Tom Britton joins Advisory Panel as plans for Longevity equity funding platform take another step forward.
Longevity.Technology: Just last month we announced the formation of First Longevity’s Advisory Panel, and today we are pleased to welcome its latest member – Tom Britton, the co-founder of venture capital fund SyndicateRoom.
Tom’s experience in creating and growing a hugely successful crowdfunding business will be invaluable as we put plans in place for our international equity funding platform Crowd Longevity.
“I’ve developed a good understanding for the ins and outs of early-stage equity and the factors that play a role in the success of an investment platform,” he says. “Additionally, we’ve worked with a number of clients in life sciences and health-tech which I’ve found fascinating.”
Tom co-founded SyndicateRoom in 2012, where he initially headed up the IT and marketing side of the business: “To date, we’ve been involved in circa 300 fundraises.”
“When the team grew and matured, I turned my attention to developing the product and partnerships we held with VCs and angels,” he says. “To date, we’ve been involved in circa 300 fundraises. Last year we decided to overhaul the business, team, and product to focus on our data-driven fund which is now scaling nicely.”
First Longevity’s Chairman George Sutherland played a key role in helping bring Tom on board.
“I’ve known George for a while and have always respected his advice,” says Tom. “When he explained the direction that CEO Phil Newman wanted to take the business in, it sounded like I could be of use. After speaking with Phil and having the vision fully laid out, I saw an opportunity to be useful but also to gain experience and learn about longevity, an industry that will likely become dominant in life sciences in years to come.”
Our recent survey of investors and start-ups also provided some food for thought when it comes to investor appetite in this sector.
“The survey data is supportive of there being appetite for investing in longevity which is encouraging. The investor base, whilst broad, includes a large number of professional individuals who are interested in investing larger amounts into longevity,” says Tom. “It will be interesting to see how we can channel that efficiently.”
So what does he feel are the key challenges facing crowdfunding platforms in today’s competitive landscape?
“The name of the game at present is quality,” says Tom. “Generalist platforms struggle to repeat quality and must attempt to cater to so many individuals preferences. Having a specific focus, and being able to continually work with high-quality companies is the only way to compete going forward. I’m excited by the longevity industry and look forward to getting involved.”
Britton becomes the 11th member of First Longevity’s Advisory Panel, which already includes many of the leading investors, researchers and CEOs from the burgeoning longevity sector. Aging Analytics Agency projects that the global longevity economy is projected to reach $27 Trillion in 2026, with the AgeTech segment alone to reach $2.7 Trillion by 2025.
