I’m Richard Kershaw, a British investor and hands-on operator who has spent twenty-odd years building, buying, and backing internet businesses that quietly punch above their weight.
Most have lean remote teams, positive cashflow and premium domains. Few (none?) have glitzy pitch decks or big name investors.
I’m looking for acquisitions, investments, and the occasional operating partnership where I can roll up my sleeves. My level of involvement varies depending on the opportunity.
I like owner/operators who prefer smart capital allocation over growth-at-all-costs on projects where I can offer more than just a cheque.
Where I share deals, observations, and the occasional strong opinion. Zero fluff. Quarterly-ish. Unsubscribe anytime — I’ll barely notice.
What I’m Looking For…
Cashflowing internet businesses
- SaaS, affiliate, lead gen
- Ideally profitable and boring
- Room to grow
Founders to invest in
- Seed and early-stage
- Tools, platforms, internet infrastructure.
- I’m most useful in: SEO, content, operations, M&A, domain names
- I like small teams who punch above their weight
Partnerships
I take different roles depending on the opportunity — sometimes investor, sometimes advisor, sometimes hands-on operator. Not all three at once.
- Advisory, board seats, co-investing
- We’ll start with a conversation, not contracts
- Structures vary: equity, rev share, or hybrid
- I like helping owner/operators build sellable assets — even if that’s not the plan
NB: I’m not trying to build a portfolio of 50 “as seen in” logos, I work on a handful of projects at a time.
What I’ve Done In The Past…
Quality Nonsense
My studio built and exited a portfolio of “websites for people who make websites”— including Digital.com, HTML.com, WhoIsHostingThis.com, PrivacyPolicies.com, Placeholder.com, Blogging.com and others.
Every week, somebody asks me the story of how I bought Digital.com from Hewlett Packard and, very occasionally, tells me they hate me for it.
Wish.co.uk
Co-founded Wish.co.uk, a gift experience business. Coca-Cola put our logo on 10 million Fanta cans.
We had press in 50+ countries (case study) including BBC, ABC, CNN, New York Times, The Sun, Telegraph, Guardian and – bizarrely – a cameo on Taiwanese TV. Not exactly BBC Newsnight, but I’ll take it.
Tweeted by Stephen Fry. Condemned on the Beeb by Mary Whitehouse. Threatened with a ban by assorted Conservative MPs.
It’s safe to say: we peaked early.
The “Compliance-Heavy” One
A portfolio of financial education content sites. Premium domains. Boring business model. Compliance headaches you wouldn’t believe. We operate in dozens of regulated jurisdictions, which is exactly as fun as it sounds. The kind of business where you have more lawyers than developers.
Sports Streaming Media
Sites for sports fans navigating the mess of byzantine broadcast rules in the US, where you need completely different cable plans depending on which side of Philadelphia you’re standing on.
If you’ve ever tried to watch football legally from a low-rent Latvian hotel room, you’re our dream customer.
M&A Advisory
Via expert networks, like GLG, I occasionally advise on domain name strategy and internet infrastructure, most frequently the eternal question: “Should we buy this?”
Clients (names under NDA) include:
- Top-tier PE funds evaluating NASDAQ/NYSE targets
- A couple of self-help authors you’ve definitely seen in airport bookshops
- Domain investors on both sides of the Atlantic
- Assorted lawyers, accountants & fintechs
Media Enquiries
Sometimes journalists call. I try to be helpful. I’ve done interviews/background for a few places you might have heard (eg, CNN, Women’s Hour, BBC World Service, the red tops) and plenty more you won’t (see also: Taiwanese TV).
What I’m Doing Now… [UPDATED: March 2026]
Working 24/7 on Claude Code experiments (agents, AI video/audio, SaaS). Shipped the first one last month.
Considering my next major project – not a full-time operating role.
When not staring at spreadsheets: language learning, literature, long-term travel, Latin America.
Who I Want To Hear From…
Founders or owner/operators considering a sale. Fellow investors who want to compare notes. Regretfully, not domain brokers, recruiters or job seekers right now.
If you’re building something interesting, selling something profitable, or just want to compare notes — I’m easy to find.
Say Hello…
Email me here, or, hey, you can roll the dice with X.com / LinkedIn.