London, United Kingdom · Venture CapitalAccel is a top-tier global venture capital firm with a dedicated European team based in London. Established in Silicon Valley in 1983, Accel expanded to London in the early 2000s and has since become a leading backer of European tech unicorns. The Accel London fund invests broadly in consumer and enterprise technology companies from seed through growth stage. Accel’s Europe portfolio reads like a who’s-who of success stories – it was an early investor in Spotify, Facebook, and Slack, and in Europe it has funded Klarna, Hopin, and Cazoo among others. For example, Accel’s London team led rounds in Hopin (virtual events) and Klarna (fintech), both of which achieved multibillion-dollar valuations. The firm often takes board seats and provides hands-on support to founders in scaling globally. Accel is known for its deep network in Silicon Valley and Europe, helping bridge entrepreneurs to US markets. It manages multiple funds dedicated to Europe, including Accel London and Accel Europe, and typically invests from Series A onward (with selective seed bets). Notably, Accel was the first Silicon Valley VC to establish a permanent presence in London, reflecting its conviction in Europe’s tech potential. With over three decades of VC experience, Accel has the distinction of having backed over 100 unicorns worldwide. Its London arm continues to actively invest across sectors – from fintech and SaaS to cybersecurity and web3 – making Accel a cornerstone investor in Europe’s startup ecosystem. In short, Accel (London) combines global reach with local insight, helping Europe’s breakout startups scale to international success.
Venture CapitalSeed to GrowthGeneralistTechnology
Oxford, United Kingdom · StartupMedtech spin-out developing implantable neuromodulation devices to treat pelvic and nervous system disorders.
StartupGrowthHealthtechMedical Devices
London, United Kingdom · Venture CapitalAtomico is a leading European venture capital firm founded in 2006 by Niklas Zennström, the co-founder of Skype. Headquartered in London with roots in Stockholm, Atomico focuses on backing ambitious tech founders across Europe at Series A and beyond. The firm manages several billion dollars across multiple funds and has built a portfolio of household names. Atomico’s approach leverages Zennström’s global experience – the firm often helps startups expand internationally and recruits senior talent via its notable “Executive-in-Residence” program. Atomico has invested in companies spanning fintech, deep tech, software, and consumer internet. Notable successes include Klarna (the Swedish fintech giant), Supercell (Finnish gaming, acquired by Tencent), Graphcore (UK AI chips), and MessageBird (Netherlands communications platform). Atomico was also an early backer of Stripe in the US and Viagogo. The firm is known for publishing the annual “State of European Tech” report, reflecting its thought leadership in the ecosystem. In terms of investment size, Atomico typically leads or co-leads Series A–C rounds with cheques of $5–$50 million, and it has the capacity to follow-on through later stages. It closed its fifth fund of $820 million in 2020 and a $1.2 billion fund in 2022, underscoring investor confidence in European tech. Atomico’s team includes partners with experience at Google, Uber, Spotify, and more – providing operational support to portfolio founders. The firm also stands out for its commitment to sustainability and diversity, integrating impact considerations and backing companies tackling climate change. Atomico’s influence is evidenced by the fact that as of 2025 it has produced five IPOs and multiple $10B+ exits in Europe. In summary, Atomico has established itself as a premier VC “built by founders for founders,” fueling Europe’s ascent with capital, expertise, and global networks.
Venture CapitalSeries A+GeneralistTechnology
London, United Kingdom · Venture CapitalBalderton Capital is one of Europe’s most established venture capital firms focused on early-stage technology companies. Based in London, Balderton was founded in 2000 as the European arm of Benchmark Capital and became independent in 2007. It has since raised ten funds dedicated to European startups, with over $4 billion in assets under management. Balderton primarily invests at Series A, typically leading rounds of $5–15 million and taking significant minority stakes. The firm’s portfolio spans a wide range of sectors – from fintech and marketplaces to SaaS and gaming – reflecting Europe’s diversity. Notable investments include Revolut (fintech, which Balderton backed at Series A), The Hut Group (UK e-commerce, now public), Darktrace (cybersecurity, IPO 2021), MySQL (acquired by Sun Microsystems), Citymapper (urban transport app), GoCardless (payments) and Vestiaire Collective (fashion resale). Balderton has consistently been among the most active Series A investors in Europe; in 2022 it deployed capital into 20+ new companies and many follow-ons. The firm is known for its strong founder support and an ethos of “teamwork” – all partners share carry evenly, which encourages collective input on portfolio companies. General Partners like Bernard Liautaud (founder of Business Objects) and Suranga Chandratillake (founder of Blinkx) bring operator experience. In recent years Balderton also launched a liquidity fund to buy secondary shares from European tech founders and early employees, reflecting a maturing ecosystem. The firm has also been vocal on issues like startup diversity and European tech sovereignty. With successes such as Revolut’s rise to $33B valuation and Darktrace’s IPO (Balderton held ~18% at listing), Balderton has proven that European VCs can deliver world-class returns. It continues to invest actively across Europe – from Stockholm to Tel Aviv – aiming to partner with founders “with global ambition.” In the constellation of European VC, Balderton Capital is often mentioned alongside Accel and Index as the top choice for Series A funding, thanks to its track record and deep network built over two decades.
Venture CapitalSeries A to GrowthGeneralistTechnology
London, United Kingdom · Event OrganisatorOrganizer of Bett UK, the education technology trade show and conference.
Event OrganisatorEventsEdTech
London, United Kingdom · EventLeading education technology event bringing together educators, EdTech innovators, and speakers.
EventEventsEdTech
London, United Kingdom · StartupOnline marketplace that simplifies buying, financing, and swapping nearly-new cars in Europe.
StartupGrowthMobilityConsumer
London, United Kingdom · Venture CapitalPublicly listed VC backing European founders from Series A onward with follow-on capital.
Venture CapitalSeries A+TechnologyEnterprise
London, United Kingdom · Venture CapitalGlobal growth investor with teams in Europe scaling healthcare, fintech, and deep tech companies.
Venture CapitalSeries B+HealthEnterprise
London, United Kingdom · Angel InvestorTech veteran and angel building founder communities through Passion Capital and individual bets.
Angel InvestorPre-Seed to Series AFintechSoftware
London, United Kingdom · StartupAI voice synthesis platform creating realistic multilingual speech for dubbing, audiobooks, and virtual agents.
StartupGrowthAIAudio
London, United Kingdom · StartupVirtual and hybrid event platform enabling immersive conferences, expos, and town halls.
StartupGrowthEventsSoftware
London, United Kingdom · Venture CapitalIndex Ventures is a globally renowned venture capital firm that originated in Europe and has been instrumental in scaling many of the continent’s top tech companies. Founded in Geneva in 1996 by the Daly brothers and Neil Rimer, Index later opened major offices in London and San Francisco, making it a transatlantic VC powerhouse. Index invests at all stages (seed to growth), though it is especially prominent in Series A/B in Europe. The firm has an extraordinary track record: it was an early backer of Skype (sold to eBay), Last.fm (sold to CBS), Supercell (acquired by Tencent), and MySQL (acquired by Sun) in the 2000s, and more recently of Deliveroo, Adyen, Figma, Revolut, Robinhood and Notion – to name a few. Index’s portfolio spans consumer and enterprise: it has seeded fashion marketplaces like ASOS and Farfetch, scaled up fintech stars like TransferWise (Wise) and Robinhood, and supported open-source and SaaS successes (Elastic, Confluent, Collibra). The firm manages multiple funds (it raised a $3B+ set of funds in 2022) and often co-invests across its early and growth funds to support companies long-term. Index is particularly known for its knack in consumer-facing startups and its ability to spot trends early (e.g., it led Patreon’s Series A in the creator economy space, and Discord’s seed in gaming communication). Partners at Index are a cosmopolitan bunch – with backgrounds ranging from gaming entrepreneurs to investment bankers – and they bring a strong network in both Silicon Valley and Europe. Uniquely, Index also has a life sciences arm (Index Life) that invested in companies like Moderna. In Europe, Index has been among the top three most active VCs by number of unicorns backed. For example, Index led Deliveroo’s Series B in 2014 and remained a major shareholder through its 2021 IPO. Similarly, Index was pivotal in Adyen’s growth (now a ~$50B payments giant). Culturally, Index is known for being founder-friendly and global in outlook – encouraging its European portfolio to expand to the US when needed and vice versa. It also frequently publishes insightful content (e.g., Bernard Dallé’s guides on SaaS metrics or interviews with founders). As of 2025, Index Ventures stands as a gold-standard VC, with a portfolio boasting dozens of IPOs and acquisitions, and a current crop of rising stars across continents.
Venture CapitalSeed to GrowthGeneralistTechnology
London, United Kingdom · Venture CapitalSeed-stage venture firm backing mission-driven founders primarily in the UK and Europe.
Venture CapitalPre-Seed to SeedGeneralistTechnology
London, United Kingdom · Event OrganisatorOrganizer of London Tech Week, a city-wide program of tech and startup events each June.
Event OrganisatorEventsStartup Ecosystem
London, United Kingdom · EventUK-wide tech festival organized by London Tech Week. Next edition: Jun 8-12, 2026 in London.
EventEventsStartup Ecosystem
London, United Kingdom · Venture CapitalNorthzone is a prominent European venture capital firm with Scandinavian roots, known for early bets on companies like Spotify and Klarna. Founded in 1996 in Oslo (and now headquartered in Stockholm with a big presence in London), Northzone is an evergreen VC fund that has raised 9 funds to date. It invests from Seed and Series A up to Growth (Series B/C), typically focusing on consumer internet, fintech, and B2B SaaS. Northzone rose to fame as the earliest institutional investor in Spotify – it led Spotify’s $21M Series A in 2008 and remained a major shareholder until IPO. It was also an early backer of Klarna (led the $8M Series A in 2010) and other Nordic breakouts like iZettle (payments, acquired by PayPal) and Avito (Russian classifieds, acquired by Naspers). Over the years, Northzone expanded its geographic focus to include the UK, Benelux, and the US East Coast (they’ve invested in Wallapop in Spain, Personio in Germany, and Secret Escapes in UK, among others). The firm’s investment approach is relatively hands-on – partners often take board seats and leverage Northzone’s network for business development of their portfolio. With approximately €1.5 billion under management, Northzone typically writes initial checks of €2–10M and can follow on with much larger amounts. In 2022, Northzone raised a new €1B+ fund, reflecting growing LP interest in European tech. The team blends operational experience and finance acumen; notable partners include Pär-Jörgen Pärson (who led the Spotify deal) and Michiel Kotting (who sits on Personio’s board). Northzone often leads or co-leads rounds and likes to syndicate with US VCs when scaling globally. Beyond fintech and music tech, they have investments in healthtech (Kry), edtech (Kahoot!), crypto (Sovereign), and more – showcasing a broad thesis of “transformative tech.” Northzone’s steady success over 25+ years – producing multiple billion-dollar exits – has cemented its reputation as one of Europe’s top-tier venture firms, bridging the vibrant Nordic ecosystem with the rest of the continent.
Venture CapitalSeed to Series BConsumerB2B SaaS
London, United Kingdom · StartupDesign-led consumer electronics brand behind transparent Android smartphones and earbuds.
StartupGrowthConsumer ElectronicsHardware
London, United Kingdom · Venture CapitalOperator-led fund partnering with B2B SaaS and fintech founders across Europe.
Venture CapitalSeries A to BB2B SaaSFintech
Oxford, United Kingdom · StartupBiotech company using AI and genomics to develop RNA therapies targeting chronic liver disease.
StartupGrowthBiotechHealth
London, United Kingdom · StartupAI-driven materials discovery company designing carbon-capture sorbents and cooling materials for clean energy.
StartupEarly StageAIClimate Tech
London, United Kingdom · StartupDecision intelligence platform that links enterprise data to fight fraud, manage risk, and deepen customer analytics.
StartupGrowthAIAnalytics
London, United Kingdom · StartupRevolut is a British fintech company offering a “super-app” for digital banking and financial services. Launched in 2015 by founders Nik Storonsky (a former Credit Suisse trader from Russia) and Vlad Yatsenko (Ukrainian developer), Revolut began as a multicurrency travel card allowing users to spend and transfer money globally with minimal fees. It quickly evolved into a full-featured neobank. As of 2025, Revolut operates in 48+ countries and has 65 million customers worldwide, making it one of the fastest-growing fintechs ever. The app provides a suite of services: GBP and EUR bank accounts, debit cards, currency exchange for 30+ currencies at interbank rates, stock and crypto trading, person-to-person payments, bill splitting, and more. Revolut’s growth has been astonishing – it surpassed £3.1 billion in annual revenue in 2024 with £1.1 billion operating profit. The company has raised over $1.7 billion from investors like SoftBank, Tiger Global, and TCV, reaching a private valuation of $33 billion in 2021. In late 2025, a secondary share sale reportedly valued Revolut at $75 billion, vaulting it among the world’s most valuable fintechs. Revolut’s journey has not been without challenges: it faced regulatory hurdles (e.g. its UK banking license was long-delayed), compliance scrutiny, and had to strengthen its governance as it scaled. Nonetheless, the company achieved profitability in 2021 and has continued to grow its user base across Europe, North America, and Asia. Revolut’s mission is to become a “global financial super-app”, consolidating banking, investing, insurance, and payments in one place. It has introduced products like “Revolut Junior” accounts for kids, pay-later services, and expanded into credit in select markets. With over 10,000 employees worldwide, Revolut is now a regulated bank in the EU and other jurisdictions. Its story from scrappy travel card startup to a $75B-valued fintech giant with 65 million users epitomizes Europe’s fintech rise and the potential of challenger banks to rewrite banking norms.
StartupLate StageFintechConsumer
London, United Kingdom · Venture CapitalEuropean seed fund partnering with breakout founders at the earliest stages.
Venture CapitalPre-Seed to SeedGeneralistTechnology
Cambridge, United Kingdom · Angel InvestorSherry Coutu CBE is a prominent angel investor and entrepreneur known for championing the UK’s scale-up ecosystem. Originally from Canada, Coutu moved to the UK and in 1994 founded Interactive Investor, an online brokerage, which she led to an IPO in 2000. After exiting that venture, she became a full-time angel in 2000 and has since invested in 50+ tech companies, focusing on consumer internet, education, and fintech startups. Coutu has been an early backer of notable UK startups like Zoopla and LoveFilm, and holds LP stakes in several venture funds. Beyond investing her own capital, Sherry Coutu is famed for her advocacy of “scale-ups” – mid-stage companies poised for high growth. In 2014, she authored the landmark Scale-Up Report for the UK government, highlighting the economic importance of helping startups grow into larger firms. This led her, alongside LinkedIn’s Reid Hoffman, to found the ScaleUp Institute in 2015 – a nonprofit that provides resources, mentorship, and policy advocacy for scaling businesses. Coutu also founded Founders4Schools and Digital Boost, initiatives connecting students and small businesses with experienced entrepreneurs. She remains an active non-executive director on multiple boards – past roles include serving on the boards of the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), the University of Cambridge Finance Board, and Pearson plc. In the angel community, Sherry Coutu is respected not only for her investments but for her mentorship and network: she often provides board-level guidance and operational mentorship to founders. Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2013 for services to entrepreneurship, Sherry Coutu is a pivotal figure helping UK tech startups navigate the jump from startup to scale-up.
Angel InvestorPre-Seed to Series AGeneralistTechnology
London, United Kingdom · Event OrganisatorOrganizer of the Sustainable Foods London conference and expo.
Event OrganisatorEventsFoodTechClimate Tech
London, United Kingdom · EventConference and expo focused on sustainability challenges in food and drink.
EventEventsFoodTechClimate Tech
London, United Kingdom · StartupAI video creation platform that turns scripts into multilingual clips with photorealistic avatars.
StartupGrowthAIMedia
London, United Kingdom · Angel InvestorTaavet Hinrikus is a prominent European tech entrepreneur-turned-angel investor, best known as the co-founder of Wise (TransferWise). Hinrikus, originally from Estonia, was Skype’s first employee before co-founding TransferWise in London in 2011. Under his leadership (as CEO then Chairman), TransferWise revolutionized cross-border finance and reached a multi-billion valuation. After Wise’s success (it went public in 2021), Taavet Hinrikus shifted focus to investing and supporting other startups. He has become an “operator angel” who backs early-stage European founders, particularly in fintech and software, bringing his experience in scaling a fintech unicorn. In 2022, Hinrikus teamed up with Teleport co-founder Sten Tamkivi to launch a new VC firm called Plural, a €250 million fund “built by founders” to invest in Europe’s next generation of tech companies. As an individual angel, Taavet has made personal investments in startups like Bolt (ride-hailing, Estonia), Mirror (US fintech), Zego (insurance) and many others, often taking advisory roles. He is known for his hands-on mentorship style – for example, he has provided guidance to Wise alumni starting companies and frequently advocates for Baltic and European tech on the global stage. Taavet also serves on various boards (e.g. he was on the board of Nasdaq’s Estonia arm and advisory boards of fintech companies) and was a special adviser to the UK government on fintech. In the Europe Startup Guide, Taavet is described as an angel “investing as an operator-angel in European fintech and software,” focusing on pre-seed to Series A deals. His journey from founding a $10B fintech company to re-investing in the ecosystem has made Hinrikus an influential figure. Not only does he bring capital, but also credibility and connections – helping younger European startups navigate growth and international expansion. In essence, Taavet Hinrikus exemplifies the new wave of successful European founders who “pay it forward” by fueling the next cohort of startups.
Angel InvestorPre-Seed to Series AFintechSoftware
London, United Kingdom · StartupMobile games company scaling casual puzzle and card titles to millions of players.
StartupGrowthGamingMobile
Leeds, United Kingdom · EventWeek-long accelerator bootcamp helping Nordic startups enter the UK market.
EventEventsMarket Expansion
London, United Kingdom · StartupAI-first autonomous driving company building self-learning software that can retrofit into partner vehicles.
StartupGrowthAIAutonomous Vehicles