Asylum

I have always been in awe of people who throw themselves entirely into the act of creation. Today, I’m so happy to share that I’ve moved to NYC to join Asylum, a new venture firm dedicated to founders who just can’t help but create.

Last year, I took a leap of faith with no plan — I left investing for a brief moment, giving myself permission to explore. Some asked me if I wanted to build a company, and my answer was always the same: I don't feel like a company is trying to be born through me. But I'm drawn to founders who feel that pull, that irresistible urge. My period of transition made it clear: even when I wasn't working, I was naturally gravitating toward supporting them. I couldn't help it.

Asylum’s ethos and my partners Nick, Jon and Mackenzie have felt like home from day one, which is why I’ve moved to Brooklyn. If you know me, you know that I’ve had a love affair with New York for decades. It pulses with the energy of things demanding to be born. But I have been building a life I love in London for many years, and moving wasn’t an easy decision, or a logical one. I tried to resist it. I did my best to forget about Asylum, but I couldn’t. Here again, moving felt inevitable, and I had to get out of my own way. I do it with so much excitement to serve founders again, with partners who speak my language.

So here we are! We are Asylum. We invest out of appetite and not out of fear. We’ve raised a $55M first fund and get involved early, when the company exists more as conviction than code. We’re ready to support founders across the US from our Brooklyn base (come say hi — we have lots of space) and I’ll remain actively involved in Europe’s founding community.

Please say hello, especially if you:

• Are building something new and resonate with Asylum's ethos, something that feels more like an obsession than an opportunity

• Are contemplating a leap or navigating your own transition (I have *loved* connecting with others in the middle of a transition, and want to continue doing so + I’ve written about it — happy to send my notes)

• Call New York home and are willing to share your tips and wisdom

Wishing you all a magical 2025. Time to get to work!

Lola

Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.
- Rumi