July 2026

17 Posts

15

Norrsken Evolve Closes €62M Pre-Seed Fund, Opens Amsterdam Base

Norrsken Evolve has closed its pre-seed fund at €62M—over 50% above target—and opened a permanent Amsterdam base with €3M ring-fenced for Dutch founders.

15

Activate Capital Closes Fund III, Pushing Past $1B in AUM

Activate Capital has closed Fund III, taking the energy and industrial-tech specialist past $1B in AUM. The fund already holds 10 portfolio companies generating more than $3B in cumulative revenue.

15

Elevation Capital Launches $500M Fund IX to Back India's AI Startups

Elevation Capital has launched Fund IX, a $500M early-stage fund targeting India's AI-native founders at seed and Series A, bringing its fresh deployable capital to roughly $900M alongside its $400M growth vehicle.

14

Aspire11 Deploys First EUR 100M of Its EUR 515M Pension-Backed Fund

Prague's Aspire11 has deployed the first EUR 100M of its EUR 515M pension-backed fund, disclosed its portfolio (Revolut, Databricks, ElevenLabs) and named ex-Ontario Teachers investor Zaya Kadyrova co-founder.

13

J-Ventures Closes $36M Fund III on Its 'Capitalist Kibbutz' Model

J-Ventures has closed its third fund at $36M, 44% above target, scaling its community-driven 'Capitalist Kibbutz' model to ~$110M AUM while turning away over $15M in over-cap commitments.

11

Ashton Kutcher and Morgan Beller Launch Decimal Capital for AI Infrastructure

Ashton Kutcher has left Sound Ventures to launch Decimal Capital with ex-NFX GP Morgan Beller, targeting a reported ~$500M for AI infrastructure, energy, and deep tech.

9

Paradigm Closes $1.2B Fund III, Pushing Beyond Crypto Into AI and Robotics

Paradigm has closed a $1.2B third venture fund, expanding its mandate beyond crypto into AI and robotics under a new 'technical frontier' thesis, and coming in below its reported $1.5B target.

9

Vermilion Cliffs Ventures Closes $25M Fund II for Technical Founders

Solo GP Ashley Smith has closed Vermilion Cliffs Ventures Fund II at $25M, nearly doubling her debut fund, to back technical founders in AI infrastructure, security, and developer tooling.

8

Ex-Apple Engineers Close $33M Omni Ventures Manufacturing Fund

Omni Ventures, founded by former Apple engineers Simon Lancaster and Sabrina Paseman, closed an oversubscribed $33M Fund I — anchored by Allocator One with Foxconn as strategic LP — to write first checks into factory-floor AI.

6

B Capital Closes Oversubscribed $500M Ascent Fund III at Hard Cap

B Capital has closed Ascent Fund III at its $500M hard cap, nearly doubling its predecessor, to back Seed through Series B founders in healthcare, enterprise, energy and frontier tech across North America and Asia.

4

Catalyst Fund Hits $30M Second Close for African Climate Adaptation

Pan-African pre-seed investor Catalyst Fund reached a $30M second close toward its $40M target, adding IFC, Shell Foundation, Speedinvest, and We-Fi as LPs to back climate adaptation startups across Africa.

3

Orbit Capital Closes €107M Growth Debt Fund II for CEE Scaleups

Prague- and Warsaw-based Orbit Capital closed Growth Debt Fund II at €107M, above target, as PFR Ventures makes its first-ever venture debt commitment - a coming-of-age moment for non-dilutive capital in CEE.

3

Climentum Hits €60M First Close on Climate Hard Tech Fund II

Danish climate VC Climentum Capital reached a €60M first close on its €100M-target Fund II, backed by EIF, EIFO and - in a European first - trade union IDA's debut venture commitment.

2

Magnify Ventures Closes $46.6M Fund II for Care Economy AI

Magnify Ventures closed Fund II at $46.6M with Melinda French Gates' Pivotal Ventures returning as anchor, targeting AI infrastructure for the $648B care economy.

1

Vicus Ventures Closes $55M Debut Fund on a 'Village' Model of Seed Investing

Brothers Raj and Sunny Singh Sandhu capped Vicus Ventures' debut seed fund at $55M — a nod to their Punjabi roots — betting that a curated LP network of GPs, operators, Drake, and Chris Paul beats commodity capital.

1

Ruya Ventures Closes $50M Solo-GP Debut Fund for Day-Zero Deeptech

Ex-Speedinvest deeptech lead Rick Hao closed Ruya Ventures' oversubscribed $50M debut fund in under a year — a solo-GP, pre-seed vehicle backing ~20 European deeptech companies from day zero.

1

Tapestry VC Raises $80M Fund III to Back Repeat Founders

Nothing- and Fin AI-backer Tapestry VC announced an $80M Fund III anchored by up to $40M from the British Business Bank, tripling fund size to lead pre-seed rounds for repeat founders across Europe and North America.

June 2026

38 Posts

29

Discipulus Ventures Closes Oversubscribed $30M Fund to Back El Segundo Hardtech

Jakob Diepenbrock's Discipulus Ventures has closed an oversubscribed $30M fund for earliest-stage American hardtech, with reported LPs including Palmer Luckey and Brian Armstrong, built around an intensive El Segundo founder residency.

29

P101 Absorbs PranaVentures in Italy's First VC Consolidation, Launches €100M Prana101

P101 SGR has integrated seed specialist PranaVentures into a €600M+ platform and is raising a new €100M seed fund, Prana101, in what's billed as Italy's first VC consolidation deal.

29

Osney Capital Closes £60M Debut, the UK's First Dedicated Cyber Seed Fund

Osney Capital has closed an oversubscribed £60M debut fund, anchored by the British Business Bank, to become the UK's first venture firm investing exclusively in early-stage cybersecurity.

27

Framework Ventures Closes $400M Fund IV, Expanding Beyond Crypto

Framework Ventures has closed its $400M FVIV fund, rebranding from a crypto-native shop into a vertical-agnostic frontier-tech firm spanning AI, robotics, energy and digital assets.

26

Daybreak Raises $100M for Fund II and Meridian to Back AI-Native Founders

Rex Woodbury's Daybreak has raised $100M, a $75M second core fund plus a $25M opportunistic vehicle called Meridian, tripling its 2025 debut to keep writing first checks to AI-native founders.

26

VGames Launches $10M Indie Fund for Premium PC & Console Studios

Vgames, Israel's first games-focused VC, has launched a $10M Indie Fund that finances premium PC and console titles through non-dilutive revenue share rather than equity, targeting roughly 20 studios at ~$500K each.

25

Senovo Closes Fund IV Above $100M to Back European B2B Software Category Leaders

Senovo has closed its fourth fund at more than $100M, extending a 12-year, four-fund B2B software franchise with 40+ investments, 13 exits and three unicorns, including German AI unicorn Parloa.

25

Nucleo Ventures Launches €34M Fund as Fortech Ventures Rebrands

Fortech Ventures has rebranded as Nucleo Ventures and launched a €34M early-stage fund anchored by ADR Nord-Vest to back 46 startups across Romania and Central and Eastern Europe.

25

Deep33 Closes $200M Debut Fund, Betting on the Physical World of AI

Deep33, founded by Lior Prosor and Michael Broukhim, closed its debut deep-tech fund at $200M, a third above target, to back AI infrastructure, energy, quantum and the physical bottlenecks of the AI era.

24

Robin Capital Hits €12M Second Close on Solo-GP Fund II

Robin Haak's solo-GP firm Robin Capital has hit a €12M second close on Fund II (€15M target), keeping its founder-first, community-led bet on European early-stage deeptech, robotics, and AI.

24

Menlo Ventures Raises $3B Across Two Funds to Go All-In on AI

Menlo Ventures raised $3B, its largest haul in 50 years, split across early-stage Fund XVII and growth-stage Inflection IV, funded by an Anthropic bet now reportedly worth about $14B.

24

Norrsken Launcher Closes Oversubscribed €80M Fund II, Adds Saminvest to Back Deeptech Founders

Norrsken Launcher, the Stockholm deeptech venture-builder, has closed an oversubscribed €80M Fund II (hard cap), adding Sweden's state-backed Saminvest as its first institutional LP to keep backing scientists and engineers from lab to industrial scale.

23

Sturgeon Capital Closes $25M SEO II as Kazakhstan's Alem Capital Anchors Emerging Asia Bet

Sturgeon Capital held a $25M final close on SEO II, anchored by Kazakhstan's Alem Capital Management in its first public regional bet, alongside the IFC, SBI Holdings and QIC. The fund is at 1.39x MOIC across a dozen Emerging Asia investments.

23

Banner VC Closes ~$225M Debut Fund as Ex-DOGE Founders Bet Big on Defense Tech

Former DOGE staffers Brooks Morgan and Adam Ramada have closed roughly $225M for Banner VC, a debut fund already co-leading a $500M round in Impulse Space and betting hard on defense and space infrastructure.

23

Seedcamp Raises $320M Across Fund VII & Select, Hits $1B AUM

Europe's pioneering seed investor splits a record $320M across a $220M early-stage Fund VII and a new $100M Select growth vehicle, crosses $1B AUM, and pushes into the US.

20

Anti Fund Closes $100M Growth I, Lifting AUM Past $180M

Geoffrey Woo and Jake Paul's Anti Fund has closed an oversubscribed $100M growth fund with positions in OpenAI, Anduril and SpaceX, pushing firm AUM past $180M.

18

AVP & Earlybird Launch E2D, a €500M European Defence & Dual-Use Fund

AVP and Earlybird have launched E2D, a €500M Franco-German growth fund for European defence and dual-use tech, writing ~€25M checks into ~20 companies. First close is June 30.

18

100x100 Raises $100M Fund II to Build 50 Climate Startups in SEA & India

Singapore's 100x100, the climate company builder from the Wavemaker Impact team, has launched a $100M Fund II to build 50 new climate ventures across Southeast Asia and India.

17

Wave Ventures Closes €10M Fund III, Europe's Gen Z-Led Nordic Seed Bet

Wave Ventures, run entirely by investors under 25, closed a €10M third fund (5x its last) to lead Nordic pre-seed rounds and launched a €240K founder grant.

17

Pegasus & CYBERDYNE Launch $60M Physical AI CVC Fund

Pegasus Tech Ventures has launched a JPY 10B (~$60M) corporate venture fund with CYBERDYNE as sole LP, targeting robotics, physical AI and healthcare automation.

16

Gutter Capital Closes $75M Fund III, Bets the Firm on Its NYC Accelerator

Gutter Capital closes a $75M Fund III (up from $25M and $44M) and reorganizes around Elbow Grease, its hands-on NYC accelerator - a contrarian bet on concentration over scale by founders Dan Teran and James Gettinger.

16

monday.com Launches monday Ventures, a $200M CVC Arm for Workplace AI

monday.com (Nasdaq: MNDY) launches monday Ventures, a corporate venture arm with a $200M ceiling and $50M live, led by ex-Next47 investor Aviel Ichai to back workplace AI, agents, and security startups.

15

Anterra Capital Hits €86M First Close on Agrifoodtech Fund III

Amsterdam's Anterra Capital has reached an €86M ($100M) first close on Fund III against a €172M target, anchored by Rabobank, Novo Holdings and Zoetis, betting on AI's reshaping of food and agriculture.

15

World Cup 2026 Investors — The Players Quietly Backing Startups, Funds & Unicorns

Cristiano Ronaldo backs Perplexity. Kylian Mbappé runs Coalition Capital. Lionel Messi has a VC fund. A verified breakdown of every World Cup 2026 player who is also a startup investor.

13

Base10 Closes $850M Across Two Funds, Hitting $2.6B AUM on a Real-Economy AI Bet

Base10 Partners closed $850M across two new funds, lifting AUM to $2.6B as it doubles down on AI automating the real economy: logistics, healthcare, fintech and real estate.

11

Angel Invest Closes €40M Fund III for Angel-to-Seed Investing

Berlin's Angel Invest closed its €40M Fund III above target, with 110+ companies already backed at angel to seed stage and follow-on rounds from a16z, Index, Insight, and Tiger validating Europe's highest-volume first-check model.

11

Animal Capital Closes $33M Fund III for Early-Stage Consumer Tech

Animal Capital closed its $33M Fund III — bigger than Funds I and II combined — backed by LPs from MrBeast to Gary Cohn, doubling down on seed-stage US consumer tech after entries into Whatnot, Colossal, Whop, and Underdog.

10

The FM15: Emerging VC Managers with Fresh Money and a Track Record to Back It Up — H1 2026

The FM15 ranks 15 emerging VC managers from H1 2026 fund closes, scored on four founder-relevant dimensions: LP Trust Signal, Early Track Record, Thesis Sharpness, and Founder Alignment. Refactor Capital leads at 24/27. Fully fact-checked, with corrections to GP rosters, fund sizes, LP attributions, and GP-type taxonomy.

10

Pitchdrive Caps Fund IV at €60M—and Turns Away the Rest to Stay Small on AI-Native Pre-Seed

Antwerp's Pitchdrive closed an oversubscribed €60M Fund IV—entirely privately backed—and deliberately capped it to keep its hands-on, operator-led model focused on 25–30 AI-native pre-seed startups.

9

Curiosity VC Closes €17M First Tranche of Fund II to Back Vertical Applied AI

Amsterdam's Curiosity reached a €17M first close on Fund II (targeting €30-40M), backing vertical applied AI at pre-seed and seed across Northern Europe, with its signature founder carry-sharing community model.

9

Kindred Ventures Announces $355M Across Fund IV and Selector II to Back the Age of Intelligence

Kindred Ventures announced $355M across Kindred Ventures IV and Kindred Selector II, pairing an early-stage fund with an early-growth vehicle to back frontier 'age of intelligence' companies, led by Steve Jang and Kanyi Maqubela.

8

Creator Fund Closes $56M to Back Europe's PhD Founders Before the Deck

Creator Fund has closed a $56M pan-European pre-seed fund to back PhD and scientific founders before they have a pitch deck, anchored by Germany's KfW Capital and Denmark's EIFO across 71 LPs from 21 countries.

6

Benchmark Breaks a 20-Year Rule: $2B Raise and Its First-Ever Growth Fund

Benchmark closed roughly $2B across two funds, including its first dedicated growth fund, abandoning two decades of small-fund discipline after a $3.25B Cerebras windfall.

5

Merantix Capital Closes €103M, Its Largest Fund Yet, to Build European AI From the Pre-Idea Stage

Berlin's Merantix Capital has closed a €103M fund — more than 3x its first vehicle — splitting capital evenly between venture-studio company-building and direct pre-seed and seed investments.

4

byFounders Closes Oversubscribed EUR 130M+ Fund III for the New Nordics

Copenhagen's byFounders, an early backer of Lovable, has closed an oversubscribed Fund III at EUR 130M+ (about SEK 1.4bn) to back pre-seed and seed startups across the Nordics and Baltics.

3

Blue Cloud Ventures Closes Fund V, Pushes Past $1B AUM With AI-First Software Bet

Blue Cloud Ventures has closed BCV V, pushing firm AUM past $1B. The NYC growth-stage software firm has already booked a first liquidity event from Zendesk's March 2026 acquisition of Forethought.

2

Version One Ventures Closes $108M Across Fund V and Opportunities Fund III, Pushes Deeper Into India and Africa

Version One Ventures closed $78M Fund V and $30M Opportunities Fund III for a combined $108M. Boris Wertz and Angela Tran double down on AI infra, robotics, deep tech, and emerging markets.

1

Gigascale Capital Closes $250M Fund I as Schroepfer Bets the Physical Economy Wins on Performance, Not Climate Branding

Mike Schroepfer's Gigascale Capital closed a $250M first institutional fund on June 1, 2026, betting on the physical economy. Energy, grid, critical minerals, and physical AI, sold to LPs on performance rather than climate impact.

May 2026

42 Posts

31

Ghost Angels Launches: Twenty Snap Alums Quietly Build the Next Consumer VC Fund

Twenty Snap alumni led by Max Rivera have launched Ghost Angels, a pre-seed and seed fund targeting the next generation of social media and consumer AI. Five investments down, fifteen to go.

29

Lightning Capital Launches $100M Venture Fund II With Ex-a16z GP Michele Griffin

Miami-based Lightning Capital launches Venture Fund II with a $100M target and adds former Andreessen Horowitz operating partner Michele Griffin as GP and COO, anchored by a hands-on GTM playbook and an 'AI Ripple Effects' thesis.

28

Genesia Ventures Closes $113M Fund IV, Doubling Down on Concentrated Asia Seed Bets

Tokyo-based Genesia Ventures closes its fourth fund at $113M, holding size flat versus Fund III but narrowing concentration across Japan, Southeast Asia, and India.

28

STRABAG Launches Loom Ventures: €100M CVC for European InfraTech, No Strategic Mandate Attached

Austrian construction giant STRABAG has launched Loom Ventures, a €100M corporate venture fund for European InfraTech at Seed and Series A. Co-led by Ilja Aizenberg (ex-M Ventures) and Toba Spiegel (ex-Trill Impact), the vehicle is positioned as a purely financial CVC with no strategic mandate.

27

Transition Ventures Closes $150M Fund II to Back AI and the Physical World

London-based Transition Ventures, founded by Unity co-founder David Helgason, has closed a $150M Fund II to back inception-through-Series-A companies at the intersection of AI and the physical world. Total AUM crosses $300M.

27

Marvelous Scito Fund: Evergreen Deeptech Fund of Funds Plus Direct Co-Invest for European Industrial Innovation

Berlin-based Marvelous has launched the Marvelous Scito Fund: an evergreen, hybrid fund-of-funds with direct co-investment capability built for European industrial deeptech. The vehicle opens with a €20M anchor commitment from the Joachim Herz Stiftung.

27

TMV Logistics: $200M Maritime & Logistics VC Fund Anchored by Prologis Ventures and ABS

TMV, the New York seed firm founded by Soraya Darabi and Marina Hadjipateras, has launched a $200M dedicated maritime and logistics venture fund anchored by Prologis Ventures and the American Bureau of Shipping.

26

Gary Lineker's Goalhanger Launches Ventures Arm to Back Creator-Led Media Businesses

Goalhanger, the UK podcast company behind The Rest Is Politics, has launched a VC arm to back creator-led media businesses, with its first two deals already announced.

26

Factory Capital Commits $25M+ to Build Women's Midlife Health Into an Institutional VC Category

Sydney's Factory Capital is deploying $25M+ to create women's midlife health as an institutional VC category, anchored by the new Institute Advancing Women's Health.

23

Antler UK Fund II Lands £25M British Business Bank Cornerstone, Its Largest Single-Geography Fund

British Business Bank anchors Antler's UK Fund II with £25M alongside Lloyds Banking Group, making it Antler's largest single-location vehicle to date.

23

Convective Capital Closes $85M Fund II, Expanding From Wildfire to All-Hazard Disaster Resilience

Bill Clerico's Convective Capital closes an $85M institutional Fund II, expanding beyond wildfire to disaster resilience after a 79% Series A graduation rate from Fund I.

22

BAI Capital Hits $600M First Close of New $800M Fund, Reopening China USD VC

Beijing-based BAI Capital has held a US$600M first close on a new US$800M growth fund — one of the largest China-focused USD VC closes since 2022. Founder Anna Long's 18-year track record includes 22 IPOs and 51 trade-sale exits.

22

Cleo Ventures Closes €30M Fund II to Back Europe's AI-Native Founders

Paris-based Cleo Ventures has closed its €30M Fund II to back European AI founders at pre-seed and seed, anchored by Otium Capital and 40+ operator-LPs holding carry through the Trailblazers Club structure.

22

Playground Global Closes $475M Fund IV, a $115M Step-Up From the $360M Fund III Flagship

Palo Alto deep-tech specialist Playground Global closes Fund IV at $475M, a 32% step-up from the $360M Fund III flagship and $125M above its September 2025 target. Total AUM now $1.7B, with former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger now on the GP bench alongside Barrett, Leak and Bell.

22

Lauxera Closes Oversubscribed €520M Fund II to Push European Healthtech Into the US Market

Paris and San Francisco-based Lauxera Capital Partners has closed Lauxera Growth II at €520M, busting through its €500M hard cap and nearly doubling Fund I. The 90%+ re-up rate from existing LPs is the real headline.

20

Aurora Ventures Launches With inDrive Backing to Bet on Women Founders in Emerging Markets

Aurora Ventures launches its 2026 pilot anchored by inDrive, deploying up to $250K cheques into women-founded pre-seed and seed startups across MENA, Africa, and Latin America, ahead of a planned 2027 GP/LP raise.

20

Skybound Launches $38M Athens-Based Deeptech Fund Anchored by EIF, Bets First on BCI Startup

Athens-based Skybound launches with a $38M EIF-anchored first close to back pre-seed and seed-stage European deeptech founders, debuting with a brain-computer interface bet.

19

EQT Wins Mandate to Run Europe's €5B Scaleup Fund, Beating Atomico in Brussels' Biggest Tech Bet

EQT has been picked by the European Commission to run the €5 billion Scaleup Europe Fund, with €2.5 billion already committed by Novo Holdings, Allianz, APG, Santander, and the Wallenberg family. The fund will back European AI, quantum, space, and biotech companies from Series B onwards.

19

Mouro Capital Closes $400M Fund III With Santander as Sole LP, Crosses $1B in Commitments

Mouro Capital has closed a $400 million third fund fully backed by Banco Santander, bringing total commitments past $1 billion. The fintech-focused VC has already made seven investments from Fund III, including ElevenLabs and Sakana AI, with a 4x average return across 26 prior exits.

18

Lightrock Closes $500M Accelerate7 Fund to Scale Energy Access Across Africa and Asia

Lightrock holds final close on Accelerate7 at $500M, a dedicated SDG 7 growth fund for off-grid solar, clean cooking and EV companies in Africa and Asia, backed by Equinor, Shell, TotalEnergies and LGT.

15

Meridian Ventures Closes Oversubscribed $35M Debut Fund to Back MBA-Deferred Founders

Harvard Business School graduates Devon Gethers and Karlton Haney have closed an oversubscribed $35M debut fund explicitly designed to back MBA founders — particularly those who deferred admission to build companies first.

15

Icehouse Ventures Hits $40M First Close on $150M Growth Fund III as KiwiSaver Capital Arrives

Icehouse Ventures has closed $40M of its $150M target Growth Fund III, marking the first time three separate KiwiSaver managers have co-invested in a New Zealand venture fund — a structural shift for the country's startup capital pool.

15

Top Down Ventures Closes $28M MSP & AI Fund I — 5.3x Exit Already in the Books

Vancouver-based Top Down Ventures has closed its $28M Founders Fund I, the first institutional venture fund dedicated to MSP software and AI — already with a 5.3x exit via ConnectWise's acquisition of portfolio company zofiQ.

13

A* Closes $450M Fund III as Kevin Hartz Doubles Down on Small-Fund, High-Conviction Seed Investing

Kevin Hartz and Bennett Siegel close A* Fund III at $450M with $3M-$5M checks into roughly 30 companies, betting that small, ownership-driven seed funds beat megafunds in the AI cycle.

12

Kalos Ventures Closes Oversubscribed $78.8M Debut Fund Backed by Pivotal Ventures and MassMutual

Kalos Ventures, led by Ashley Bittner, has closed an oversubscribed $78.8M inaugural fund to back early-stage tech in workforce, care, and education, with anchors including Pivotal Ventures, MassMutual, and GCM Grosvenor.

9

Arāya Sie Fund Hits £7.5M First Close to Back Women Founders in UK and European Deeptech

Arāya Ventures and Sie Ventures team up on a £7.5M first close to back women-led startups across UK and European deeptech, defence, spacetech, fintech, and AI. British Business Bank anchors the LP base.

9

Restive Ventures Closes $45M Fund III to Back AI-Native Fintech After 6.3x Mark on Fund I

Restive Ventures closes a $45M Fund III to keep writing first checks into AI-native financial services. Fund I marked at 6.3x, Fund II at 4x, and Fund III's first disclosed portfolio company Hiro was acquired by OpenAI three months out of stealth.

9

Wisdom Ventures Closes Oversubscribed $77.7M Fund II With Reid Hoffman and Vivek Murthy Backing

Wisdom Ventures closes an oversubscribed $77.7M Fund II - 8x its debut - to back AI-enabled wellbeing startups. LPs include Reid Hoffman and Stewart Butterfield, with former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy joining as Senior Venture Partner.

9

Mother Ventures Closes $10M Debut Fund to Bet on the $2.4T 'Mom Economy'

Allison Stern's Mother Ventures closes a $10M debut fund built entirely around the mother-as-consumer thesis, anchored by former Blackstone COO Tony James and a heavyweight LP base spanning Lovevery, Netflix, and Anthropic operators.

8

Refactor Capital Closes $50M Fund 5 With 100% Re-Up From Existing LPs

Solo GP Zal Bilimoria has closed Refactor 5 at $50M, his fifth hard tech fund, with 100% of the capital coming from existing LPs - one of the cleanest emerging-manager re-ups of the year.

8

Weekend Fund IV Becomes USVC's First Early-Stage Bet, Quietly Launching the Retail-LP Era for Emerging Managers

Ryan Hoover and Vedika Jain just announced Weekend Fund IV with USVC as a foundational LP, making it the first early-stage venture fund a US retail investor can access for $500. The structural implications for emerging-manager fundraising are bigger than the headline.

8

Weekend Fund IV Becomes USVC's First Early-Stage Bet, Quietly Launching the Retail-LP Era for Emerging Managers

Ryan Hoover and Vedika Jain just announced Weekend Fund IV with USVC as a foundational LP, making it the first early-stage venture fund a US retail investor can access for $500. The structural implications for emerging-manager fundraising are bigger than the headline.

8

Weekend Fund IV Becomes USVC's First Early-Stage Bet, Quietly Launching the Retail-LP Era for Emerging Managers

Ryan Hoover and Vedika Jain just announced Weekend Fund IV with USVC as a foundational LP, making it the first early-stage venture fund a US retail investor can access for $500. The structural implications for emerging-manager fundraising are bigger than the headline.

7

Khwarizmi Ventures Hits $70M+ First Close on Fund II to Back GCC Founders Across Fintech, AI, and Consumer

Saudi-based Khwarizmi Ventures has hit a $70M+ first close on Fund II, doubling down on seed and Series A across the GCC after Fund I delivered five exits in its first five years. Backed primarily by Saudi family offices and institutional LPs.

7

Griffin Gaming Partners Launches $100M Special Opportunities Fund, Bets on Project Finance for Indie Games

Griffin Gaming Partners has launched a $100M Special Opportunities Fund led by Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender, replacing equity-only gaming VC with project-based revenue-share financing for indie developers.

6

Two Sigma Ventures Spins Out as Deviation Capital With $2B AUM and a Reset on Quant-Native VC

Two Sigma Ventures is now Deviation Capital, an independent early-stage VC firm with about $2B in assets, 79 portfolio companies including WHOOP and Kalshi, and continued access to Two Sigma's data science talent.

5

a16z Crypto Closes $2.2B Fund 5, Cuts Size in Half and Promotes CTO Eddy Lazzarin to GP

Andreessen Horowitz's crypto arm closed Crypto Fund 5 at $2.2B, less than half the size of Fund 4, sharpening its thesis around stablecoins, perps, prediction markets, and AI agents while promoting CTO Eddy Lazzarin to general partner.

5

AlphaDrive Ventures Launches $100M Cyber + AI Fund, Anchored by Bank Leumi and 22 Prior Exits

Former Elron Ventures CEO Yaron Elad and ex-Unit 8200 deputy cyber chief Elik Etzion launched AlphaDrive Ventures, a $100M Israeli-American fund anchored by Leumi Partners and built on $2.5B of prior cyber exits.

5

Haun Ventures Raises $1B for Crypto + AI Agents, Calling the Next Cycle of Returns

Katie Haun's crypto-focused firm closed $1 billion across new vehicles to back the agentic economy, where AI systems transact on-chain. The thesis pivot is the most concrete bet so far on crypto-as-AI-rails.

2

Relentless Closes $80M Debut Seed Fund as Damir Becirovic Departs Index After 10 Years

Damir Becirovic has left Index Ventures after a decade to launch Relentless, an $80M debut seed fund focused on consumer, marketplace, and creator-economy founders.

2

Ridgeline Closes $180M Fund II With FedEx and Cisco as Anchor LPs, Doubling Down on Industrial Tech

Memphis-based VC Ridgeline closed Fund II at $180M+ with FedEx and Cisco Investments as strategic LPs, anchoring its bet on applied AI and hardware for industrial buyers.

2

137 Ventures Closes $700M Across Two New Funds, Pushing AUM Past $15B Ahead of SpaceX IPO

137 Ventures raised $700M+ across two new growth-stage vehicles, pushing AUM past $15B as the firm doubles down on its SpaceX-anchored secondary-and-tender franchise.

April 2026

42 Posts

30

Earlybird Closes €360M Fund VIII, Locks In Perpetual GP Ownership and Doubles Down on European Deeptech

Berlin's Earlybird closed a €360M Fund VIII on April 30, 2026, the firm's largest ever. Alongside, it formalized a perpetual ownership model where equity stays only with active GPs and never gets sold. Total firm AUM hits €2.5B; thesis is AI applications, software infrastructure, and deeptech.

30

KOMPAS VC Hits €160M Final Close on Fund II as Realdania Anchors Industrial AI Bet

Copenhagen's KOMPAS VC closed Fund II at €160M on April 29, 2026, with Realdania joining as a new anchor LP for the €10M top-up. The fund backs early-stage industrial AI, robotics, and decarbonisation startups across Europe.

30

Illuminate Financial Closes $135M Early Growth Fund IV With Eight Tier-One Banks as LPs

Illuminate Financial closed a $135M Early Growth Fund IV on April 29, 2026, anchored by BNP Paribas, Citi, HSBC, Jefferies, RBC, S&P Global, TD Securities, and Deutsche Börse. The fund targets Series B+ rounds in AI and fintech infrastructure for financial services.

30

BMW i Ventures Closes $300M Fund III, Going All-In on Agentic and Physical AI

BMW i Ventures closed a $300M Fund III on April 29, 2026, taking total AUM to $1.1B and pivoting the corporate VC's thesis decisively toward agentic AI, physical AI, and industrial software across North America and Europe.

29

Ground State Ventures Closes $88M for Europe's Quantum-First VC, Crushing Its $70M Target

Amsterdam's QDNL Participations rebrands to Ground State Ventures and exceeds its $70M target by 26%, becoming a global early-stage quantum VC writing the first check into 30 startups.

28

Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures Commits $150M to Fund III, Expanding Fintech and Insurtech Bets

Northwestern Mutual's corporate venture arm launches $150M Fund III, bringing total VC allocation to $350M — building on a track record that includes Chime's 2025 IPO and 50+ portfolio companies.

27

Gamma Waves Launches €100M Sports IP and Tech Vehicle With €55M Committed

Andrea Agnelli, Giorgio Chiellini, and Rocco Benetton launch Amsterdam-based Gamma Waves Partners with €55M committed toward a €100M target, blending Sports IP minority stakes with growth-stage Sports Tech investments.

25

Balerion Space Ventures Nears $200M Close for Fund II, Betting on America's Space and Defense Industrial Base

Balerion Space Ventures is nearing the final close of its $200M Fund II, with 13 portfolio companies across space, defense, and deep tech — and a new CFO hire signaling the Dallas firm is building for a multi-fund future.

25

AngelList Launches USVC to Give Every American a Seat at the VC Table — Starting at $500

AngelList's USVC is the first regulated VC fund open to non-accredited retail investors, offering exposure to OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI for as little as $500 with Naval Ravikant chairing the investment committee.

24

Japanet and Pegasus Tech Ventures Quadruple CVC Fund to $200M After Anthropic and xAI Bets Pay Off Spectacularly

Japanese home shopping giant Japanet has expanded its corporate venture fund with Pegasus Tech Ventures from $50M to $200M, powered by early bets on Anthropic and xAI that have delivered extraordinary returns.

24

Firstpoint VC Launches €50M Debut Fund to Back AI-Native Gaming and Entertainment Startups in Emerging Markets

Firstpoint VC has launched with a €50 million debut fund targeting AI-driven gaming, interactive media, and entertainment startups across Turkey, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia.

24

Kurma Partners Closes €215M Biofund IV, Crosses €1B AUM on Back of Four Big Pharma Exits

Paris-based Kurma Partners has closed Biofund IV at €215 million, backed by CSL, EIF, and Bpifrance, reaching €1 billion AUM after four consecutive Big Pharma trade sales from its prior fund.

23

Mighty Capital Closes $91M Fund III, Tripling Size on Six IPOs and Product-Led Investing Edge

San Francisco's Mighty Capital has closed a $91M oversubscribed Fund III — three times its predecessor — proving that product-led investing is a repeatable edge in B2B tech.

22

DFF Ventures Closes Oversubscribed €70M Fund III to Back Vertical AI and Europe's Underdigitised Industries

Amsterdam-based DFF Ventures has closed its third pre-seed fund at an oversubscribed €70M, up from a €60M hard cap. The operator-led VC writes €250K–€2.5M cheques into vertical AI, recommerce and marketplaces for underdigitised industries.

22

Passion Capital Closes €46M Seed Fund IV to Defend London's First-Cheque Franchise

London's Passion Capital has closed Fund IV at €46M alongside two SPVs, backed by a 23% net IRR and €72M in 2025 distributions. The firm behind Monzo, GoCardless and Tide is staying disciplined on size while the rest of VC raises bigger.

22

Accel Closes $5 Billion Leaders Fund V to Write Mega-Checks Into the AI Era

Accel has closed $5 billion across its Leaders Fund V and a sidecar, targeting 20-25 investments averaging $200M each into the world's fastest-scaling AI companies — a war chest that puts it squarely in the same ring as SoftBank.

22

Lumira Ventures Hits First Close on US$200M Fund V to Champion North American Healthcare Innovation

Toronto-based Lumira Ventures has closed the first tranche of its $200M Fund V, making it Canada's largest life sciences VC raise of 2026 — with a succession plan and a $52M first investment already in the bag.

20

Newfund Closes Europe's First BrainTech VC Fund HEKA at €60M, Engineered as a Transatlantic Bridge

Paris-based Newfund has closed HEKA, a €60M specialist BrainTech fund, writing $250K-$2M checks into pre-seed and seed European brain science startups with US scale-up support from the firm's Palo Alto office.

20

Homegrown Ventures Closes Oversubscribed $22.8M Fund I, Launching MENA's First Dedicated CPG Venture Vehicle

UAE-based Homegrown Ventures closed its debut fund at $22.8M, oversubscribed against a $20M target, as MENA's first venture capital vehicle purpose-built for consumer packaged goods and FMCG brands.

20

ACTAI Ventures Holds First Close on Unicorn Fund III, Backs Sovereign Green Compute and ICME

ACTAI Ventures, co-founded by Bill Tai and Amanda Terry, has held a first close on Unicorn Fund III and made its first two investments: Sovereign Green Compute in Perth and ICME, a tokenized equity marketplace co-backed by Binance Labs.

18

UK Launches £500M Sovereign AI Fund to Operate Like a VC Inside Government

The UK has launched a £500M Sovereign AI Fund chaired by Balderton's James Wise, writing its first equity cheque into Callosum and bundling AIRR supercomputer compute with ROFR rights for six more AI startups.

18

Sequoia Raises $7B for Its Largest-Ever Expansion Fund, Engineered for the OpenAI and Anthropic IPO Window

Sequoia closes roughly $7B for its new expansion fund, nearly doubling the 2022 predecessor. The first major raise under co-stewards Alfred Lin and Pat Grady is engineered for a near-term AI DPI event on the back of OpenAI and Anthropic IPOs.

17

Unconventional Ventures Adds Investinor and Wire Group to Fund II Second Close, Doubling Down on Nordic Overlooked Founders

Danish Nordic impact VC Unconventional Ventures announces a second close on its €80M Fund II, adding Investinor and Wire Group as LPs. The firm, co-founded by Nora Bavey and Thea Messel, continues backing pre-seed and seed founders that mainstream European VC has systematically underweighted.

16

Sony Ventures Launches $135M Innovation Fund 4 With Japan's Top Banks as LPs

Sony Ventures Corporation has completed the first close of Sony Innovation Fund 4, targeting over 20 billion yen (~$135M), with MUFG Bank, DBJ, SMBC, and Sony Bank as anchor LPs.

16

Lanchi Ventures Raises $560M Dual-Currency Fund IV to Double Down on Chinese AI and Robotics Founders

Lanchi Ventures has closed its fourth dual-currency fund at approximately $560M, bringing total AUM to nearly RMB 20 billion, to back AI and deep tech startups led by Chinese entrepreneurs globally.

16

Luminous Ventures Closes $730M+ in Dual-Currency Funds, China's Largest VC Raise of 2026

Luminous Ventures, formerly Lightspeed China Partners, has closed over $730 million across an oversubscribed $460M USD fund and a new RMB fund, marking China's largest VC fundraise of 2026 with nearly 10 IPOs expected this year.

14

Iron Nation Raises $50M of $60M Fund II, Anchored by Indiana, With Nvidia Exit Already Booked

Iron Nation, the Israeli VC born after October 7, announced a $60M second fund with $50M secured, anchored by $15M from the State of Indiana and validated by an early Nvidia acquisition of portfolio company Illumex.

13

Eka Ventures Closes £80M Fund II at Hard Cap to Prove Impact VC Can Deliver Top-Decile Returns

London-based Eka Ventures closes its oversubscribed £80M ($107M) Fund II at hard cap, backed by British Business Bank and Molten Ventures, after Fund I ranked in the top 5% of its 2021 vintage globally.

12

Hyperion Launches $35M Fund I to Become the Strategy Partner Deeptech VCs Promised to Be

Hyperion emerges from stealth with a $35M Fund I to be the strategy partner deeptech founders actually need, backed by Vista Equity Partners and already sitting on early bets in Valar Atomics ($2B), Antithesis ($105M Series A), and Normal Computing.

10

Collide Capital Closes $95M Fund II to Back Overlooked Fintech and Supply Chain Founders With Fortune 500 Pipeline

Brian Hollins and Aaron Samuels close a $95M Fund II at Collide Capital, a 44% step-up from Fund I, with the UC Endowment re-upping and a differentiated Fortune 500 procurement pipeline for portfolio companies.

9

Jeito Capital Closes €1 Billion Jeito II, Europe's Largest Independent Biopharma Venture Fund Ever

Paris-based Jeito Capital has closed its second fund at €1 billion ($1.2B), above target, making Jeito II the largest independent European biopharma-focused venture vehicle ever raised. Jeito I returned up to $4.8B via exits to Merck and Biogen.

9

Herbert Ventures Launches €32.5M Zurich DeepTech Fund With No Follow-On Reserves

Herbert Ventures, Zurich, runs a €32.5M Pre-Seed/Seed fund with no follow-on reserves, an 8% hurdle, €500K–€1M co-invest checks and ~30 bets. Portfolio now spans DroidRun, Rheo and Pluto.

8

JIC Ventures Launches €16.3M CEE Deep Tech Fund With €13M First Close

Brno's JIC innovation agency launches its first VC fund, a €16.3M vehicle targeting pre-seed and seed deep tech founders across Central and Eastern Europe, with CTP, Česká spořitelna and 40+ LPs already in the first close.

8

Eclipse Ventures Closes $1.3B Across Two Funds to Double Down on Physical AI

Lior Susan's Eclipse Ventures has closed $1.3B across Fund VI ($720M early-stage) and Early Growth III ($591M), pushing AUM to ~$10B and positioning the firm as the dominant platform for physical AI, robotics, and industrial hardware.

8

Bondstone Launches €50M Maxwell Technologies I to Anchor Southern Europe Deeptech

Lisbon-based Bondstone launches its venture arm with Maxwell Technologies I, a €50M seed and early-stage deeptech fund led by ex-Morgan Stanley physicist Paulo Loureiro, targeting AI, computational biology, and climatetech across Southern Europe.

8

Ex-OpenAI Operators Launch $100M Zero Shot Fund to Back AI Startups That Survive the Next Model Release

Five OpenAI alumni led by ex-applied engineering chief Evan Morikawa have quietly built Zero Shot, a $100M seed fund using insider model-roadmap knowledge to avoid AI categories they believe foundation model providers will absorb.

5

EIF Launches €15B ETCI 2 Fund of Funds to Back 100 Growth-Stage European VCs

The European Investment Fund unveils the second European Tech Champions Initiative, a €15 billion fund of funds targeting 100 growth-stage VC vehicles to unlock €80 billion in European scaleup capital.

3

Autism Impact Fund Reaches First Close on Fund II, Expanding Into AI-Enabled Behavioral Health

AIF reaches first close on Fund II, expanding beyond autism into broader behavioral health with a focus on AI-enabled care, data infrastructure, and value-based care models. Total AUM hits $150M.

3

Circulate Capital Raises $220M First Close for Asia II, Backed by Coca-Cola, Danone, and Global DFIs

Circulate Capital hits $220M first close on its $300M Asia II fund to scale circular supply chains across South and Southeast Asia, with returning LPs including Coca-Cola, Danone, Dow, and P&G.

2

Corazon Capital Closes $100M Fund IV to Back AI-Native Startups Redefining Human Experience

Chicago's Corazon Capital has closed its fourth fund at $100M, doubling down on AI-native companies that transform human behavior — with Sam Yagan's legendary operator pedigree and a newly expanded five-partner team leading the charge.

1

Gateway Capital Hits First Close on Fund II — Expanding Midwest Pre-Seed VC Across 7 States

Milwaukee-based Gateway Capital has reached the first close of its $30M Fund II, expanding Dana Guthrie's overlooked-founder thesis from Wisconsin across seven Midwest states.

1

Runway Launches $10M Fund to Back AI, Media and World-Model Startups — From Portfolio Company to Investor

Runway's three co-founders have formalized a $10M early-stage VC fund targeting pre-seed AI, media, and world-model startups — pairing capital with free API credits and exclusive model access via a Builders Program.

March 2026

41 Posts

26

Female-Led VitaminºC Closes €18M Debut Climate Fund to Invest Where Science Meets Scale

Female-led VitaminºC closes €18M debut climate fund targeting pre-seed and seed in energy, agriculture, carbon removal, and resilience. Zurich-SF firm launches at contrarian timing amid climate-funding downturn.

26

Speedinvest Launches $230M Africa Fund With $46M EIB Anchor to Back the Continent's Fintech Infrastructure

Speedinvest launches $230M Africa Fund anchored by a $46M EIB Global commitment, targeting seed to Series A fintech across 12+ African markets. Existing portfolio includes Moove, FairMoney, and Khazna.

26

Mundi Ventures Closes $100M First Close on LatAm Fund I to Rewire Insurance Across Latin America

Mundi Ventures closes $100M on LatAm Fund I anchored by IDB Invest and COFIDES to back insurtech, fintech, and healthtech across Latin America. Second major raise of 2026 after the EUR 750M Kembara fund.

26

futurepresent Emerges From Stealth With $300M Fund I to Back AI Across Infrastructure and Industry

German-American VC futurepresent emerges from stealth with a $300M debut fund and 14 portfolio companies, targeting AI infrastructure, industrial AI, and the physical world across the US and Europe.

25

Kleiner Perkins Raises $3.5B Across Two AI Funds, Its Largest Raise in Over a Decade

Kleiner Perkins raises $3.5 billion across KP22 and KP Select IV, its largest fundraise in over a decade, going all-in on AI from seed to growth stage.

24

ParaFi Capital Raises $125M for Institutional Crypto Infrastructure Fund, Backed by KKR's Henry Kravis

ParaFi Capital closes a $125M venture fund targeting stablecoins, tokenization, and onchain financial infrastructure — backed by KKR co-founder Henry Kravis during a crypto market downturn.

23

Ex-Google Moonshot X Advisor Launches €50M Cloudberry Ventures DeepTech Fund With 86% Gross IRR Track Record

Ex-Google Moonshot X advisor Mahir Sahin launches €50M Cloudberry Ventures deeptech fund targeting seed-stage infrastructure startups. Predecessor vehicle delivered 86% gross IRR in 16 months.

23

360 Capital Closes €85M First Close on Poli360 2 to Back Europe's Deeptech University Spinouts

360 Capital closes €85M on Poli360 2, its second technology transfer fund targeting €100M. The fund backs deeptech university spinouts across Europe with €2M initial checks, anchored by EIF, CDP Venture Capital, and corporate strategics.

23

Credo Ventures Raises $88M Stage 5 to Remain CEE's First Check, Backed by UiPath and ElevenLabs Track Record

Credo Ventures raises $88M for Stage 5 in a single closing, targeting pre-seed founders across CEE and its global diaspora. The firm behind UiPath and ElevenLabs pre-seed rounds deploys $1M-$5M checks.

23

Air Street Capital Closes $232M Fund III — Nathan Benaich Becomes Europe's Largest Solo GP

Nathan Benaich closes $232M for Air Street Capital Fund III, cementing his status as Europe's largest solo GP and doubling down on AI-first companies across software, techbio, developer tools, and defense.

21

Montis VC Hits €50M First Close to Back Europe's Energy and Industrial Tech Transformation

Warsaw-based Montis VC closes €50M first tranche of a new pre-seed/seed fund backed by the EIF (REPowerEU), PFR Ventures, and CEE family offices — targeting Europe's energy transition and industrial AI startups.

19

Lumen Ventures Announces First Closing of Lumen II — CDP Venture Capital and ENPAM Back Italy's Seed Play for Fintech, Insurtech, and Digital Health

Lumen Ventures announces the first closing of Lumen II, a €100M target seed fund focused on insurtech, fintech, digital health, and cybersecurity in Italy, backed by CDP Venture Capital SGR, Fondazione ENPAM, and Banca Popolare di Fondi.

19

Partech Impact Closes €300M to Fix Europe's Missing Middle for Impact Tech Scale-Ups

Partech Impact has closed its debut €300M fund to back commercially mature European impact-native B2B tech companies — addressing the structural gap in growth-stage capital for businesses generating €10M+ revenue in climate, agriculture, mobility, and digital health.

19

SuperSeed Launches £50M Physical AI Seed Fund III — British Business Bank Backs the UK's Industrial AI Future

SuperSeed launches Fund III with up to £50M cornerstone backing from the British Business Bank, targeting seed-stage UK companies building physical AI for manufacturing, energy, construction, and autonomous infrastructure.

18

Redbud VC Closes $25M Fund II to Back America's Outsider Founders

Columbia, Missouri's Redbud VC closes a $25M Fund II — 5x its first fund — backed by a 48% IRR track record and a thesis built on systematically backing the founders coastal VCs overlook.

18

Operator Circle Launches Europe's First Operator-Led VC to Hunt the Next Decacorn

A Swiss operator syndicate backed by 35 DACH deep tech executives — from Yokoy, Cradle, Sherpany, and ANYbotics — launches to co-invest at Series B+ in robotics, space, energy, quantum, and AI scaleups.

18

Gradient Ventures Closes $220M Fifth Fund to Seed the Next Wave of AI Founders

Google's former in-house AI seed fund closes its $220M fifth fund as an independent firm — now backed by institutional LPs alongside Google for the first time in its history.

17

Persistent Raises $52M First Close on $70M Africa Climate Venture Fund — Backed by African Development Bank, JICA and Soros

Persistent Energy Capital has hit a $52M first close on its $70M Africa Climate Venture (ACV) Fund, a blended finance vehicle backed by FSD Africa Investments, the Nordic Development Fund, the African Development Bank's SEFA program, JICA, and the Soros Economic Development Fund.

16

Sequoia Alumni Launch Ambition Capital With $250M Target to Back India Early-Stage Tech

Former Peak XV Partners managing directors Shailesh Lakhani and Harshjit Sethi are launching Ambition Capital, a new $250M early-stage fund targeting seed and Series A across AI, fintech and deeptech in India.

16

Empyrean Sky Partners Hits $90M First Close on $200M AI-Robotics Fund — Fastest 2026 First Close

Singapore-based Empyrean Sky Partners has secured $90M in the fastest first close of 2026 for its $200M Global Technology Fund, targeting growth-stage companies at the convergence of AI, robotics and advanced manufacturing, co-managed with OCBC's Lion X Ventures.

16

Boreal Ventures Closes $43M First Close for Fund II — JD Saint-Martin Joins to Fix Canada's Commercialization Gap

Montreal-based Boreal Ventures closes $43M CAD first close on its $60M Fund II, with ex-Lightspeed president JD Saint-Martin joining as co-managing partner to back Canadian B2B founders.

16

Green Frontier Capital Makes First Close on India's Only Dedicated Climate Tech VC Fund

India's only dedicated climate tech VC has made the first close of its $75-100M India Climate Opportunities Fund, backed by domestic Indian investors — after deliberately downsizing from a ~$178M target to match actual pipeline depth.

16

Audeo Ventures Closes $65M Fund II to Back Underrepresented Founders in the US and Latin America

NYC and Dubai-based Audeo Ventures has closed Fund II at $65 million, surpassing its $50M target, to back early-stage founders modernizing foundational industries across the US and Latin America — with two exits (X1/Robinhood, Caramel/eBay) already on the board.

15

General Catalyst Eyes ~$10B Raise — The VC Firm Rewriting the Rules of the Game

General Catalyst is in advanced discussions to raise approximately $10 billion across multiple vehicles in 2026, cementing its position alongside Andreessen Horowitz and Founders Fund in a historic mega-fund wave reshaping venture capital.

13

Join Capital Targets €235M for Fund III to Back Europe’s Defense Tech and Dual-Use Deep Tech Leaders

Berlin-based Join Capital has secured a €50M EIF commitment via InvestEU Defence Equity Facility for its €235M Fund III, targeting defense tech, dual-use, and strategic deep tech across Europe backed by NATO Innovation Fund, KfW Capital, and CDP.

13

Elaia Closes €134M DeepTech Seed Fund III as European Deep Tech Hits Escape Velocity

Paris-based Elaia has closed its third DeepTech Seed fund at €134M — double its predecessors — to back pre-seed and seed B2B deep tech startups across Europe, with research institution partnerships at INRIA, PSL, and the Max Planck Foundation.

13

Coefficient Capital Raises $530M Across Two Funds to Double Down on Consumer Brand Disruption

NYC-based Coefficient Capital raises $530M across Fund II ($290M) and the Apex Fund ($240M), pushing AUM above $800M to back growth-stage consumer brands in categories undergoing irreversible disruption.

13

StageOne Ventures Closes $165M Fund V to Lead Israel's Next Generation of AI Infrastructure Companies

Israeli VC firm StageOne Ventures has closed its fifth fund at $165M, pushing AUM above $650M, targeting AI infrastructure, cybersecurity, physical AI, and agentic orchestration startups.

12

UVC Partners Launches Dedicated €150M Growth Fund to Double Down on Europe's Deeptech Champions

UVC Partners has closed a €77M first close on a dedicated €150M Growth Fund to provide large follow-on checks to European deeptech companies in space, fusion energy, robotics, and dual-use — addressing a structural gap in homegrown European growth capital.

12

Entrepreneurs First Raises $200M, Hits $1.3B Unicorn Valuation Backed by the Collisons, Hoffman, and Schmidt

Entrepreneurs First, the global company builder that backs individuals before they have a team or idea, has raised $200M at a $1.3B unicorn valuation — backed by Reid Hoffman, the Collisons, Eric Schmidt, and Index Ventures.

11

Spark Capital Targets $3B in New Funds, Powered by a Near-100x Return on Anthropic

Spark Capital, the first VC to back Anthropic and holder of a near-100x return on that bet, is targeting $3 billion in new funds — 50% more than its prior raise — as LP demand surges on the back of the firm's AI investing track record.

11

Founders Fund Nears $6B Close for Growth IV — Partners Commit $1.5B of Their Own Capital

Peter Thiel's Founders Fund is closing Growth IV at $6 billion in under 12 months after its $4.6B predecessor, with partners committing $1.5B of their own capital. Portfolio includes Stripe, SpaceX, Anduril, Anthropic, and OpenAI.

11

Samaipata Closes €70M First Close on €110M Fund III — Europe's AI Application Layer in Focus

Samaipata has launched its €110M third fund with a €70M first close, targeting 25-30 seed-stage AI-native companies across Spain, Germany, France, and the UK. Backed by KfW and SETT, Fund III marks a deliberate pivot from platform network effects to AI application layer investing.

10

Breakout Ventures Closes $114M Fund III to Make Science Scalable with AI and Neuroscience

San Francisco's Breakout Ventures has closed its largest fund yet at $114M, doubling down on seed-stage scientific innovation with a sharper AI and neuroscience lens.

10

Staircase Ventures Closes Oversubscribed $50M Fund II with BDC Capital and University of Alberta

Janet Bannister's Toronto-based Staircase Ventures closes an oversubscribed $50M CAD Fund II with BDC Capital, University of Alberta, and InBC — backed by a 50%+ net IRR track record from Fund I.

10

GHARAGE Ventures Launches €40M Fund I to Digitize Global Travel Retail, Anchored by Gebr. Heinemann

Berlin- and Singapore-based GHARAGE Ventures launches €40M Fund I anchored by Gebr. Heinemann to back seed-to-Series A travel retail tech startups across Europe and Southeast Asia.

10

Emerald Technology Ventures Hits €100M Milestone for Global Water Fund II, Backed by Temasek and Grundfos

Swiss VC Emerald Technology Ventures reaches €100M for Global Water Fund II with Temasek and Grundfos Foundation as new LPs, targeting €150–180M total to back water resilience startups globally.

10

Time4 Closes €50M First Fund to Back Diverse and Rural Founders Across France

Time4, a new French VC fund backed by daphni, Les Déterminés, and Live for Good, has closed €50M to invest in pre-seed and seed startups led by diverse and rural founders across France, targeting a final close of €100M.

10

Ex-a16z Partner Michelle Volz Launches Pax Ventures with $50M Debut Fund to Reinvent America's Industrial Base

Former Andreessen Horowitz American Dynamism partner Michelle Volz launches Pax Ventures, a $50M seed fund targeting defense tech, aerospace, energy, and industrial supply base reinvention.

8

Tenet Launches €80M Debut Fund to Back AI-Powered Roll-Ups Across Europe

Berlin-based Tenet has emerged from stealth with an €80M target debut fund, positioning itself as Europe's first inception-stage investor dedicated to AI-powered roll-ups. The fund backs founders who acquire traditional service businesses and rebuild them as AI-native platforms. First cheque: €5M into Taxforce.

7

Top 5 Venture Capital Fund Closings and Launches This Week — March 3-7, 2026

Defence tech dominated VC fund activity this week. Join Capital landed the EIF's largest-ever defence commitment (€50M), First In closed its $148M Pentagon-backed critical technologies fund, GHARAGE Ventures launched a €40M travel tech debut fund, Hlayisani Capital hit a $30M first close for South Africa's Series A gap, and FIRSTPICK sealed €25M for Baltic pre-seed founders. Here's what each fund means for founders raising now.

February 2026

8 Posts

21

Top 10 VC Databases and Platforms to Find the Perfect Investor Match in 2026

From fresh fund tracking to AI-powered investor search, these 10 platforms help founders find and connect with the right VC partners faster than ever.

21

Peak XV Raises $1.3B for Multi-Fund Deployment Across India and APAC

Peak XV secures $1.3B in new capital across multiple funds to invest in growth-stage technology companies in India and the Asia-Pacific.

20

Lucid Capital Launches $36M Fund I to Back Early B2B Software and AI Founders

Lucid Capital launches a $36M Fund I to back early B2B software and AI founders from pre-seed through early growth.

17

Dragonfly Closes $650M Fourth Fund to Double Down on Crypto and On-Chain Infrastructure

Dragonfly closes an oversubscribed $650M fund to back crypto and blockchain infrastructure across global markets.

15

Mundi Ventures Secures €750M First Close for Kembara Fund to Scale Europe’s Deep Tech Champions

Mundi Ventures reaches €750M first close for Kembara Fund I to back European deep tech and climate companies at Series B and C stage.

14

Elaia Reaches €120M First Close for Digital Venture Fund V to Back European B2B Tech Leaders

Elaia closes €120M first close for its fifth Digital Venture Fund to support engineering-driven European tech companies across stages.

11

Skybound Venture Capital Emerges From Stealth to Back Deep Tech Founders From Day One

Skybound Venture Capital launches publicly after stealth, backing deep tech founders from prototype stage with fast conviction and hands-on operator support across geographies.

3

Yonder Closes $4.64M Fund I to Back Early Marketplace and Platform Founders

Yonder closes a $4.64M micro-fund to back early marketplace and platform founders building network-effect businesses with durable unit economics.

January 2026

6 Posts

29

2048 Ventures Closes Oversubscribed $82M Fund III to Back Visionary Early-Stage Founders

2048 Ventures closes an oversubscribed $82M Fund III to lead pre-seed and seed rounds in vertical AI, deep tech, healthcare, and biotech startups.

29

b2venture Closes €150M Fund V to Back Europe’s Next Wave of Deep Tech and B2B Leaders

b2venture raises a €150M Fund V to back Europe’s next generation of deep tech and enterprise software founders with long-term, conviction-driven capital.

19

Prototype Capital Launches Fund III After Strong Returns in Robotics and Physical AI

Prototype Capital launches Fund III to back founders in robotics and physical AI, leveraging deep domain expertise and strong returns in hard tech innovation.

12

Nico Rosberg Closes $100M Fund III to Scale Founder-Led Climate & Mobility Innovation

Nico Rosberg closes a $100M Fund III to scale investments in climate, mobility, and industrial technology startups across Europe.

9

Andreessen Horowitz Raises $15B Mega-Fund to Lead the Next Decade of Technology

Andreessen Horowitz launches a $15B multi-stage venture fund to support founders from early inception through growth, with deep capital and strategic runway.

6

Antler Raises $160M for US Fund II to Back Founders at Inception

Antler raises $160M for its second US fund, doubling down on investing at inception and supporting founders before companies, teams, or traction exist.

December 2025

6 Posts

29

The Artists Collective Launches: Celebrity-Driven VC Platform Backs Early-Stage European Startups

The Artists Collective launches a new artist-driven venture platform backing early-stage UK and European startups with capital, network access and strategic engagement.

27

Kibo Ventures Launches €80M Fund IV to Double Down on Europe Beyond the Core Hubs

Kibo Ventures launches an €80M Fund IV to back European founders outside the core tech hubs, doubling down on early-stage deep tech and AI innovation across the continent.

26

Robin Capital Launches €15M Fund II to Back Courage-Driven, Enduring Companies

Robin Capital launches its €15M Fund II with a rapid first close, doubling down on conviction-driven early-stage investing in DACH and Europe.

25

Belief Capital Closes $20M First Fund to Take a Concentrated Bet on Early-Stage Founders

Belief Capital closes a $20M first fund focused on high-conviction pre-seed and seed investments, offering founders a rare alternative to portfolio-driven venture capital.

25

Cloudberry VC Launches €30M Fund to Back Europe’s Next Semiconductor Breakthroughs

Cloudberry VC launches Europe’s first semiconductor-dedicated venture fund with a €30M first close, backing founders in semiconductors, photonics, and advanced materials at a critical inflection point for global hardware innovation.

1

Boardy Ventures launches the world’s first AI-led VC fund — and a global scout program with 50% carry

After raising an $8M seed round on its own, Boardy AI has now escalated into full venture mode — launching a $200M fund with AngelList and building a 1,000-scout program offering 50% carry. What started as a campaign to help 100 founders raise before year-end has turned into one of the most ambitious fund launches we’ve seen.

November 2025

6 Posts

29

Future Energy Ventures Closes €235M Fund II to Accelerate Europe’s Energy Innovation Wave

Future Energy Ventures closes its €235M Fund II to back digital, asset-light climate and energy startups across Europe. A major milestone in Europe’s race toward grid resilience, decarbonisation, and climate innovation.

27

Baobab Ventures raises $15M to back Europe's most ambitious AI, robotics and defence founders

Baobab Ventures, the new $15M solo-GP fund from ElevenLabs and Revolut backer Carles Reina, is backing pre-seed and seed founders in AI, robotics and defence with operator-led, momentum-focused capital

27

Clover raises €30M to become the first cheque for Work- and EdTech founders

Clover, the new micro-VC from Samuel Tual, just closed a €30 M evergreen fund to invest in work- and education-centric startups.

22

R136 Ventures Raises $400M Fund to Fuel Growth-Stage B2B & Fintech Innovation

R136 Ventures closes a new $400 M fund targeting growth-stage B2B software and fintech, marking a strategic window for innovation across the U.S., Israel and Europe.

9

United Founders Launches €80M Fund to Unite Europe’s Startup Ecosystem

United Founders has launched an €80M early-stage fund and pan-European founders’ community to unite Europe’s fragmented startup ecosystems. By backing AI, SaaS, and deep tech founders from Lisbon to Ljubljana, it aims to build the continent’s next trillion-dollar tech giants.

2

Sequoia Capital Launches $950M in New Early-Stage Funds to Back the Next Generation of Founders

Sequoia Capital has unveiled two new early-stage funds totaling $950 million — a $750 M Series A vehicle and a $200 M seed fund — reaffirming its commitment to finding the next generational startups across AI, infrastructure and global markets.

October 2025

4 Posts

25

Calm/Storm Ventures closes €27M Fund II, expanding AUM to €50M

Calm/Storm Ventures has raised €27 million for its second fund, doubling down on HealthTech and Austrian founders. With €50 million AUM, the Vienna-based VC led by Lucanus Polagnoli is scaling its early-stage impact across Europe.

12

May Ventures Raises €30M to Power Europe’s AI-Native Founders

Germany’s May Ventures has launched a €30M AI-native fund focused on early-stage founders across Europe. The firm targets pre-seed and seed startups in AI, SaaS, and deep tech with tickets up to €1.5M.

2

Creator Fund Raises $41M to Back Europe’s PhD Founders and Deep Tech Spinouts

London’s Creator Fund has closed a $41M first close on its maiden pan-European institutional fund backing PhD founders and academic spinouts. With a target final close of $55M in 2026, the fund will make 40–45 early investments across Europe via a campus-embedded scouting model.

1

Concept Ventures Closes $88M Fund II, Europe’s Largest Dedicated Pre-Seed Fund

London’s Concept Ventures has closed Fund II at $88M, cementing its position as Europe’s largest dedicated pre-seed fund. Backed by global LPs and founders alike, the firm aims to lead 50 early-stage rounds across Europe and the UK.

September 2025

8 Posts

29

Evantic Capital: Matt Miller’s $400M Venture to Reshape AI & B2B Investing

In a bold move, ex-Sequoia partner Matt Miller has launched Evantic Capital, a $400M fund targeting B2B AI enterprises across Europe, the U.S., and Israel. What makes it different? Half of the fund’s carry is earmarked for operators and expert contributors who actively help startups scale — flipping the traditional VC incentive model.

22

Ventech Closes €175M Fund VI, Largest in Firm’s History

Ventech has raised €175 million for Fund VI, its largest fund to date, targeting 35 European startups in AI, digital health, cybersecurity, and industrial software.

18

VoLo Earth Raises $135M Fund II, Expands Climate Tech Bets by 50%

VoLo Earth has closed a $135 million second fund—50% larger than its debut—doubling down on capital-efficient climate solutions across energy, mobility, buildings, and industrial systems amid a tougher fundraising market.

12

Deora VC Opens Doors for Builders in Enterprise AI Infrastructure

Deora VC has launched as a focused fund investing in the nuts & bolts of enterprise AI. With $100-500k checks, they back technical founders building infrastructure—storage, data pipelines, compute tools, security—that enterprise applications demand.

12

Speedinvest rolls out €60M Continuation Funds to Benefit Founders & Investors

Speedinvest launches two continuation funds totalling €60 million to provide early liquidity to Speedinvest II LPs, while retaining upside for high-growth portfolio companies in longer-term runway.

7

Santa Barbara Venture Partners Closes $25M Fund II, Rewards LPs with Early Returns

Santa Barbara Venture Partners raises $25M for Fund II, using secondary sales to deliver early gains for LPs while staying invested in capital-efficient software companies.

7

Lakestar Raises $265 M Continuation Vehicle to Extend Portfolio

Lakestar has closed a $265M continuation vehicle, delivering liquidity for LPs while retaining upside in its top-tier European VC portfolio. Supported by institutional heavyweights and structured through a savvy secondary sale, it reflects a growing trend of preserving value amid lengthening exit horizons.

7

Phosphor Capital: A $34M Fund Backing the Next Wave of Y Combinator Startups

YC alum Kulveer Taggar has launched Phosphor Capital, a $34M early-stage fund backing Y Combinator startups. Focused on pre-seed and seed rounds, the fund brings founder-led expertise to one of tech’s most proven ecosystems, making it a natural first call for YC alumni raising capital.