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Harbottle & Lewis advises Kord on $6.4 million series A round

Harbottle & Lewis advises Kord on $6.4 million series A round

Harbottle & Lewis has advised Kord, formerly known as Checkboard, on its $6.4 million Series A funding round.

The investment was led by Guinness Ventures, with participation from Beringea, SFC Capital and a group of angel investors.

Founded by James Owusu in 2019, Kord is a UK-based fintech company which provides an end-to-end platform for firms in regulated industries, enabling seamless client onboarding, identity verification, compliance checks, document management and payment processing. Its innovative modular system addresses the inefficiencies of traditional fragmented legacy systems, offering a streamlined and secure solution for businesses.

Kord’s platform is already trusted by estate agents, law firms, conveyancers and financial services companies, helping them to mitigate fraud risks and improve operational efficiency. The Series A funding will enable Kord to accelerate its growth, expand its team, enhance product development and acquire new customers.

The Harbottle & Lewis team was led by partner Tom Macleod and managing associate Rosie Marston, with support from associate Suzie Hamilton.

On working with Harbottle & Lewis, Kord founder and CEO James Owusu said:

“Harbottle & Lewis provided high-quality support during this pivotal stage for Kord. They clearly have great expertise in handling fast-paced venture capital transactions and combine this with a very pragmatic approach. The team’s dedication and collaborative approach around the clock made them an invaluable partner and we’re excited to move forward with their guidance as the business grows.”

Commenting on the transaction, Tom Macleod at Harbottle & Lewis added:

“Supporting innovative companies like Kord on their growth journeys is always incredibly rewarding. This funding marks an exciting milestone for Kord as they continue to transform client onboarding and compliance processes for regulated industries. We are proud to have worked alongside James and the Kord team on this transaction and look forward to seeing their continued success as they scale their platform and expand their reach.”

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Tom Macleod Partner

Tom is a corporate partner and co-head of the venture capital and emerging companies practice.

Tom is a corporate partner and co-head of the venture capital and emerging companies practice.

Tom advises founders, growing entrepreneurial businesses, venture capital funds and angel investors on a broad range of corporate matters including acquisitions and disposals, exits, all forms of financing rounds (S/EIS, venture capital, venture debt, VCT, growth capital), joint ventures, corporate restructurings and share incentivisation schemes.

He is seen as a rising star in the industry and is known for combining excellent technical skills alongside a pragmatic, commercial approach. Tom has a particular focus on advising high-growth technology companies and is equally adept advising on early stage investments or later stage transactions for both investors and investees alike. Tom is also part of the firm’s international strategy group, with a particular focus on the USA.

Tom trained at CMS, before joining the corporate practice at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher as a newly qualified solicitor. He joined Harbottle & Lewis in February 2017.

Rosie Marston Managing Associate

Rosie is a managing associate in the firm’s venture capital and emerging companies practice.

Rosie is a managing associate in the firm’s venture capital and emerging companies practice.

Rosie’s practice focuses on supporting startups and investors in the venture capital ecosystem. She has extensive experience advising on a wide range of corporate transactions, including venture capital and growth stage fundraisings, mergers and acquisitions, shareholder arrangements, early stage SEIS/EIS investments, convertible instruments (including ASAs, SAFEs and convertible loans), founder disputes, share incentive schemes (including EMI options), joint ventures and corporate reorganisations.

Rosie acts for startup and scale-up companies, entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capital funds, family offices and other corporate investors across a wide range of sectors, with particular experience advising clients in the technology sector.

Rosie trained and qualified at Allen & Overy, where she worked in the corporate M&A team for four and a half years, including secondments to the Singapore office and a client secondment to Virgin Management. She subsequently spent two years at law firm MJ Hudson, before joining Harbottle & Lewis in June 2023.

Rosie is passionate about improving the existing gender imbalance within the startup community and has co-written two articles about how diversity has been threatened by rule changes in the UK venture capital ecosystem, both published by FT Adviser. Read the articles here and here.

Suzie Hamilton Associate

Suzie is an associate who advises on a broad range of corporate and commercial matters, with a particular focus on clients in the technology, media and entertainment sectors.

Suzie is an associate who advises on a broad range of corporate and commercial matters, with a particular focus on clients in the technology, media and entertainment sectors.

Suzie has experience advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, shareholder arrangements, and corporate restructurings. Suzie also has experience working in offshore jurisdictions.

Suzie joined Harbottle & Lewis in October 2025. Before joining, she trained at Carey Olsen and qualified into their corporate and funds team in February 2024 where she focused on investment funds, mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions.