Supernode Global | Investment Thesis & Preferences

01Investment Thesis

Our focus: Wellbeing (health & vitality, life optimization, community & social) and Productivity (intelligent workflows, creative enablement, professional augmentation).

Exclusion Criteria

We do not invest in infrastructure, deep tech, niche specialist tools without broad adoption, enterprise-only software without consumer sensibility, or businesses where AI replaces human creativity instead of augmenting expertise.

02Investment Team

MS

Michael Sackler

03F4 Research Brief

Supernode Global Research

Investment Thesis & Core Focus

Supernode Global is an early-stage venture capital firm based in London, investing in application-layer software that meaningfully enhances personal and professional lives. Founded by Michael Sackler—a former film producer who ran Rook's Nest Entertainment and produced cult films including "The Witch"—the firm brings unique perspective shaped by witnessing technology disrupt the media landscape in the early 2010s.

Fund Evolution: From Content-Tech to Consumer-First

Supernode's Fund I (2020 vintage) focused specifically on the intersection of content and technology, establishing a proven track record with 1.9x MOIC and at least one solid exit. As the market evolved with streaming consolidation and AI emergence, Fund II pivoted to a broader thesis while maintaining core principles: application-layer software, consumer-grade UX, and daily-use tools.

Fund II Thesis (Current Focus)

Tagline: "Early-stage consumer and B2B technologies that meaningfully enhance our personal and professional lives."

The firm invests across six core thematic areas:

Wellbeing – Mental health, emotional wellbeing, lifestyle optimization
Health & Vitality – Preventative care, personal health management, informed decision-making
Life Optimization – Streamlining complex personal challenges (financial, legal, immigration)
Community & Social – Meaningful engagement, network-based value, entertainment
Productivity – AI-powered workflows, intelligent tools, team acceleration
Creative Enablement & Professional Augmentation – Tools that enable creation, amplify expertise

Portfolio Mix: Roughly 60% B2B / 40% consumer, though all backed companies maintain consumer-grade UX principles. Michael explicitly states: "Think Figma, Canva, Slack, Dropbox. They're in essence consumer products applied to enterprise use cases."

Stage Focus & Check Size

Stage Preferences:

Primary: Seed stage
Secondary: Pre-seed (selective)
Occasional: Series A follow-ons in existing portfolio companies

Check Size & Deployment:

Target investment range: $500K–$3M+ depending on round structure
Fund II target size: $45M
Current status (December 2025): Half the fund already deployed, with 13 of an expected 25 companies in portfolio
Strong pattern of continuing deployment indicates active fund lifecycle

Lead Tendency & Conviction

Supernode leads and co-leads rounds frequently, with flexible positioning based on round structure and co-investor quality. Company profiles highlight instances of leading Series A rounds ($8.6M ShapesXR seed led by Supernode, $6.7M Hormona co-led by Supernode). Michael emphasizes speed as a superpower, noting that deep consumer focus and conviction enable them to win competitive deals through aggressive execution.

Board Involvement: Highly likely given founder-focused approach and emphasis on growth support between seed and Series A.

Recent Activity & Fund Status

Fund II Deployment (2025):

June 2025: Led Flowstep seed round ($2.6M)
May 2025: Co-led Hormona seed round ($6.7M, with Voima Ventures)
Multiple seed investments including Personal AI, Contend Legal, Graswald, Bounce Life, and others

Fund Status: Actively deploying from Fund II. 34% of Fund II committed by GPs (Michael and Gina), well above market standard, signaling deep alignment and conviction. Portfolio is intentionally being built as a live thesis demonstration before final LP expansion.

Team & Decision-Making

Team Composition:

Michael Sackler, Founder/Managing Partner: Former film producer (Rook's Nest Entertainment), angel investor, 20+ year media/tech background. Known for pattern recognition in product excellence and user experience.
Gina King, Co-Partner: Passionate advocate for women founders, drives founder sourcing and deal flow quality
Naomi Malik, Head of Portfolio Operations: Credited with identifying "unusual but perfect" subject matter experts and connectors to support portfolio companies
Luana David, Aditi Dangerfield: Additional team members contributing cross-industry expertise in healthcare, financial services, design, film production

Decision Process: Collaborative partnership model with Michael, Gina, and Naomi driving investment thesis, sourcing, and portfolio support. No formal investment committee; emphasis on rapid conviction and execution.

Founder-Focused Sourcing:

50% inbound (increasingly via reputation, particularly among female founders)
50% outbound (hunting in overlooked geographies and founder profiles)
Team diversity drives pattern recognition free of demographic biases

Recent Shifts & AI Positioning

Michael explicitly positions AI as a tool for augmentation, not replacement:

"AI should be a tool to help humans... removing menial, repetitive work while preserving the art and human connection."

This is evident in portfolio company Graswald (AI for e-commerce photography)—Supernode backs the efficiency gains while acknowledging ethical tensions. They distinguish between automating rote tasks and erasing human craft, investing in professional augmentation rather than wholesale replacement of human expertise.

Geographic Focus

Primary: Europe (especially UK, building unique positioning as one of few consumer-focused VCs in Europe) Secondary: Selective global investments (portfolio includes companies across multiple continents) Approach: Explicitly open to global investments while maintaining European base and network strength

Value-Add & Support Model

Supernode positions itself as "Supernode for a reason: we're connectors."

Post-investment support:

Growth guidance – User acquisition/retention strategies for consumer; sales motion and customer acquisition for B2B
Fundraising pathways – Targeted introductions to Series A/growth funds
Portfolio operations – Naomi's connector role identifying specialized expertise
Strategic guidance – High-level strategy rather than hands-on operations

Michael emphasizes they've already facilitated multiple Supernode-led introductions that became Series A lead investments, validating the connector model.

Founder Preferences

Supernode actively courts founders who:

Are building application-layer software with consumer-grade UX
Can articulate how their product meaningfully enhances daily life
Show founder-product fit and deep understanding of user pain points
Include underrepresented founders (gender-balanced sourcing drives more inbound)
Appreciate rapid decision-making and growth support over heavy-handed operational involvement

Anti-positions: Infrastructure, deep tech, niche specialist tools, enterprise software without consumer sensibility, and businesses where AI replaces rather than augments human creativity.

Investment Performance & Track Record

Fund I Results:

~1.9x MOIC (net)
0.25 DPI (distributions to paid-in)
At least one solid exit to date
Covered ~60 early-stage companies via Michael's angel activity combined

Fund II Foundation: Portfolio composition (13 companies deployed) reflects thesis in action—concentrated in application-layer, consumer and consumer-like B2B, with strong representation across Wellbeing, Productivity, and Creative categories. Portfolio companies include exits (PlayDeo) and active high-growth companies (Personal AI, FiiT, etc.).

Decision Timeline & Process

Supernode operates with speed as a differentiator—Michael emphasizes conviction-driven rapid execution. Based on portfolio activity (multiple investments within 1-2 month windows in 2025), decision timeline is likely 1-2 weeks for well-sourced deals, with flexibility for exceptional founders requiring deeper diligence.

Founder Testimonials

Companies consistently praise Supernode's operating style:

Podsights (Sean Creeley, CEO): "The team at Supernode Global is the type of firm that founders love. They move fast and with conviction. They provide support when needed and do not add unnecessary overhead."
Fiit (Daniel Shellard, CEO): "Supernode Global's background in media was a big part of wanting them in Fiit's Seed Round. They have an exceptional network in media, which we have benefitted from."
Just Women's Sports (Haley Rosen, CEO): "Even pre-investment, the Supernode Global team provided valuable strategic guidance and contacts… their expertise is helping us grow at an accelerated rate."