Member Article

The secret entrepreneur: Ryan Bertrand's FinTech firm raises £1m in seed funding

Southampton FC defender Ryan Bertrand’s brokerage startup has announced it has raised £1m in seed funding from a Malaysian financial services firm.

According to City AM, Silicon Investing, which the footballer founded with entrepreneurs Louis Bell and Matthew Kirkham in 2015, has sealed the nine-figure investment from Pacific & Orient Berhad along with unnamed angel investors.

Once it has attained regulatory approval, the former Champions League winner’s startup will give users the opportunity to invest in contract for difference and foreign exchange markets, along with a range of other financial products.

The brokerage firm is headquartered at the Level39 accelerator in Canary Wharf, and was previously partnered with online broker One Financial Markets under the name Silicon Markets.

Speaking to City AM, Bertrand said that he tends to play more of a role on the ‘strategic side of things’ with his fellow business partners taking charge of most of the work.

He commented: “I find it quite refreshing to be able to switch off from football and the demands that that brings, and focus my mindset on another space that I genuinely enjoy. And it gives me an opportunity to create something really good within the financial sector too.

“It’s a nice relief. The demands of football can be a little bit hectic. And obviously I’ve got half an eye on post-football as well.”