Forward Partners

Forward Partners was a London early-stage venture firm founded by Nic Brisbourne in 2013. It backed pre-seed and seed companies in e-commerce, marketplaces and applied AI, ran an in-house studio team that built product for its portfolio, and later added a revenue-based 'Forward Advances' financing line. The group listed on AIM in July 2021 as Forward Partners Group plc. After the 2022-23 valuation downturn the shares traded at a steep discount to net assets, and in November 2023 the board recommended an all-share takeover by Molten Ventures plc (formerly Draper Esprit) worth about £41.4M, one new Molten share for every nine Forward shares. The acquisition completed in March 2024, the shares were cancelled from AIM and the portfolio passed to Molten; the group entity was subsequently re-registered as a private limited company.

Acquired in full by Molten Ventures plc for about £41.4M in Molten shares; the deal completed in March 2024 and the Forward Partners portfolio was folded into Molten's balance sheet.

A small listed venture vehicle struggled to hold its rating once public-market investors marked down private tech, and a share-for-share merger into a larger listed peer was the exit. Forward Partners' legal entities (management company 08819822, three LPs) remain on the register as part of Molten.