Affinity Labs, a London-based startup that builds software brands in partnership with content creators, has raised US$2 million in Pre-Seed funding. Fuel Ventures led the round alongside Antler, and a £497,787 grant from Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, was also included. The company plans to use the capital to expand its creator-led portfolio and advance its proprietary AI-powered product development platform.
Investor Backing and Strategic Angels
The financing attracted angel investors from Google DeepMind, Meta, and Playfair VC, as well as creator Marcello Ascani and Devran Amaratunga Karaca, CEO of creator economy company Kyra. Additional backers include Christian Arnstedt of Blazar Capital, Ryan Nelson of JOBI Brands, and Quentin Jayat of easyJet. Affinity Labs stated that the Innovate UK grant was awarded through the Growth Catalyst: Investor Partnerships program.
Team Origins and Early Support
The founding team met while participating in the Antler program in London, where an initial investment helped prove the concept. Hannah Leach, a partner at Antler, said the founders blend deep technical execution with exceptional commercial drive. Piers Lawford, a senior associate at Fuel Ventures, added that the next generation of consumer software companies will solve for distribution from day one.
Creator-Led Software Model
Affinity Labs was founded by Edoardo Ricci, chief executive officer; Ahmed Eltom, chief operating officer; and Sunny Panchal, chief technology officer. The company co-founds software products with creators, combining established audiences with its technical and operational infrastructure. This approach applies a model commonly used in beauty and food to the software market, enabling creators to launch digital brands without building technology independently.
AI-Powered Development Engine
At the core of the business is a proprietary AI system called Foundry, which automates stages of the product lifecycle from concept identification to development and scaling. The technology also provides automated user-generated content systems and payment infrastructure. According to the company, this reduces the time and resources needed to operate multiple software brands with a small team.
Strategic Comparison and Founder Perspective
Ricci argued that AI is turning software into a commodity and making distribution more important than ever. He said creators have already proven their ability to distribute products and should now build their own software brands. Ricci compared Affinity Labs to Bending Spoons, which manages a portfolio of products through a single centralized team.
Early Traction and Portfolio Performance
Affinity Labs has launched four creator-led brands to date, including Interior Design Clinic with Olivia Bowen and Archives with Basel Ghazoghli. Interior Design Clinic reached number 34 in the App Store's Lifestyle category, while Archives has attracted more than 75,000 users and ranked among the top 200 Education apps. Total portfolio revenue has grown by an average of 100% month over month for the past three months.
Growth Strategy and Market Expansion
The funding will support portfolio expansion, the growth of existing products, and the strengthening of product, growth, and engineering teams. Part of the investment, including the Innovate UK grant, will fund further development of the AI-powered product development technology. Affinity Labs plans to launch its first products with US creators in late 2026 and targets more than 200 creator-led software brands by 2030.
Affinity Labs enters a creator economy where most comparable studios have focused on physical products rather than software. The company's ability to sustain audience demand will determine whether it can consolidate a large portfolio of digital brands. With early traction, a growing team of 10 UK-based employees, and fresh capital, the startup is positioning itself to scale creator-led software at pace.