Harbottle & Lewis has advised UK fintech, Primer API Limited (Primer), on a £3.8 million fundraising led by Balderton Capital, a leading early-stage venture capital investor, with participation from Taavet Hinrikus, who co-founded TransferWise.

Founded by Paul Anthony and Gabriel Le Roux, Primer aims to help merchants consolidate their payments stack and easily support new payment methods in the future. In addition, Primer is looking to optimise cost and authorisation rates, reduce fraud, improve user experience and adapt to macro changes in the payments landscape.

Corporate partner Charlie Leveque and senior associate Tom Macleod led the Harbottle & Lewis team and were assisted by associate Chien-Wei Lui.

On working with the firm, co-founders Paul Anthony and Gabriel Le Roux commented:

“The team at Harbottle provided us with superb advice, clearly tailored to an early-stage disruptive technology company. They were highly responsive and their approach ensured a smooth process throughout.”

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Charlie Leveque Co-Managing Partner

Charlie is the firm’s co-managing partner and head of the corporate practice.

Charlie is the firm’s co-managing partner and head of the corporate practice.

Outside of his management roles, Charlie advises on a wide range of corporate transactions from private and public mergers and acquisitions to investments, joint ventures, fundraisings and shareholder arrangements involving private equity, venture capital, family office and strategic parties. He has advised on a number of IPOs on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

His clients comprise investors, funds and companies of all sizes, from startups to international corporations in a wide range of industries; he is particularly experienced in advising clients in the technology, media, entertainment, retail and leisure sectors. He is also passionate about advising entrepreneurs, accompanying them from the inception of their ideas to exit.

Charlie is a member of the British Screen Advisory Council and the EIS Association.

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.