Draper Esprit portfolio value rises in higher valuations

Venture capital outfit Draper Esprit on Thursday said it expected its half-year gross portfolio value to be at least £1.3bn compared with £702m a year ago.

The company on Thursday said the positive momentum experienced in the second half of its last fiscal year had continued over the past six months.

“Progress has been achieved across all areas of the business. Alongside funds raised in June 2021 and strong realisations during the period, capital deployed has increased in excess of those initially anticipated for the period,” the company said in a statement.

The first-half gross portfolio value reflected new financing rounds at increased valuations for Draper’s investments, including: Aircall and online bank Revolut and the closing prices on September 30 for its publicly listed investments Cazoo, Trustpilot and Ui Path.