Beyond AI: Six startup opportunities in Europe
Six sectors where European expertise, needs and regulatory changes are opening up new markets.
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FundStageHQClosedSize €m
- 60.0
Capital-efficient B2B software plus pre-seed deeptech via Nauta Labs
- B2B Software, Deep Tech
- Europe
- Fund 6
- 15 Oct 2026
- Nauta Capital
- British Business Bank, SETT
- 725.0
Concentrated growth portfolio in marketplaces, financial services and software
- Fintech, B2B Software, Consumer
- Europe
- Fund 5
- 13 Oct 2026
- Sprints Capital
- 106.2
Third fund of MuleSoft founder Ross Mason, focused on AI infrastructure
- AI, B2B Software
- Pan-European
- USD
- Fund 3
- 1 Oct 2026
- Dig Ventures
- USD 120m
- 11.7
Early-stage electrification companies at seed and Series A, in energy storage, grid technology and advanced materials.
- Climate & Energy
- Global
- USD
- Fund 2
- 23 Sept 2026
- Energy Revolution Ventures
- USD 13.5m first close, anchored entirely by Centrica (Fund Momentum 2026-09-23; ESG Today 2026-09-24 reports it as the Centrica commitment); fund target USD 50m (Fund I: USD 18m)
Pre-seed fund for European teams with deep technical founders
- Generalist
- Pan-European
- USD
- Fund 5
- 23 Sept 2026
- Connect Ventures
- USD 55m first close of USD 80m fund
- British Business Bank
- 62.4
Early-stage fund for learning and future-of-work startups
- AI, B2B Software, Health & Bio
- Pan-European
- USD
- Fund 3
- 16 Sept 2026
- Brighteye Ventures
- USD 72m
- EIF
- 146.5
Back highly technical founders at the earliest stage and help them build across markets, on the premise that major tech companies can emerge from anywhere.
- B2B Software
- USD
- Fund 3
- 15 Sept 2026
- Crane Venture Partners
- USD 169m (Crane Venture Partners III, pulse2 2026-09-17; platform total USD 484m across four funds not counted)
- 203.7
Growth fund of listed VC Molten, cornerstoned by British Business Bank
- Generalist
- UK, Europe
- GBP
- Fund 1
- 7 Sept 2026
- Molten Ventures
- GBP 175m first close of GBP 350m target
- British Business Bank
Systematic growth-stage investing with proprietary AI model Aleph
- AI, Fintech, B2B Software, Health & Bio, Deep Tech
- Global
- USD
- Fund 2
- 18 Aug 2026
- QuantumLight
- USD 500m
- 350.0
Seed fund within Index Ventures' USD 2bn raise (USD 3.5bn across seed, venture and growth funds), backing founders from first cheque.
- Generalist
- Europe and US (Dealroom also mentions Israel)
- USD
- 31 Jul 2026
- Index Ventures
- USD 400m
- 1,100.0
Growth fund for European technology scale-ups
- B2B Software
- Pan-European
- Fund 6
- 30 Jul 2026
- Highland Europe
- 43.7
Solo-GP day-zero fund backing deeptech founders from their first financing round, often pre-incorporation: AI, batteries, robotics, semiconductors, materials science, novel computing.
- Deep Tech, AI
- Rooted in Europe, network across Europe, US and Asia; planned portfolio of 20 deeptech companies worldwide
- USD
- Emerging manager, Fund 1
- 1 Jul 2026
- Ruya Ventures
- USD 50m (GBP 37.7m)
- 70.3
Seed fund backing repeat founders in Europe and North America
- Generalist
- Europe, North America
- USD
- Fund 3
- 1 Jul 2026
- Tapestry VC
- USD 80m (EUR 70m per source)
- British Business Bank
- 69.6
Debut seed fund for cybersecurity startups in the UK and Canada
- Defence & Security
- UK, Canada
- GBP
- Emerging manager, Fund 1
- 29 Jun 2026
- Osney Capital
- GBP 60m (hard cap; GBP 50m reported 2025-04-07)
- British Business Bank
- 87.3
Follow-on fund for Seedcamp portfolio companies from Series B onward.
- Generalist
- Europe, North America
- USD
- Fund 2
- 22 Jun 2026
- Seedcamp
- USD 100m
- 192.0
Flagship early-stage fund for European founders in software, AI and science
- AI, B2B Software, Deep Tech
- Pan-European
- USD
- Fund 7
- 22 Jun 2026
- Seedcamp
- USD 220m (plus USD 100m Select Fund II, not counted)
- 52.1
All-female GP medtech and women's health fund for UK startups
- Health & Bio
- UK
- GBP
- Emerging manager, Fund 1
- 8 Jun 2026
- THENA Capital
- GBP 45m (first close GBP 27m, 2025-03-24)
- British Business Bank
Pre-seed fund for scientist founders in European deep tech
- Deep Tech, AI, Health & Bio
- Pan-European
- USD
- Emerging manager, Fund 1
- 8 Jun 2026
- Creator Fund
- USD 56m
- EIFO, KfW Capital
- 129.1
Back founders at the intersection of AI and the physical world who modernise legacy industrial and energy systems.
- Climate & Energy
- Europe, UK, US
- USD
- Emerging manager, Fund 2
- 28 May 2026
- Transition Ventures
- USD 150m final close
Back early-stage UK deep tech companies with GBP 500k to 2m initial cheques into 14 to 16 companies, reserving capital for follow-ons.
- Deep Tech
- UK
- GBP
- Fund 4
- 27 May 2026
- Longwall Ventures
- GBP 86,2m eingesammelt, Ziel GBP 100m (BBB-Angabe)
- British Business Bank
- 344.2
Global fintech fund backed by Santander, seed to Series C
- Fintech, AI
- Global
- USD
- Fund 3
- 19 May 2026
- Mouro Capital
- USD 400m (BeBeez: EUR 343.4m)
Back high-potential UK companies spun out of the research base and startup ecosystem, on the view that their IP is undervalued versus international peers.
- UK
- GBP
- Emerging manager, Fund 1
- 14 May 2026
- Lansdowne Partners
- GBP 111m (First Close, British Business Bank 2026-05-14)
- British Business Bank
Make first investments in founders building in AI, fintech and enterprise risk, as a founder-first European seed investor.
- AI, Fintech
- UK, Europe
- USD
- Fund 4
- 27 Apr 2026
- Passion Capital
- USD 55m incl. 2 SPVs (manager)
- 91.9
UK impact fund for health, essential services and sustainable consumption
- Health & Bio, Consumer, Climate & Energy
- UK
- GBP
- Fund 2
- 13 Apr 2026
- Eka Ventures
- GBP 80m (USD 107m)
- British Business Bank
- 200.3
Solo-GP fund for AI-first companies, mainly early stage
- AI, Deep Tech, Defence & Security
- Europe, North America
- USD
- Fund 3
- 23 Mar 2026
- Air Street Capital
- USD 232.3m
- 86.0
Seed and Series A investments in SpaceTech combined with AI, spanning defence, climate, life sciences and next-generation space infrastructure.
- Deep Tech
- Global
- Emerging manager, Fund 2
- 25 Feb 2026
- Seraphim Space
- British Business Bank, NSSIF
- 125.0
Turn academic breakthrough science into early-stage healthcare companies by leading financings and building leadership teams (up to 15 companies).
- Health & Bio
- UK, US
- Fund 4
- 29 Jan 2026
- Epidarex Capital
- Scottish National Investment Bank, British Business Bank, Strathclyde Pension Fund
- 210.0
Urban and industrial climate tech fund for Europe
- Climate & Energy
- Pan-European
- Fund 2
- 26 Jan 2026
- 2150
- EIFO
Seed and Series A fund for enterprise software, AI and fintech, cheques of EUR 1-5m.
- B2B Software
- not found
- Fund 3
- 3 Dec 2025
- 6 Degrees Capital
- 11.4
Pre-seed and seed investments in European founders, about 80 investments over three years.
- Generalist
- Europe
- GBP
- Emerging manager, Fund 1
- 24 Nov 2025
- Onstage
- GBP 10m
- 60.6
Early-growth fund investing in quantum technology companies at Series A and B.
- Deep Tech
- Global
- USD
- Emerging manager
- 24 Nov 2025
- Firgun Ventures
- USD 70m (target USD 250m)
- 500.0
Asset-centric biotech company creation and investments at all stages
- Health & Bio
- Global
- Fund 5
- 14 Nov 2025
- Medicxi
- 86.1
Pre-seed and seed fund for frontier-tech founders with global ambition
- Deep Tech, AI, Fintech
- Pan-European
- USD
- Fund 3
- 13 Nov 2025
- Backed VC
- USD 100m (cap)
- 890.0
Growth buyouts and strategic minority investments in European B2B technology-enabled services across financial and enterprise technology.
- Fintech, B2B Software, Business Services
- Pan-European; European-headquartered businesses
- Emerging manager, Fund 1
- 1 Oct 2025
- Aspirity Partners
- 114.0
Growth fund backing best portfolio companies and selective external scale-ups in AI-driven business software
- B2B Software, AI
- Europe
- USD
- Fund 3
- 30 Sept 2025
- Notion Capital
- 75.0
Sector-agnostic pre-seed fund for UK and European founders
- Generalist
- UK, Europe
- USD
- Fund 2
- 30 Sept 2025
- Concept Ventures
- USD 88m
Early-stage climate tech across power, transport, buildings, industry, agriculture, circular economy
- Climate & Energy
- UK
- GBP
- Fund 2
- 18 Aug 2025
- Clean Growth Fund
- GBP 49m (target GBP 150m)
- Strathclyde Pension Fund, Islington local government pension fund, East Riding local government pension fund
- 22.3
Super-angel style debut fund for pre-seed and seed startups
- Health & Bio, Fintech, Consumer
- UK
- USD
- Emerging manager, Fund 1
- 3 Jul 2025
- Araya Ventures
- USD 26.3m
- 478.6
Partners with founder-led high-growth businesses in the knowledge economy, providing strategic support to accelerate growth.
- Technology, Business Services
- GBP
- Fund 6
- 1 Jul 2025
- Growth Capital Partners
- GBP 411m (final)
Systematic data-driven investing in growth-stage outliers using proprietary AI model
- AI, Fintech, Health & Bio, B2B Software
- Global
- USD
- Emerging manager, Fund 1
- 20 May 2025
- QuantumLight
- USD 250m (hard cap)
Invest in digital health, enterprise healthcare and MedTech companies with a compelling case for scaling within the NHS, providing hands-on support, evidence-building and connections to health systems in the UK and US.
- Health & Bio
- UK, US
- GBP
- Emerging manager, Fund 1
- 19 May 2025
- Meridian Health Ventures (formerly KHP Ventures)
- GBP 30m (USD 40m; USD 50m total commitments)
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- 90.2
First institutional fund for early-stage European B2B and AI startups
- B2B Software, AI
- Pan-European
- USD
- Fund 2
- 10 Apr 2025
- Dig Ventures
- USD 100m
- 2,800.0
Lower mid-cap strategy combining buyouts and growth investments in businesses typically valued between €100m and €300m.
- Generalist
- UK and Europe
- Fund 5
- 1 Mar 2025
- Bridgepoint
- 60.0
Venture capital in high-growth climate and deep tech companies, often university spin-outs.
- Climate & Energy, Deep Tech
- Europe (Italy-focused LP base)
- Emerging manager, Fund 1
- 17 Jan 2025
- Algebris Investments
- CDP Venture Capital
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