primarily invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B+ stages. This means they focus on companies that are at the earliest idea or prototype phase.
Where is Cornerstone VC located?
Cornerstone VC is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Many of their portfolio companies are also based in this region, though they invest across geographies.
What sectors does Cornerstone VC focus on?
Cornerstone VC focuses on investments in Aerospace & Defense, Digital Health, Other, Consumer, Fintech. Their portfolio reflects deep expertise and networks within these sectors.
What is Cornerstone VC's typical check size?
Cornerstone VC's typical investment check size ranges from $. to $.. Actual amounts may vary based on the stage, sector, and specific opportunity.
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