# Dan Chaplin
Dan Chaplin is a venture capital investor and Partner at [Dawn Capital](https://www.edgepedia.org/dawn-capital), the London-based business-to-business software investor, where he is co-head of the firm's fintech and digital assets practice and is known for leading early investments in Tink, Cover Genius, and Copper.[1](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dawn-capital-promotes-dan-chaplin-to-partner-on-the-back-of-stellar-fintech-investment-record-301727189.html) • [2](https://www.dawncapital.com/team/dan-chaplin) Bloomberg lists him as Partner/Co-Head at Dawn Capital LLP.[3](https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/20521249)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Role | Partner at Dawn Capital; co-head of fintech and digital assets with General Partner Josh Bell[1](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dawn-capital-promotes-dan-chaplin-to-partner-on-the-back-of-stellar-fintech-investment-record-301727189.html) |
| Joined Dawn | 2018, from J.P. Morgan M&A advisory in London[1](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dawn-capital-promotes-dan-chaplin-to-partner-on-the-back-of-stellar-fintech-investment-record-301727189.html) • [4](https://medium.com/@dawncapitalteam/in-conversation-with-dawns-brand-new-partner-dan-chaplin-f2c40b61cd9b) |
| Promotion to Partner | 23 January 2023, described by the firm as one of Europe's youngest VC Partners[1](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dawn-capital-promotes-dan-chaplin-to-partner-on-the-back-of-stellar-fintech-investment-record-301727189.html) |
| Capital deployed | Nearly $300 million by January 2023 (Forbes separately reports more than $240 million)[1](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dawn-capital-promotes-dan-chaplin-to-partner-on-the-back-of-stellar-fintech-investment-record-301727189.html) • [5](https://www.forbes.com/profile/dan-chaplin/) |
| Education | First in Modern History, Oxford; Masters with distinction[2](https://www.dawncapital.com/team/dan-chaplin) |
| Best-known exits | Tink, acquired by Visa for $2 billion in June 2021; OpenGamma (exited)[1](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dawn-capital-promotes-dan-chaplin-to-partner-on-the-back-of-stellar-fintech-investment-record-301727189.html) • [2](https://www.dawncapital.com/team/dan-chaplin) |
| Other investments | Cover Genius, Copper, Elwood, Billie, Access Fintech, Bondaval, Brite Payments, Omi, Cortea[1](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dawn-capital-promotes-dan-chaplin-to-partner-on-the-back-of-stellar-fintech-investment-record-301727189.html) • [2](https://www.dawncapital.com/team/dan-chaplin) |
| Recognition | Forbes 30 Under 30[2](https://www.dawncapital.com/team/dan-chaplin) |
## Career and education
Chaplin studied Modern History at Oxford University, graduating with a first, and earned a Masters with distinction; the firm's blog states he considered pursuing a PhD before choosing finance.[2](https://www.dawncapital.com/team/dan-chaplin) • [4](https://medium.com/@dawncapitalteam/in-conversation-with-dawns-brand-new-partner-dan-chaplin-f2c40b61cd9b) He then spent several years at J.P. Morgan in London within M&A and corporate finance, working on transactions for European financial institutions, an experience the firm's blog credits with sparking his interest in fintech.[1](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dawn-capital-promotes-dan-chaplin-to-partner-on-the-back-of-stellar-fintech-investment-record-301727189.html) • [2](https://www.dawncapital.com/team/dan-chaplin) • [4](https://medium.com/@dawncapitalteam/in-conversation-with-dawns-brand-new-partner-dan-chaplin-f2c40b61cd9b)
He joined Dawn Capital in 2018.[1](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dawn-capital-promotes-dan-chaplin-to-partner-on-the-back-of-stellar-fintech-investment-record-301727189.html) His rise at the firm was unusually fast: Forbes reports he became the youngest person ever promoted to principal at Dawn, and by January 2023 he had been promoted three times while deploying nearly $300 million of capital into early-stage software companies across Europe.[1](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dawn-capital-promotes-dan-chaplin-to-partner-on-the-back-of-stellar-fintech-investment-record-301727189.html) • [5](https://www.forbes.com/profile/dan-chaplin/) On 23 January 2023 Dawn announced his promotion to Partner, its fifth internal promotion to that role, describing him at the time as one of Europe's youngest venture capital Partners.[1](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dawn-capital-promotes-dan-chaplin-to-partner-on-the-back-of-stellar-fintech-investment-record-301727189.html) • [4](https://medium.com/@dawncapitalteam/in-conversation-with-dawns-brand-new-partner-dan-chaplin-f2c40b61cd9b)
## Dawn Capital: firm and role
Dawn Capital describes itself as Europe's largest specialist B2B software investor and had total commitments of $1.9 billion at the time of Chaplin's January 2023 promotion.[1](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dawn-capital-promotes-dan-chaplin-to-partner-on-the-back-of-stellar-fintech-investment-record-301727189.html) Forbes characterizes the firm the same way, calling it Europe's largest B2B-focused VC firm.[5](https://www.forbes.com/profile/dan-chaplin/)
Within the partnership, Chaplin invests across automation, vertical software, and fintech, and heads the firm's research platform.[2](https://www.dawncapital.com/team/dan-chaplin) As co-head of fintech and digital assets alongside General Partner Josh Bell, his particular focus is payments, credit, and infrastructure platforms.[1](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dawn-capital-promotes-dan-chaplin-to-partner-on-the-back-of-stellar-fintech-investment-record-301727189.html)
## Notable investments and exits
**Tink** is the deal most associated with Chaplin's record. The firm's press release states that the open banking platform was acquired by Visa for $2 billion in June 2021, making it at that point the joint second-largest M&A exit in Europe to date; the firm's blog adds that the PayPal acquisition of point-of-sale provider iZettle in 2018, another Dawn investment, was for the same amount, tying the two deals.[1](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dawn-capital-promotes-dan-chaplin-to-partner-on-the-back-of-stellar-fintech-investment-record-301727189.html) • [4](https://medium.com/@dawncapitalteam/in-conversation-with-dawns-brand-new-partner-dan-chaplin-f2c40b61cd9b) Forbes describes [Tink](https://www.edgepedia.org/tink-open-banking-platform) as an open banking startup Visa bought for more than $2 billion.[5](https://www.forbes.com/profile/dan-chaplin/)
**Copper**, a digital assets platform, and **Cover Genius** are the other two early investments the firm's team page names as deals Chaplin led.[2](https://www.dawncapital.com/team/dan-chaplin) The January 2023 press release details his round participation: he co-led Copper's $50 million Series B, led [Cover Genius](https://www.edgepedia.org/cover-genius)'s $70 million Series D, co-led Elwood's $70 million Series A, led Billie's $100 million Series C, invested in Access Fintech's $20 million Series B, and backed OpenGamma through a $10 million growth round and a $20 million strategic round with Allianz.[1](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dawn-capital-promotes-dan-chaplin-to-partner-on-the-back-of-stellar-fintech-investment-record-301727189.html) Forbes independently confirms more than $240 million of deployed capital into companies including Copper and Tink.[5](https://www.forbes.com/profile/dan-chaplin/)
The firm's team page marks two of his investments as exited: Tink (acquired by Visa) and OpenGamma.[2](https://www.dawncapital.com/team/dan-chaplin) Cover Genius, Copper, Bondaval, Brite Payments, Omi, and Cortea appear on his roster without an exit designation.[2](https://www.dawncapital.com/team/dan-chaplin)
## Recognition
Chaplin was named on the [Forbes 30 Under 30](https://www.edgepedia.org/forbes-30-under-30) list.[2](https://www.dawncapital.com/team/dan-chaplin) Forbes's profile describes him as co-head of fintech and digital assets at Dawn and highlights his capital deployment and the Tink outcome.[5](https://www.forbes.com/profile/dan-chaplin/)
## References
1. [Dawn Capital promotes Dan Chaplin to Partner on the back of stellar fintech investment record (PR Newswire, 23 January 2023)](https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dawn-capital-promotes-dan-chaplin-to-partner-on-the-back-of-stellar-fintech-investment-record-301727189.html)
2. [Dan Chaplin | Dawn Capital (firm team page)](https://www.dawncapital.com/team/dan-chaplin)
3. [Dan Chaplin, Dawn Capital LLP: Profile and Biography (Bloomberg Markets)](https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/20521249)
4. [In conversation with… Dawn's brand new Partner, Dan Chaplin (Dawn Capital on Medium)](https://medium.com/@dawncapitalteam/in-conversation-with-dawns-brand-new-partner-dan-chaplin-f2c40b61cd9b)
5. [Dan Chaplin, Dawn Capital: Profile & Biography (Forbes)](https://www.forbes.com/profile/dan-chaplin/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Economics and business › Founders, operators, and investors › Venture and growth investors › European venture › UK and Ireland investors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 19, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license