Tramlines Ventures, an early-stage investor and venture platform focused on AI-native services companies led by domain expert founders, has raised more than £2 million in a seed round at a £22.5 million pre-money valuation. The raise follows a previous £1 million round at an £8 million valuation in April 2025, and coincides with the first close of Tramlines Fund I, which is targeting a final close of £10 million.
Founded and led by Albert Azis-Clauson, Tramlines operates as a combined fund, accelerator, and AI orchestration platform. Its model centres on partnering with experienced industry operators to build revenue-generating companies that embed AI directly into industry workflows, rather than developing standalone software products. At the core of the approach is the firm's AI Transformation Platform, which converts operational knowledge into scalable systems through agent-based architectures and orchestration layers. Each company built through the platform functions both as a standalone commercial entity and as a deployment layer for AI infrastructure, enabling Tramlines to aggregate systems across industries over time.
Fund I will invest pre-seed capital of £250,000 as a first cheque into 30 AI-native services companies over three years. Rather than prioritising rapid scaling, the accelerator is designed to move companies from concept to scalable operations within a 24-month framework, focusing on early commercial validation, capital efficiency, and structured pathways to profitability.
Tramlines has assembled a senior leadership team drawn from banking, Big Four consulting, and global technology. Craig Donaldson, founding CEO of Metro Bank - who led the institution from concept to a £1.6 billion IPO and more than £20 billion in assets - serves as chairman and commercial lead for the portfolio. Glen Robinson, who has resigned as National Technology Officer at Microsoft UK, joins as Managing Director of the AI platform and has previously advised the UK Government on technology strategy and regulation. Andrew Winters, a former Managing Partner in Deloitte's Technology and Digital advisory practice and Chief Operating Officer of NEOM's Technology and Digital subsidiary, leads the Tramlines Accelerator, bringing more than two decades of experience advising multinational organisations on technology strategy and transformation. Daniel Lanyon, former Editor-in-Chief and founding partner of AltFi, leads Fund I, bringing expertise across fintech, venture capital, and asset management. Erica Young serves as Director of Networks, with prior senior roles at Anthemis, Atomico, and the Newton Venture Program, and more than a decade applying network science within the venture capital ecosystem. Ashleigh Gardner joins as Chief of Staff and Director of Operations, and Andrea Madaschi serves as CFO with two decades of financial and investment analysis experience across startups and fintech. Alongside the core team, a group of senior executives, exited founders, and private market investors operate as "Invested Advisors", providing support and mentorship to portfolio companies.
Fund I has completed its first close, backed by a mix of family offices, exited founders, and experienced private market investors. Tramlines' broader thesis is that the next phase of value creation will be driven by the industrialisation of domain expertise, where knowledge is transformed into repeatable, AI-driven systems deployable across industries.
The quality of the people joining Tramlines is the strongest signal of what we are building. These are individuals who have built banks, advised governments, led global consulting practices, and scaled technology platforms. They are not here to deploy capital passively. They are here to build.
This is one of the most structured approaches to company building I have seen. The combination of governance, operational discipline, and technical capability is what gives this model credibility at scale.
