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Andrew Sheffield

Andrew Sheffield

VC Principal at Playfair and ex-Professional Poker Player

sheff
London, England, United Kingdom
Joined December 2025
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Summary

Andrew Sheffield is a Venture Capital Principal at Playfair, specializing in pre-seed investments with a keen interest in Deeptech, Climate, Industry 4.0, Applied AI, and B2B SaaS. He is actively involved in identifying and supporting founders, as evidenced by his board observer/director roles at portfolio companies like Refute, StackOne, Kuai Commerce, Spotted Zebra, and Astral Systems, and his written investment theses on these companies. playfair+3
Before his career in venture capital, Andrew Sheffield was a professional poker player, leveraging his analytical skills. He successfully transitioned from poker to B2B sales at Neudata, where he played a pivotal role in establishing an independent sales engine and significantly boosting revenue, demonstrating strong business acumen and adaptability. playfair+3
Andrew holds a First Class Honours degree in Economics (International) from the University of Leeds, where his dissertation on risk attitudes scored highly. This academic background, combined with his experience as a professional poker player, highlights a foundational understanding of risk assessment and strategic decision-making. linkedin+1

Work

Education

Writing

Why we invested in Astral Systems

June 1, 2025

An article discussing Playfair Capital's investment in Astral Systems, a manufacturer of next-generation compact fusion reactors, emphasizing their role in ensuring supply chain resilience.

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Why we invested in Refute

January 1, 2025

An article detailing Playfair Capital's investment in Refute, a company fighting disinformation. Sheffield outlines the thesis behind the investment, highlighting the rising threat of disinformation, the limitations of current solutions, and Refute's machine learning-based approach to detect and respond to online threats.

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Why we invested in StackOne

January 1, 2023

An article explaining Playfair Capital's investment in StackOne, a company focused on making API integration for SaaS vendors faster, easier, and more secure. Sheffield discusses the market demand for alternative solutions in API management.

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All In on Venture Capital: From Seedy Casinos to Seed Investing at Playfair

A personal story outlining Sheffield's career transition from a professional poker player to a B2B sales executive and ultimately to a venture capital investor at Playfair Capital.

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Hobbies

An avid supporter of Blackpool FC. playfair

Enjoys playing 5-a-side football, though describes himself as 'below-average'. playfair

Enjoys skiing with friends after a good snowfall. playfair

Notes

SBSam Bakersaid they've seen
ASAndrew Sheffield
make a real difference for startups through their work in venture capital.

Dec 10, 2025

BGBernhard Grabnersaid they've seen
ASAndrew Sheffield
make particularly smart investments in startups from different European countries.

Sep 11, 2025