Where are they now? Accel’s London office

As the European venture market has blossomed, so, too, has the London office of Accel.

In January 2014, we reported that the office had promoted Philippe Botteri and Michiel Kotting to partner and named three new vice presidents: Chrysanthos Chrysanthou, Luciana Lixandru and Michael Treskow. Just four months later, it added another partner, Fred Destin, who joined from Atlas Venture.

The additions boosted the London team to 27 (including seven partners), its largest size since it entered the market in 2000. And they were plenty busy, since the firm had closed on $475 million for its fourth fund a year earlier.

Fast forward five years and the London team is investing out of its sixth fund (a $575 million vehicle that closed in May 2019) and it is the largest it has ever been. Headcount has grown to 40, including eight partners.

There have been some changes along the way. Four team members left for other firms. Chrysanthou left in 2015 to be a partner at Notion Capital, then left Notion in July 2018 to be a partner at Kindred Capital VC.

In 2016, Kotting left to be a partner at early stage investor Northzone Ventures, where he remains today. That same year, Treskow became a partner at Eight Roads Ventures, the venture arm of Fidelity International.

In 2017, after about three years with Accel, Destin set out to found his own firm, Stride.VC, which focuses on seed investing.

Of course, the London office also added staff and promoted from within during the past five years. Lixandru, who had joined the firm as an associate in 2011, was elevated to partner in January 2018.

And just this year the firm made two more promotions. Andrei Brasoveanu and Seth Pierrepont were named partners in February. Both had joined the London office as associates in 2013.

“We’re pretty excited about Europe right now,” said Botteri, who joined Accel as a principal in 2011 after a stint at Bessemer Venture Partners. “It has been great to see the ecosystem really deliver over the past few years.”

To keep up with the growth, Accel plans to continue to add junior members to its team, he said.

His outlook is decidedly positive. “You have 12 to 14 different hubs [including Barcelona, Berlin, Madrid, Munich and Stockholm] that are growing pretty well,” Botteri said. “I don’t see anything in the near term that would slow down the growth. If you have capital and talent, you will continue to see innovation.”

PROMOTIONS SINCE 2014

Philippe Botteri

• Current: Partner, Accel’s London office, January 2014 – present.
• Previous: Principal, 2011 – January 2014.

Andrei Brasoveanu

• Current: Partner, Accel’s London office, February 2019 – present.
• Previous: Associate, June 2013 – February 2019.

Luciana Lixandru

• Current: Partner, Accel’s London office, January 2018 – present.
• Previous: Associate, December 2011 – January 2014; Vice President, January 2014 – January 2018.

Seth Pierrepont

• Current: Partner, Accel’s London office, February 2019 – present.
• Previous: Associate, April 2013 – February 2019.

DEPARTURES SINCE 2014

Chrysanthos Chrysanthou

• Current: Partner, Kindred Capital VC (early stage investor), September 2018 – present
• Previous: Vice President, Accel’s London office, February 2014 – January 2015; Partner, Notion Capital, February 2015 – July 2018.

Fred Destin

• Current: Founder, Stride.VC (seed-stage investor), September 2017 – present.
• Previous: Partner, Accel’s London office, May 2014 – May 2017.

Michiel Kotting

• Current: Partner, Northzone Ventures (early stage investor), March 2016 – present.
• Previous: Principal, Accel’s London office, January 2012 – December 2013; Partner, Accel, January 2014 – February 2016.

Michael Treskow

• Current: Partner, Eight Roads Ventures (venture arm of Fidelity International Ltd.), August 2016 – present.
• Previous: Vice President, Accel’s London office, May 2013 – July 2016.