Erin Platts, CEO of Octopus Ventures, has been given the additional role as Chief Executive Officer of Octopus Investment.
The appointment, subject to regulatory approval from the Financial Conduct Authority. creates a dual leadership position across two of the Octopus Group’s core businesses.
Since joining Octopus Ventures as CEO in January 2025, Octopus Group said, “Erin has brought significant pace and momentum to the business, with a view to expanding its pan-European venture capital offering to more founders than ever before.”
Prior to Octopus, Erin spent nearly two decades at HSBC Innovation Banking (formerly Silicon Valley Bank UK), partnering entrepreneurs and investors while scaling the bank’s UK operations. Octopus Group added: “Erin is a proven leader with extensive experience building and scaling financial services organisations that support innovation and entrepreneurship”.
By uniting the leadership of both businesses under Erin, Octopus Group said it will benefit from a coordinated strategy, closer alignment between retail investment and venture capital, and greater opportunities to scale impact for both investors and entrepreneurs.
Erin Platts (pictured) said: “Octopus as a Group is bold, ambitious and fuelling the next generation of entrepreneurs across the country. However, it’s Octopus Investments that provides the engine room for it all. The opportunity to work cross functionally with this talented group of people, to build on our market position and power us on our next stage of growth, is very exciting to me. I plan on keeping my eye on the prize: providing a world class experience for the people that trust us with their money and the founders that trust us with their ambitions.”
Simon Rogerson, CEO and Co-Founder of Octopus Group added: “Octopus Investments is a business that, at 25 years-old, continues to embrace change. We are always evolving our strategy and expanding into new areas to reach our full potential. Erin is exactly the kind of leader the business needs to fulfil these ambitions. As she has already proven in leading Octopus Ventures, she’s as straightforward as she is business minded. She also absolutely lives and breathes customer service and the importance of the Octopus culture.”
Octopus Investments is a provider of Venture Capital Trusts and Business Relief qualifying investments and a large investor in AIM-listed companies. Octopus Ventures has supported more than 200 early-stage businesses, including Zoopla, Secret Escapes, Depop, Swiftkey and Graze.
