Today, while investors may be more concerned and selective about the companies they choose to financially support, European startups have reasons to feel hopeful. Announcing the launch of new funds this past month, several prominent European venture capitalists are seeking to invest in the next generation of innovative thinkers and startup companies. From technology to healthcare, these venture capitalists aim to provide crucial support to companies in various stages.
These new investors are expected to create more opportunities for startups to scale their operations, develop cutting-edge products, and drive economic growth. Below is a list of the major players ready to invest.
Index Ventures
Based in London, this venture capital firm is on a mission to help entrepreneurs take their bold ideas to an international audience. Since Index Ventures’ inception, they claim to have partnered with exceptional entrepreneurs in Europe, the US, and Israel. So far, the VC has backed 108 startups that have achieved a $1B valuation, with 23 surpassing a $10B valuation, and 57 becoming publicly traded.
Earlier this month, the VC raised $2.3B (approximately €2.1) in new funds—$800M (approximately €740M) to venture funds and $1.5B (approximately €1.38B) to a growth fund. Plus, the venture capitalist has generated 200,000 jobs and is projected to create an additional 20,000 jobs in the next 12 months.
Zaka
Beginning as a family office investing solely private money in pre-seed and seed startups, Prague-based Zaka VC has expanded its presence to the UK and the US, investing in over 55 companies across the globe, with over €11M in the US.
Last month, Zaka launched its first regular VC fund at €15M to support early-stage startups in the US and EU, to invest in pre-seed and seed-stage startups in Europe, and co-investors in the US. Zaka’s investment focus is on B2B software, the cross-sectional application of AI in B2B, and biotech and health tech. The firm has invested in companies such as ExcepGen, Sensible Biotechnologies, and Lime Therapeutics.
Kennet
Recently, the UK VC Kennet raised €266M, its largest fund to date, Kennet VI. Kennet has already begun investing this capital in B2B Saas companies throughout Europe, including Screendragon in Ireland and the UK, as well as Fluid Topics in France.
This new fund builds on the previous funds’ success, and Kennet VI will exclusively invest in established, high-growth B2B Saas technology companies that are founder-owned and either highly capital efficient or fully “bootstrapped”—built without external capital.
Lead Ventures
This venture capital firm is located in Central and Eastern Europe, and Lead Ventures is dedicated to supporting the most promising scale-ups of the region with capital, expertise, and a diverse professional network.
Specializing in growth investments, a Hungarian VC announced a new €100M fund to invest in late seed and Series A companies with validated products/services that need capital for growth.
13books Capital
Formerly known as Element Ventures, the London-based venture capital firm, 13books Capital aims to support startup positions to disrupt the financial technology sector by providing capital and strategic guidance that will accelerate growth and market expansion.
Partnering with Europe’s top fintech founders, 13books Capital recently closed a £121M (approximately €144M) fund aimed at supporting companies at seed to Series A stages, with ticket sizes ranging from £1M to £7M (approximately between €1.19M to €8.33M).
To date, the venture capital firm has backed 19 fintech companies, investing in companies such as Roadzen, Hepster, Coincover, Runa, and Thirdfort.
Worxinvest
Worxinvest recently launched its first fund, Worxinvest Horizon I, which aims to include diversified private equity funds on buyouts and growth capital for small and medium-sized companies from Europe to North America.
The fund meets the Article 8 classification (“light green”) under the European Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation, promoting positive environmental and social characteristics while ensuring good governance in the invested companies. Worxinvest Horizon I is registered with the FMSA and raised over €100M at its first closing.
