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

Posted on by Nikhita Sagar

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.”

Harbottle & Lewis advises Poolhouse on $55 million series A round

Posted on by Nikhita Sagar

Harbottle & Lewis has advised Poolhouse on its $55 million growth equity investment led by Bluestone Equity Partners, a global private equity firm focused on the sports, media and entertainment industry.

This Series A round represents the next significant step in Poolhouse’s trajectory and the round will be used to fund the continued global rollout of Poolhouse’s venues, as well as to expand BillyQ, Poolhouse’s proprietary vision-processing platform.

Co-founded by long-standing Harbottle & Lewis clients Steven and Dave Jolliffe (the founders of Topgolf and co-founders of Puttshack) alongside CEO Andrew O’Brien, Poolhouse brings a new dimension to social entertainment. By fusing the timeless game of pool with cutting-edge technology and world class hospitality, Poolhouse has quickly established itself as a standout name in the leisure and entertainment space.

Harbottle & Lewis has advised Poolhouse since the company’s inception, including on its $34 million seed funding round in 2025. The seed funding round was led by Sharp Alpha (a US leisure-focused venture capital investor) and DMG Ventures (DMGT’s consumer venture capital fund) and paved the way for the opening of the company’s highly anticipated flagship London venue at Liverpool Street.

The Harbottle & Lewis team was led by partner Tom Macleod and managing associate Rosie Marston, with support from associates Elizabeth Compton and Suzie Hamilton, and trainee solicitor Hugo Carter.

On working with Harbottle & Lewis, Poolhouse CEO Andrew O’Brien commented:

“Harbottle & Lewis has been a trusted adviser to Poolhouse since the company’s inception and has supported us through each important stage of our development. Tom, Rosie and the wider team went above and beyond throughout this transaction, combining excellent legal judgment with a genuine understanding of what matters to us as a business. Their commitment was exceptional, and we are extremely grateful for their continued support as we enter the next phase of Poolhouse’s growth.”

Commenting on the transaction, Tom Macleod said:

“We are delighted to have supported the Poolhouse team once again on this significant milestone. Having advised the business from its very earliest days and through its seed round last year, it is incredibly rewarding to see the company’s continued growth and momentum. We are excited to see what comes next.”

Harbottle & Lewis advises Amdax on its acquisition of a strategic stake in Custodiex

Posted on by Julia Krol

We have advised Amdax, a Netherlands-based digital asset service provider, on its acquisition of a strategic stake in UK-based Custodiex, a specialist in quantum-safe cold storage solutions for digital assets.

Founded to provide cutting-edge custody infrastructure for financial institutions, Custodiex has established itself as a key innovator in the digital asset custody sector. The Manchester-based company’s quantum-safe solutions are designed to be scalable and future-proof, and meet the stringent international ISO 27001 security standard. The transaction enables Amdax to enhance its comprehensive digital asset platform.

Our team was led by partner Tom Macleod and managing associate Rosie Marston, with support from managing associate Katerina Capras and associates Elizabeth Compton and Matthew Shannon. Partner Yvonne Gallagher and associate Elisabeth Davies advised on employment aspects, partner Shireen Peermohamed and associate Samuel Flack advised on IP matters and senior associate Matthew Stephenson advised on property law matters.

On working with Harbottle & Lewis, Martin Cernohorsky, Amdax Head of Legal, commented:

“Working with the Harbottle & Lewis team was a great pleasure. Their broad range of expertise and professionalism proved invaluable in navigating throughout the twists and turns of this deal. From the start we were in good hands. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Harbottle & Lewis.”

Tom Macleod added:

“We are delighted to have supported Amdax on this strategically significant acquisition. The combination of Amdax’s regulated platform with Custodiex’s innovative custody technology creates a compelling proposition for institutional clients across Europe. We look forward to seeing the continued success of this partnership as the digital asset custody market matures.”

Harbottle & Lewis contributes to 2025 Venture Capital Term Sheet Guide

Posted on by Dea Dragashi

Members of our venture capital and emerging companies practice have contributed to the latest Venture Capital Term Sheet Guide published by HSBC Innovation Banking in April 2025.

The report collates information from a pool of 588 equity term sheets signed in 2024 and provides detailed analysis of the key terms for equity fundraising, from seed to series C+, to provide an independent view of ‘market standards’ in VC deals.

Click here to read the report.

Following our contribution to the report, managing associate Rosie Marston was interviewed by HSBC Innovation Banking to offer her insight into the report’s findings and the latest trends in investment activity. Watch the full interview below.