European Investment Fund (EIF) is a public institution established in 1994 to improve access to finance for Europe's small and medium-sized businesses. It designs and develops venture capital and guarantee instruments to support SMEs and to catalyse private investment, aiming to build a robust European equity ecosystem. EIF engages in venture capital, growth capital, and guarantee operations, backing innovative entrepreneurs primarily in technology and life sciences, as well as across other sectors. Through cornerstone investments and fund participation, EIF seeks to crowd in private investors and stimulate venture activity across Europe. Its equity portfolio has grown substantially, with assets under management exceeding EUR 14 billion, reflecting its broad role in strengthening SME finance and supporting entrepreneurship and growth.

Established in 2020, the European Innovation Council supports innovative startups and researchers with promising ideas, focusing on early-stage companies with positive environmental, social, or governance impacts. It co-invests alongside private investors.

Speedinvest is a European venture capital firm founded in 2011 and headquartered in Vienna, with offices across Europe and in San Francisco. It specializes in early-stage investments in technology sectors including deep tech, fintech, health, industrial tech, marketplaces, software as a service and infrastructure, climate tech, crypto, and emerging markets. The firm runs specialized investment teams aligned to these industries and offers an in-house Platform+ team providing tailored operational support, such as growth marketing, human resources, US business development and networking assistance throughout the portfolio journey. Speedinvest seeks to be a hands-on partner, sometimes taking operational roles for a period to help portfolio companies scale, and emphasizes hands-on collaboration with founders to accelerate growth.

IP Group is a London-based venture capital firm that focuses on commercialising intellectual property from research-intensive institutions. It creates value by identifying early-stage IP, developing it into commercially viable opportunities, and forming strategic partnerships to support portfolio companies. The firm provides capital, strategic guidance, and industry insight to science- and technology-based businesses, with emphasis on clean technology, life sciences, and deep tech. With more than twenty years of experience, IP Group supports the growth of science and technology companies from inception toward scale, helping translate research into market-ready products and accelerate their impact.

FJ Labs is a New York-based venture capital firm founded in 2015 by Fabrice Grinda. It is stage-agnostic and focuses on marketplaces and consumer-facing startups, making seed and Series A investments. Typical checks range from 50,000 to 5,000,000 dollars. The firm supports early-stage companies across sectors such as e-commerce, fintech, ad tech, mobile, and software-as-a-service, seeking opportunities with high growth potential in the United States and internationally. Its portfolio includes a mix of consumer brands and marketplace platforms, reflecting an emphasis on business models that connect buyers and sellers or enable direct consumer experiences. FJ Labs aims to back entrepreneurs building scalable, disruptively positioned products and services, often partnering with founders early in their development to help accelerate growth.

Octopus Ventures is a London-based venture capital firm that supports start-ups across stages from idea to IPO. It allocates over £200 million annually to invest in sectors including health, fintech, deep tech, consumer, and B2B software, aiming to generate positive impact. The firm provides more than capital, offering time, energy, and hands-on guidance to help portfolio companies scale. Its approach involves close collaboration with founders and leveraging a network of partners in the United States and Asia, with operational presence in London and New York. Notable investments include ManyPets, Cazoo, Depop, Elvie, and WaveOptics. By combining sector focus with active founder support, Octopus Ventures seeks to back ambitious companies that can grow into market leaders.

High-Tech Gründerfonds is a Germany-based seed and early-stage venture capital firm focused on technology companies in Germany. Based in Bonn with an additional office in Berlin, it operates as a public-private partnership that supports high-tech startups across information technology, software, hardware, life sciences, chemistry and related fields. HTGF provides initial funding and follow-on capital to eligible young companies, often taking minority stakes and participating as lead or co-investor, while offering hands-on guidance from experienced investment managers and startup experts. Since its founding in 2005, the firm has backed numerous startups and facilitated the growth of portfolio companies through multiple funds aimed at early stages. The model combines both public support, involving government and financial institutions, with private investor participation to nurture startups from concept to market.

Accel is a venture capital firm founded in 1983 by Arthur Patterson and Jim Swartz and headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with additional offices in San Francisco, London and Bangalore. It funds early- and growth-stage technology companies across software, cloud, SaaS, consumer, enterprise IT and related sectors, and it supports portfolio companies as they scale internationally. With a global network and more than three decades of experience, Accel seeks to help entrepreneurs build world-class, category-defining businesses. Notable investments include Atlassian, Facebook, Dropbox, Slack, Spotify, Etsy, Braintree, Cloudera and Qualtrics, among others. Accel operates multiple funds and programs to back companies at different stages, continuing a long track record of backing ambitious technology founders around the world.

Antler is a global venture capital firm based in Singapore that backs early-stage technology companies. It runs incubation programs and provides a global community of co-founders, access to talent, expert advisors, expansion support, and capital to help startups grow. The firm targets a broad range of sectors, including healthcare, finance, software, energy, consumer and B2B technologies, and operates through regional programs across Europe, the United States, the United Kingdom, Southeast Asia, India, Africa, and beyond.

Seedcamp is a European seed-stage venture capital firm based in London that identifies and invests early in founders tackling large global markets with technology. It supports a community of more than 400 startups, including publicly listed UiPath and Wise and unicorns such as Revolut, Hopin, Sorare, Pleo and wefox, as well as fast-growing companies like Grover, viz.ai and Ezra. The firm accelerates founders by providing smart capital, a lifelong community, and a global network built on more than a decade of backing exceptional talent.

Index Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 1996 and based in London with additional offices in San Francisco and Geneva, supporting entrepreneurs shaping technology-driven global businesses by investing across early and growth stages in software, TMT, and related sectors including artificial intelligence, data, fintech, healthcare, and mobility, and partnering with founders to scale companies globally.

HV Capital is a Munich- and Berlin-based venture capital firm that supports founders in building internet and technology companies. Founded in 2000 as HV Holtzbrinck Ventures, it has financed around 200 startups across growth stages and has backed notable portfolio companies such as Zalando, Delivery Hero, FlixMobility and SumUp. The firm invests across a broad range of sectors including fintech, B2B, e-commerce, enterprise, travel, education, mobility, healthcare and retail, and provides capital from early to growth rounds, reflecting its ability to fund companies through multiple growth phases.

Insight Partners is a global software investor that partners with growth-stage technology and software companies. Headquartered in New York City with offices in London, Tel Aviv, and Palo Alto, it concentrates on growth-stage software, internet, and data services, with notable focus areas including fintech, cybersecurity, AI/ML, DevOps, and healthcare. Founded in 1995, Insight Partners manages over $75 billion in regulatory assets under management and has invested in more than 750 companies worldwide, with over 55 portfolio companies achieving an IPO. The firm combines capital with hands-on, right-sized software expertise to support portfolio companies on their growth journey from first investment to IPO.

Global Founders Capital is a Berlin, Germany-based venture capital firm with a global focus that invests across seed, early, and later-stage companies. It maintains a stage-agnostic approach, seeking innovative ideas with potential impact and feasibility in global markets.

Par Equity is a venture capital and private equity firm backed by Scottish Enterprise, based in Edinburgh with an office in San Francisco. It specializes in early‑stage and growth investments in technology companies, including software, deep tech and digital health, targeting opportunities in Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland, with cross‑border expansion between the United Kingdom and the United States. The firm funds proprietary technology and proven products poised for international growth, supporting UK companies expanding to the United States and US entrants seeking a UK presence. Typical investments range from £0.25 million to £2.5 million, with enterprise values up to about £10 million. It also provides angel capital to investee companies and focuses on cross‑border deals to accelerate scale.

SOSV is a global venture capital firm based in Princeton, New Jersey, founded in 1995, that focuses on seed to growth investments in deep technology across health, environmental tech, hardware, robotics, and cross border software, with a particular emphasis on Asia. The company runs accelerator style startup development programs, including HAX and IndieBio, which provide facilities, engineering resources, and lab equipment to help founders accelerate product development, acquire customers, and attract later stage funding. SOSV pursues a limited number of high potential startups, offering extensive hands on support to speed commercialization and scale, and aims to back innovations that improve human and planetary health.

Citigroup is a diversified financial services company providing a broad range of financial products and services to consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions worldwide. It operates through two main segments: Global Consumer Banking, which includes retail banking, Citi-branded cards, and consumer finance, and Institutional Clients Group, which covers wholesale banking, investment banking, fixed income and equity sales and trading, foreign exchange, prime brokerage, research, corporate lending, cash management, trade finance, and securities services. The company maintains a global footprint across regions including Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North and Latin America, and emphasizes sustainability and social responsibility initiatives.

Partech is a global tech investment firm headquartered in Paris, with offices in Berlin, Dakar, Dubai, Nairobi and San Francisco. It provides capital, operational experience and strategic support to entrepreneurs from seed through growth, helping them scale through multiple stages. Founded in San Francisco about 40 years ago, Partech currently manages €2.5 billion in assets and backs a portfolio of roughly 220 companies across 40 countries and four continents.

General Catalyst is a venture capital firm founded in 2000 that provides early-stage and growth equity investments in technology companies. It supports portfolio companies with momentum and mentorship to accelerate growth toward long-term success and typically engages across seed to growth stages, potentially taking minority or majority stakes. The firm targets a broad range of sectors enabled by software and technology, including consumer, enterprise, fintech, crypto, healthcare IT, and related areas, and maintains a multi-region presence with offices in North America and Europe to back companies as they scale globally.

Parkwalk Advisors is a London-based venture capital firm that focuses on investing in early-stage to growth-stage technology companies, with a particular emphasis on spin-outs derived from UK universities and research institutes. It targets UK-based, often unquoted companies across sectors such as artificial intelligence, big data, life sciences, materials, cleantech, future mobility, medical technology, quantum computing and related fields, and operates with a stage-agnostic approach from seed through later rounds. The firm leverages academic networks, technology transfer channels and venture networks to access deal flow and support portfolio companies. Founded in 2009, it has been aligned with IP Group as part of its corporate structure, reinforcing its focus on intellectual property-backed innovation. The company is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.

DN Capital is a London-based venture capital firm founded in 2000 that backs seed to early-stage software, fintech, and consumer internet companies in Europe and North America. It focuses on firms that plan to operate on both sides of the Atlantic and helps them build international businesses, reflecting a cross-border investment approach with activity across the UK, Northern Europe, and North America.

SFC Capital is a United Kingdom-based venture capital firm founded in 2012 that makes early-stage investments in UK startups, including pre-seed and seed rounds. It backs companies across sectors such as software, technology, e-commerce, consumer, enterprise, green tech, medical technology, and hospitality, providing capital plus strategic guidance to support growth and product development. The firm operates a model that combines an angel network with seed funds to back SEIS- and EIS-qualifying businesses, aiming to offer exposure to a diversified portfolio while delivering hands-on support to portfolio companies.

JamJar Investments is a London-based venture capital firm that backs European consumer-focused startups across seed to later stages. It invests across consumer services and products, technology and non-tech sectors, including food and drink, and focuses on high-growth consumer brands in both digital and non-tech areas. The firm typically makes initial investments in the range of £0.15 million to £1 million, with the option to follow on, and prefers teams of more than one founder, often taking a lead or co-investor role. Its approach draws on operational, commercial and brand experience developed through the founders’ work with innocent, including scaling it into a major brand and sale to Coca-Cola, which informs its support for entrepreneurs navigating growth challenges. JamJar seeks to back European businesses with potential to scale, offering practical guidance alongside capital.

The EBRD is an international financial institution founded in 1990 and headquartered in London that provides project financing and advisory services to support private sector development and transformation in emerging markets. It finances banks, industries, and businesses, supports new ventures and investments in existing companies, and helps privatize and restructure municipal services in publicly owned entities. Through its banking and treasury activities, it offers loans, equity and quasi-equity investments, guarantees, and equity funds for smaller enterprises, along with trade finance and loan syndication. It works with commercial partners to invest in private enterprises across sectors including energy, manufacturing, ICT, infrastructure, agribusiness, and real estate, across Europe, the Middle East and beyond, including a significant footprint in Central and Eastern Europe, the Baltics, and the Caucasus. It provides policy reform dialogue and advisory services to support market modernization, governance, and reform. It has invested over €130 billion in more than 5,000 projects.

Northzone is a venture capital firm founded in 1996 and headquartered in London, with offices in New York, Oslo and Stockholm. The firm backs technology-focused companies across stages, prioritizing software, hardware, and AI-enabled businesses, along with sectors such as healthcare, semiconductors, blockchain, gaming, fintech, and marketplaces. Northzone seeks to help founders scale internationally by connecting portfolio companies with customers, partners and talent through its global network. The firm has built a track record of partnering with category-defining founders and has a Nordic to European footprint complemented by a U.S. presence to support cross-border growth. Northzone emphasizes technology-driven models with potential for rapid expansion and tends to invest in companies at early to growth stages, leveraging its multi-region reach to support portfolio companies in scaling globally.

Balderton Capital is a London-based venture capital firm that focuses on early-stage investments in European technology companies, including information technology, fintech, consumer products, healthcare tech, and related sectors. It supports founders throughout the journey, offering strategic advice, introductions to professional service providers, and opportunities to participate in workshops and a founder community. Balderton primarily targets Series A opportunities and backs companies from seed through growth phases, aiming to help them scale in Europe with a strong network and hands-on support.

Entrepreneur First is a London-based accelerator and seed-stage technology investor that supports exceptional individuals to found technology companies. It uses a talent-first model, funding and mentoring people before teams form, and operates six-month programs in Europe and Asia with global offices in London, Paris, Berlin, Singapore, Bangalore, New York and San Francisco to connect founders with startup ecosystems. The organization funds early-stage ventures and takes an equity stake in the companies it helps establish, aiming to increase the supply of high-potential tech startups worldwide by pairing standout talent with mentorship and capital.

Future Planet Capital is a London-based global impact-led venture capital firm that backs growth companies arising from leading universities and research ecosystems. It focuses on climate, health, education and sustainable growth technologies and seeks to commercialize university research. The firm manages about $380 million for institutional investors and has invested in more than 300 companies, with around 60 exits, reflecting its track record across early to growth-stage opportunities.

Battery Ventures is a technology-focused venture capital firm based in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1983. It invests in category-defining technology companies across sectors such as application software, infrastructure software, consumer internet and mobile services, industrial technologies, and life science tools. The firm supports growth across various stages and geographies, including the United States, Europe, and Israel, with emphasis on software, TMT, and related tech-enabled opportunities. As a registered investment adviser, Battery Ventures backs companies that build scalable platforms and transformative products, helping them compete in rapidly evolving markets.

Mercia Asset Management is a UK-based asset management firm focused on equity and debt investments, including venture and private equity, across the United Kingdom. It provides a complete capital solution, aiming to deliver superior returns to business owners, shareholders and fund investors. The firm backs companies in sectors such as digital and digital entertainment, electronics, materials, manufacturing, engineering, life sciences and biosciences, software and e-commerce, and the internet. Founded in 1982, Mercia Asset Management operates within the UK asset management landscape and supports growth-oriented businesses.

YFM Equity Partners is an independent private equity firm based in Leeds, United Kingdom, with offices in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Sheffield. Founded in 1982, it is owned by its senior management and investment team. The firm invests in growth and buyout opportunities across the United Kingdom, primarily targeting small and mid-sized companies in sectors including business services, software, manufacturing, technology-enabled services, and consumer brands. It typically makes equity investments in the range of a few million pounds per company (for example up to £10 million per company) and seeks to take board seats to support growth. Investments aim to exit within approximately five years through sale or listing. YFM focuses on SMEs and collaborates with management teams to drive expansion and value creation.

Earlybird Venture Capital is a Berlin-based venture capital firm founded in 1997 that backs technology companies across Europe from early stages to growth. It focuses on consumer and enterprise technology, mobility and logistics, the internet of things, marketplaces, artificial intelligence, fintech, health tech, and related software-enabled services, often investing as lead or minority investor and taking board seats where appropriate. The firm provides strategic support and access to international networks and capital markets to help portfolio companies scale. It operates from Berlin with additional offices in Munich, Istanbul, and the United States, and is regarded as one of Europe’s most established and active VC firms.

Project A Ventures is a Berlin-based early-stage venture capital firm that provides capital and extensive operational support to technology startups across Europe. Founded in 2012, it backs seed and Series A investments, leveraging a in-house team of more than 100 experts in software engineering, data analytics, marketing, and recruiting to help portfolio companies scale. The firm targets technology-focused companies across Europe, with notable portfolio including Trade Republic, sennder, KRY, Catawiki, WorldRemit, Spryker, and Voi.

Creandum is a European early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in Stockholm with offices in London, Berlin, and San Francisco. It backs technology and consumer businesses across Europe and North America, providing capital as well as strategic and operational support to help portfolio companies scale from seed to exit. The firm leverages a broad network and hands-on involvement to help founders recruit, grow, and navigate international markets. Notable portfolio companies include Spotify, Klarna, Depop, Trade Republic, Pleo, and Neo4j.

83North is a London-based venture capital firm with an additional office in Herzliya that manages over $1.8 billion in assets. It invests across Europe, the United States, and Israel, spanning seed to growth stages in consumer and enterprise technology. The focus areas include software, fintech, health tech, cybersecurity, SaaS, data infrastructure, and other technology-enabled sectors. With a global investment approach, 83North backs category-leading startups and supports portfolio companies through multiple funding rounds, emphasizing building scalable businesses across Europe, the United States, and Israel.

Amadeus Capital Partners is a London-based global technology investor and venture capital firm founded in 1997. It backs technology companies across stages, from seed to growth, across sectors including software, cybersecurity, healthcare IT, fintech, hardware and semiconductors, communications and networking, and clean energy. The firm also participates in secondary investments to provide founders with additional runway and partners with entrepreneurs to scale. To date it has backed over 130 companies and raised more than a billion dollars for investment, with a focus on Europe and selective opportunities in Israel.

Sequoia Capital is a venture capital firm founded in 1972 and based in Menlo Park, California. It pursues investments across multiple sectors, including information technology, healthcare, manufacturing, mobile, nanotechnology, financial services, internet, energy, media, and retail, and provides early to growth-stage funding coupled with strategic support to help founders build lasting, category-defining companies.

Lakestar is a Zurich-headquartered venture capital firm that backs technology-enabled businesses across Europe and the United States. It focuses on deep tech, digitalization, artificial intelligence, financial technology and healthcare, seeking to identify, fund, and grow disruptive ventures founded by exceptional entrepreneurs. The firm provides active support to portfolio companies in areas such as business development, recruitment, technology, product development and regulatory insight, guiding founders from seed to growth stages. Lakestar has backed well-known early investments in Skype, Spotify, Facebook and Airbnb, and manages more than €2 billion across multiple early-stage and growth funds, maintaining a presence in Berlin, Zurich and London.

Atomico is an international venture capital firm headquartered in London that backs disruptive technology companies and helps them scale globally. It partners with technology founders from seed to growth stages, leveraging hands-on operational experience to accelerate expansion, hiring, and marketing. With offices in major European cities, the firm supports companies across Europe, North America, and beyond, investing in information technology, software, and other technology-enabled industries and focusing on long-term partnerships and practical operational guidance to navigate global markets.

Highland Europe is a venture capital firm focused on growth-stage investments in European internet, mobile and software companies, with emphasis on consumer and enterprise technology. Headquartered in London, it targets rapidly expanding European businesses and provides growth capital to accelerate scale and build lasting value. The firm typically makes equity investments in the €5 million to €75 million range and supports companies with revenue around €10 million, while maintaining a Europe-wide focus with a Geneva presence. Established in 2012, Highland Europe operates in collaboration with Highland Capital Partners to leverage extensive investment experience across the technology sector.

Northstar Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, focusing on direct and fund of funds investments in technology‑driven startups and growth companies. It targets sectors including climate technology, healthy aging, digital media, data, entertainment services, telecommunications, healthcare, biotechnology, energy and related technologies, investing primarily in the United Kingdom with emphasis on the North East region (County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear). Typical direct investments range from £0.02 million to £0.75 million, with total commitments up to about £2 million, complemented by involvement in private equity funds, accelerators and incubators through fund of funds. The firm supports portfolio companies with resources such as a network of university partners, funders, non‑executive directors and talent to help generate talent, jobs and growth in the region. Founded in 2004, it operates from its Newcastle base.

Based in Paris, A Plus Finance is an independent investment firm specializing in venture capital and the management of funds dedicated to innovation. It focuses on information technology, environment and e-business in France, and also pursues opportunities in real estate and private equity. The team combines financiers and entrepreneurs, providing practical management insight and a long-term development perspective for portfolio companies. The firm manages about €220 million in assets and typically invests between €1 million and €4 million per project, reflecting a goal of supporting growth-stage and promising early-stage ventures in the French market.

Molten Ventures is a venture capital firm based in London, United Kingdom; it invests in deeptech, consumer tech, healthtech, SaaS and enterprise software, and other technology sectors including software, telecoms, electronics, the internet, MedTech and cleantech, and it supports visionary entrepreneurs to develop and scale technologies that could shape the future.

Notion Capital is a London-based venture capital firm that funds early-stage technology companies, with a focus on B2B software as a service, cloud computing and enterprise technologies. Founded in 2009, it operates across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific, offering entrepreneur-led support to help high-potential startups scale. The firm backs companies in a broad range of sectors including cloud, SaaS, cybersecurity, fintech, data, ad tech, logistics, mobility, IT services, insurtech and health tech, typically at Series A and beyond, with an emphasis on software-driven and cloud-based business models.

GP Bullhound is a London- and globally oriented technology advisory and investment firm founded in 1999. It provides independent strategic and financial advice to technology companies, including mergers and acquisitions, private placements, IPOs, and capital-raising activities. The firm combines technology insight with access to a global network of buyers and capital across Europe, the United States, and Asia, helping entrepreneurs and growth companies navigate complex transactions. In addition to advisory work, GP Bullhound maintains an investment arm that backs technology-focused opportunities across seed to late-stage rounds, with a track record of working with category-leading clients. With offices across Europe, the United States, and Asia, the firm serves sectors including software, fintech, media, and other technology-enabled services, aiming to help teams build scalable, billion-dollar businesses.

Samsung Electronics is a global technology company based in South Korea that designs, manufactures, and sells a wide range of electronics and device solutions. Its portfolio spans consumer electronics (mobile devices, televisions, home appliances, cameras), information technology products (PCs, peripherals, printers), semiconductors, memory and storage, and display technologies. The company also provides telecommunications infrastructure and related services, and conducts extensive research and development to advance core technologies. With a global footprint across Korea, China, the Americas, Europe, and the Asia Pacific, Samsung Electronics is a leading supplier of smartphones, memory chips, and displays, and it coordinates significant manufacturing and supply chain activities to support its varied product lines.

Cherry Ventures is a Berlin-based early-stage venture capital firm that backs European founders, often serving as their first institutional investor. The firm is led by entrepreneurs with experience building fast-scaling companies such as Zalando and Spotify, and it supports portfolio companies across Europe with help on go-to-market, growth, and scaling. Cherry Ventures has seeded more than 50 companies across Europe and operates with offices in London, Paris, and Stockholm to cover the region. It focuses on pre-seed and seed investments in sectors including B2B software, fintech, industrials, health tech, climate tech, consumer, and related technology-enabled services. The firm emphasizes hands-on support and long-term partnerships with ambitious European founders.

Founded in 2010, EIT InnoEnergy is a leading European innovation engine focused on Sustainable Energy. It invests in early-stage climate tech and energy companies across Europe and the US, providing equity minority investments and added value services to de-risk projects.

Trind Ventures is a Tallinn-based venture capital firm that backs early-stage European startups. It invests across Northern and Central Europe in marketplaces, consumer solutions, and PLG-driven B2B products, as well as software and information and communications technology, supporting both business-to-business and business-to-consumer models.

Morningside is a Boston-based investment firm founded in 1986 as a family office for the Chan family. It makes venture capital investments in companies with novel science and technology, with deep expertise in life sciences, digital health, artificial intelligence, materials, and technology. The firm takes a long-term approach to building companies and emphasizes ethical conduct. In addition to its investment activities, Morningside supports charitable initiatives in education, research and healthcare, including collaborations with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, UMass Chan Medical School, and the MIT Morningside Academy for Design.