# EY Startup Challenge

> EY Startup Challenge is a VC fund in London backing Financial Services and FinTech. See 5 investments, check sizes, portfolio. Updated Sep 2026.

- Type: VC Fund
- Location: London, United Kingdom
- Total investments: 5
- Last investment: Feb 2018
- Lead investor: 80%
- Last updated: Sep 2026
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ernstandyoung/
- Website: https://x.com/EYnews
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EY/

EY Startup Challenge is a VC fund in London focused on Financial Services and FinTech. The EY Startup Challenge explores some of these exciting new technologies in a mentorship-driven programme designed to unlock new solutions, helping accelerate the product and business development of disruptive technology startups.As one of the most globally integrated professional services organisations, they work with some of the world’slargest organisations to help them tackle their most pressing issues. The EY Startup Challenge draws on this network, bringing together their people, leaders from their clients and other industry professionals to help startups both refine their product and develop their business, creating opportunities for your business to grow in a relationship that continues after the programme ends.

## Investment focus

### Industry

| Industry | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Financial Services | 3 | 60% |
| FinTech | 2 | 40% |
| Supply Chain Management | 2 | 40% |
| SaaS | 1 | 20% |
| Finance | 1 | 20% |

16 industries tracked in total.

### Stage

| Stage | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Grant | 4 | 80% |
| Series A | 1 | 20% |

### Country

| Country | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| United Kingdom | 3 | 60% |
| Canada | 1 | 20% |
| United States | 1 | 20% |

## Investments

| Company | Description | Amount | Stage | Date | Website |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Adjoint | Adjoint offers a smart contract platform and distributed ledger solutions designed to improve efficiency, security, and compliance in modern finance. Its revolutionary technology was built using the latest research in cryptography, type systems and formal verification. Enterprises can quickly deploy, maintain, verify and execute smart contractsglobally. Such technology helps enterprises reduce costs, mitigate risks and improve margins. Founded in 2016, the company has offices in Boston, MA and London, UK. For more information, please visit www.adjoint.io | $150K | Series A | Feb 13, 2018 | http://adjoint.io |
| Tallysticks | Tallysticks is an international trade solution for SMEs. SMEs are the foundation of an economy, but their needs are underserviced when trading internationally. Tallysticks wants to change that. We have developed a web application to that helps international buyers and sellers work more collaboratively with less effort, less error and less cost.Tallysticks is a Fintech 100 Europe company, a Barclays Techstars Accelerator as well as EY StartUp Challenge graduate. It is a finalist for the BBVA Open Talent and NTT Open Innovation competitions as well as a Simmons & Simmons FinTech Fund winner. |  | Grant | Nov 01, 2016 | http://www.tallysticks.io |
| BlockVerify | BlockVerify believes in the potential of blockchain technology to improve anti-counterfeit measures in different industries and have a significant positive social impact. |  | Grant | Nov 01, 2016 | http://www.blockverify.io/ |
| Interbit | BTL offers blockchain solutions to businesses across multiple industries, in particular the finance, energy and gaming sectors. Operating from both Canada and the UK, BTL offers blockchain solutions to businesses across multiple industries, in particular the finance, energy and gaming sectors. BTL has built prototypes that showcase the capabilitiesof its Interbit platform.The Interbit blockchain platform facilitates the rapid development of business applications that will dramatically improve efficiency across several industries. Some of the world’s largest institutions are using Interbit to explore new opportunities on private blockchains.With offices in Vancouver, Calgary, and Canary Wharf in London, BTL is positioning itself as a front-runner in the blockchain ecosystem, providing advice and knowledge to industry leaders. |  | Grant | Nov 01, 2016 | https://x.com/blockchainltd |
| JAAK | At JAAK, they're building a blockchain network that will allow the music and media industries to collaborate on a global view of content ownership and rights.Common infrastructure enables a new approach: simplifying content licensing on the web, unlocking a world of new content experiences, and revealing previously untapped opportunities forthe content industries - they call it Smart Content. |  | Grant | Sep 06, 2016 | http://jaak.io |

5 of 5 investments shown.

## Co-investors
- [Alumni Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/alumni-ventures-group) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Crimson Seed Capital](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/crimson-seed-capital) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- Dahua Technology — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- Doyle Enterprises — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- FinTech Innovation Lab — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- ITB Venture Capital, LLC — VC Fund, 1 deal together

## Similar investors

### Similar stage
- [Scottish Enterprise](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/scottish-enterprise) — VC Fund
- [Foundation for Innovation and Technology (FIT)](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/foundation-pour-l-innovation-technologique) — VC Fund
- [Innovate UK](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/innovate-u-k-) — VC Fund

## FAQ

### What does EY Startup Challenge invest in?

EY Startup Challenge invests primarily in Financial Services, FinTech and Supply Chain Management startups, most often at Grant and Series A stage. Most of the 5 investments tracked by Shizune back companies in United Kingdom. The Investment Focus section breaks down every industry, stage and country in the portfolio.

### When did EY Startup Challenge last invest?

The most recent investment recorded for EY Startup Challenge closed in Feb 2018. Shizune tracks 5 investments in total for this profile, including round sizes, stages and portfolio companies, all sourced from confirmed public funding rounds and refreshed monthly.

### Is Shizune's investor data accurate?

Yes — every stat on this profile is calculated from confirmed public funding rounds monitored across hundreds of sources since 2020. This profile was last refreshed in Sep 2026 and is updated monthly. Spotted something off? Use the “Suggest an edit” link near the top of the page.

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