Atomic Energy: What Karl Lokko Taught Us About Grit, Capital, and Community

When Karl Lokko walked into the room at our latest Virgin StartUp Changemaker event, the atmosphere shifted. You could feel it — not hype, not ego, but something else entirely.

Atomic energy.

That’s what Karl calls it — the quiet force certain founders carry before they even speak. You sense it in how they show up. How they pitch, even if the pitch is still raw. How they keep going, even when the deck isn’t quite right, the doors keep closing, and the “no’s” stack up.

Karl knows a thing or two about energy. He’s had to generate it from places many of us never will. As co-founder and General Partner of Black Seed, he didn’t just raise a venture fund — he built one from the ground up. Not because it was easy, but because the system wasn’t working for people like him. And that needed to change.

“Without money, great ideas die on the vine.”
— Karl Lokko

Who Is Karl Lokko?

A reformed gang member turned community leader and investor, Karl is one of the UK’s most powerful voices in startup investment. Through Black Seed, he’s working to unlock capital for Black founders and reimagine what entrepreneurship looks like — and who gets funded.

At our founder event, Karl shared insights on everything from investor psychology to startup resilience, leaving the room energised and inspired.

The ‘Belief Parade’: Why Storytelling Matters

One of Karl’s most powerful messages was around the need to build what he calls a “belief parade.” It starts with you — how deeply you believe in your own vision — and carries through to every room you enter. If you can’t articulate your vision and make people feel it in the moment, you’ve lost them.

Storytelling, Karl said, is a founder’s superpower. Investors don’t need to be experts in your space. But they do need to believe in you.

“Storyboard your idea. Make them care. Numbers aren’t human — stories are.”

For early-stage founders pitching for the first time, this advice hits home: Sharpen your story. Build real rapport. Translate the problem you’re solving into something human.

Fundraising Is a Test of Soul

Karl didn’t sugarcoat the realities of raising capital and his honesty was as bracing as it was encouraging.

“We got 7 yeses out of over 200 pitches.
£9 million committed in six months —
but it took 26 months to get the money.”

Even after landing press coverage and momentum, the infrastructure to deploy the funds wasn’t there. The stress wasn’t just professional, it was personal. Karl shared that, had he known how hard it would be, he might not have started.

And yet he did. And he kept going. Kept tweaking the pitch. Shortening the feedback loop. Learning. Failing. Moving forward anyway.

What Founders Need to Know About Venture Capital

Karl offered a clear-eyed take on venture capital that every founder needs to hear:

• “It’s petrol, not power. You still need an engine.”

• “It’s pressure. And you better know if that pressure is for you.”

• “It’s performance — but it’s also perception.”

• “FOMO is the playground. You’ve got to make people feel like they’re missing out.”

For founders exploring VC, these are not just soundbites, they’re guardrails. Understand what you’re walking into before you take the money. VC isn't a badge, it's a pressure cooker.

Final Thoughts: Purpose Over Pitch

Karl ended the night with purpose, not polish. He spoke about faith. About necessity. About doing the work even when no one is watching, but because it's the right thing.

He shared the Young Fathers song he plays when something is finished. He told us about pouring in his own savings to keep Black Seed going — not because it made sense, but because it mattered.

“We’re not the indication that change is here.
We’re the signal that the work has only just begun.”

Come Find Your Community

If you felt the energy in that room, you’ll know it was real. And it moved people.

At Virgin StartUp, we create space for that energy to grow. For stories like Karl’s to be heard, and for founders like you to be backed.

👋 Come and join our community of founders
💡 Find out more about our events and support
🚀 Learn how we help early-stage startups

Come find us. And bring your atomic energy with you.

Written by Alice Mulrooney, Virgin StartUp