In May 2025, the Sidemen, Britain’s leading YouTube collective, made headlines for reasons beyond viral videos or merchandise sales. After years of building their digital empire, the group ventured into capital investment by launching Upside VC, a $25 million fund focused on early-stage consumer startups.
Their entrance sparked enthusiasm and scepticism within the UK’s venture capital landscape, a field long criticised for lacking diversity and relying on traditional networks. TFN reported on the challenge of diversity in UK VCs just here.
Sidemen’s transformation from content creators to venture capitalists
The Sidemen’s story is already the stuff of internet legend. Since forming in 2013, KSI, Miniminter, Zerkaa, TBJZL, Behzinga, Vikkstar123, and W2S have evolved from friends making gaming videos into a business juggernaut. Their reach now spans over 150 million followers, and their ventures, from clothing to food brands, have become case studies in digital entrepreneurship.
Unlike typical venture capitalists, who often emerge from elite universities and financial institutions, the Sidemen built their reputation and fortune through creativity, hustle, and a deep understanding of youth culture. Their backgrounds are notably multicultural and working-class, with several members openly sharing their experiences growing up in diverse London communities. This starkly contrasts with the UK VC industry, where 71% of partners attended private schools and most come from affluent backgrounds.
With Upside VC, the Sidemen have brought a fresh approach to investing. Rather than relying on pitch decks and spreadsheets, they and general partner Jamie Elliott focus on products that genuinely excite their massive audience. If a startup’s offering doesn’t resonate with its fans, it doesn’t cut.
This strategy isn’t mere talk: their first investments include Howbout, a social scheduling app; Nimbi, a plastic-free razor brand; Mile, a luxury membership service; and Ceartas DMCA, a digital rights management tool for creators. Each company benefits not only from funding but also from the Sidemen’s unparalleled promotional power.
A mention in one of their videos — often watched by millions — can surpass any traditional marketing campaign in value. Upside VC’s investment checks range from £100,000 to £500,000, and the fund aims to back up to 40 companies, focusing on high-growth, consumer-facing startups.
Is Upside VC a true diversity beacon?
The timing of Upside VC’s launch is significant. Despite some progress, the UK venture capital industry remains stubbornly homogeneous. According to the 2024 BVCA/Level 20 report, women hold only 15% of senior investment roles, and 18% of professionals are from ethnic minority backgrounds — figures that, while improving, still fall short of accurate representation and inclusion. Socioeconomic diversity remains challenging, with most senior VCs coming from privileged backgrounds.
But does Upside VC represent a turning point for diversity in UK venture capital? The answer is nuanced. The Sidemen’s entrepreneurial and multicultural backgrounds challenge the industry’s traditional gatekeepers. Their fund lowers barriers by offering founders access to a vast audience and creative marketing support — advantages that can transform consumer-facing startups.
However, Upside VC hasn’t explicitly committed to funding underrepresented founders or established a formal diversity mandate. Their investments stem from audience resonance rather than addressing systemic inequalities. While some early investments (such as Ceartas DMCA, led by a diverse founding team) reflect a broader founder pool, claims about Upside VC’s impact on funding for ethnic minority founders, or its potential to inspire similar funds, remain speculative.
The real impact: symbolism and possibility
Still, the Sidemen’s venture into VC sends a powerful message. It demonstrates that alternative paths into the industry exist, and that cultural capital built outside the City’s boardrooms or Silicon Roundabout can open doors for a new generation of entrepreneurs. Their partnership with experienced investor Jamie Elliott shows how influencer-led funds can blend reach with financial expertise to create a novel investment model.
Whether Upside VC will catalyse broader change depends on its long-term results and ability to inspire others. The Sidemen’s influence could encourage more diverse founders and investors to enter the space, particularly given their young, multicultural audience. Industry observers note that the Sidemen’s approach, prioritising genuine product-market fit with their audience, could naturally lead to a more diverse pool of investees, even without a formal diversity mandate.
For now, Upside VC stands as a bold experiment: a fusion of digital influence and venture capital that rewrites some old rules but doesn’t solve the sector’s deepest challenges. They may prove that excellence and opportunity can emerge from unexpected places if they succeed. As KSI might put it: don’t sleep on the underdogs.
