Europe's venture capital market raised €8 billion across 41 new funds from February to May 2026. This funding wave signals where smart money is flowing, giving founders clear direction on which investors are actively deploying fresh capital. The new VC funds Europe Q1 2026 landscape shows strong appetite for AI and deeptech investments.
AI leads sector focus with 24 funds targeting artificial intelligence startups, while France and the UK dominate geography with 9 funds each. Seed-stage investing remains the primary focus across 28 funds.
| Fund Name | Country | Size | Stage | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeito Capital II | 🇫🇷 France | €1B | Late Stage | Life Sciences |
| UK Sovereign AI Fund | 🇬🇧 UK | £500M | Seed, Series A | AI, Defence |
| Lauxera Growth II | 🇫🇷 France | €520M | Late Stage | HealthTech, Medical Devices |
| Lightrock Accelerate7 | 🇬🇧 UK | $500M | Series B, Late Stage | Energy, CleanTech |
| UVC Partners Fund | Germany | €400M | Seed, Series A | Deeptech, Climate |
| Mouro Capital Fund III | 🇬🇧 UK | $400M | Multi-stage | Fintech, AI |
| Earlybird Fund VIII | 🇩🇪 Germany | €360M | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Deeptech |
| Partech Impact Fund | 🇫🇷 France | €300M | Late Stage | Impact |
| futurepresent | 🇩🇪 Germany | $300M | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Infrastructure |
| Allianz APIC Fund | 🇩🇪 Germany | $270M | Late Stage | Infrastructure, Energy |
| Join Capital Fund III | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | €235M | Pre-seed, Seed | Deeptech, Defence |
| Air Street Capital III | 🇬🇧 UK | $232M | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, SaaS |
| Quantonation II | 🇫🇷 France | €220M | Seed, Series A | Deeptech, AI |
| Kurma Biofund IV | 🇫🇷 France | €215M | Seed, Series A | Life Sciences |
| Entrepreneurs First | UK | $200M | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Robotics |
| KOMPAS VC Fund II | 🇩🇰 Denmark | €160M | Seed, Series A | AI, Robotics |
| Illuminate Financial IV | 🇬🇧 UK | $135M | Series B, Late Stage | AI, Fintech |
| Elaia DTS3 | 🇫🇷 France | €134M | Seed | Deeptech, Life Sciences |
| Samaipata III | 🇪🇸 Spain | €110M | Seed, Series A | AI, SaaS |
| Eka Ventures Fund II | 🇬🇧 UK | $107M | Pre-seed, Seed | Life Sciences, HealthTech |
| Mundi LatAm Fund I | 🇪🇸 Spain | $100M | Series A, Series B | Fintech, HealthTech |
| Gamma Waves Partners | Netherlands | €100M | Late Stage | AI, Sports Tech |
| Ground State Ventures I | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $88M | Pre-seed, Seed | Deeptech, Quantum |
| Credo Ventures Fund V | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | $88M | Pre-seed | AI, SaaS |
| 360 Capital Poli360 2 | 🇮🇹 Italy | €85M | Pre-seed, Seed | Deeptech |
| Unconventional Fund II | 🇩🇰 Denmark | €80M | Pre-seed, Seed | CleanTech, HealthTech |
| DFF Ventures Fund III | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | €70M | Pre-seed | AI, E-commerce |
| Newfund HEKA | 🇫🇷 France | €60M | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, HealthTech |
| Passion Capital IV | 🇬🇧 UK | €46M | Seed | AI, Fintech |
| Montis VC | Poland | €50M | Pre-seed, Seed | CleanTech, Infrastructure |
| Bondstone Maxwell I | 🇵🇹 Portugal | €50M | Seed, Series A | AI, Life Sciences |
| Aqua-Spark African Fund | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $48M | Pre-seed, Seed | CleanTech, Agrifood |
| Skybound Fund I | 🇬🇷 Greece | $38M | Pre-seed, Seed | Deeptech, Infrastructure |
| Herbert Zurich DeepTech | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | €32.5M | Pre-seed, Seed | Deeptech |
| Expeditions | Poland | €31M | Seed, Series A | AI, Fintech |
| Cleo Ventures | 🇫🇷 France | €30M | Pre-seed, Seed | AI |
| FIRSTPICK | Lithuania | €25M | Pre-seed | AI |
| JIC Ventures | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | €16.3M | Pre-seed, Seed | Deeptech, Cybersecurity |
| Breega | France | $8.5M | Seed, Series A | Fintech, SaaS |
| Arāya Sie Fund | 🇬🇧 UK | £7.5M | Pre-seed, Seed | AI, Deeptech |
Search and filter all funds by stage, sector, and geography at https://privateequitylist.com/aisearch
🇫🇷 New VC Funds in France Q1 2026
🇫🇷 Jeito Capital II
Size: €1 billion
Stage: Late Stage
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: Life Sciences focused on breakthrough therapeutics and medtech
Europe's largest life sciences fund targeting late-stage biotech companies.
🇫🇷 Lauxera Capital Partners (Lauxera Growth II)
Size: €520 million
Stage: Late Stage
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: HealthTech and medical devices across Europe
Specialized growth investor in European healthcare technology companies.
🇫🇷 Partech (Partech Impact Fund)
Size: €300 million
Stage: Late Stage
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: Impact investments across multiple sectors
First dedicated impact fund from the established French VC firm.
🇫🇷 Quantonation Ventures (Quantonation II)
Size: €220 million
Stage: Seed, Series A
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: Deeptech and quantum computing technologies
Leading European quantum and deep physics technology investor.
🇫🇷 Kurma Partners (Biofund IV)
Size: €215 million
Stage: Seed, Series A
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: Life Sciences and biotechnology
Established biotech investor with strong track record in European life sciences.
🇫🇷 Elaia (DTS3)
Size: €134 million
Stage: Seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: Deeptech and life sciences
French deeptech specialist with focus on B2B technology companies.
🇫🇷 Newfund (HEKA)
Size: €60 million
Stage: Pre-seed, Seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: AI and HealthTech
Early-stage fund targeting AI applications in healthcare.
🇫🇷 Cleo Ventures
Size: €30 million
Stage: Pre-seed, Seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: AI technologies
New AI-focused fund targeting European early-stage startups.
🇫🇷 Breega
Size: $8.5 million
Stage: Seed, Series A
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: Fintech and SaaS
Continuation fund from established European early-stage investor.
[NEWSLETTER CTA: insert PEL newsletter signup here]
🇬🇧 New VC Funds in UK Q1 2026
🇬🇧 UK Government (Sovereign AI Fund)
Size: £500 million
Stage: Seed, Series A
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: UK Government backing
Focus: AI and defence technologies
Government-backed fund prioritizing AI sovereignty and national security applications.
🇬🇧 Lightrock (Accelerate7)
Size: $500 million
Stage: Series B, Late Stage
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: Energy and CleanTech
Growth investor targeting energy transition and climate solutions.
🇬🇧 Mouro Capital (Fund III)
Size: $400 million
Stage: Multi-stage
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Santander backing
Focus: Fintech and AI
Bank-backed fund with strong fintech connections and global reach.
🇬🇧 Air Street Capital (Fund III)
Size: $232 million
Stage: Pre-seed, Seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: AI and SaaS
AI-native fund with deep technical expertise and strong founder network.
🇬🇧 Entrepreneurs First
Size: $200 million
Stage: Pre-seed, Seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: AI and robotics
Company builder program with global reach and technical talent focus.
🇬🇧 Illuminate Financial (Early Growth Fund IV)
Size: $135 million
Stage: Series B, Late Stage
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: AI and Fintech
Growth-stage fund targeting profitable fintech and AI companies.
🇬🇧 Eka Ventures (Fund II)
Size: $107 million
Stage: Pre-seed, Seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: Life Sciences and HealthTech
Healthcare-focused fund with scientific advisory network.
🇬🇧 Passion Capital (Passion IV)
Size: €46 million
Stage: Seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: AI and Fintech
Established UK seed investor with strong founder community.
🇬🇧 Arāya Ventures and Sie Ventures (Arāya Sie Fund)
Size: £7.5 million
Stage: Pre-seed, Seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: AI and Deeptech
Joint fund targeting early-stage technical founders.
🇩🇪 New VC Funds in Germany Q1 2026
🇩🇪 UVC Partners
Size: €400 million
Stage: Seed, Series A
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: Deeptech and climate technologies
Leading German deeptech investor with strong corporate connections.
🇩🇪 Earlybird Venture Capital (Fund VIII)
Size: €360 million
Stage: Pre-seed, Seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: AI and deeptech
Established European VC with strong track record in B2B technology.
🇩🇪 futurepresent
Size: $300 million
Stage: Pre-seed, Seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: AI and infrastructure
New fund targeting foundational AI and infrastructure technologies.
🇩🇪 Allianz Global Investors (Asia Pacific Infrastructure Credit Fund)
Size: $270 million
Stage: Late Stage
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Allianz backing
Focus: Infrastructure and energy
Insurance-backed fund targeting infrastructure debt and equity.
🇳🇱 New VC Funds in Netherlands Q1 2026
🇳🇱 Gamma Waves Partners
Size: €100 million target
Stage: Late Stage
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: AI and sports technology
Permanent capital vehicle targeting AI applications in sports and entertainment.
🇳🇱 Ground State Ventures (Fund I)
Size: $88 million
Stage: Pre-seed, Seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: Deeptech and quantum computing
New fund specializing in quantum technologies and deep physics.
🇳🇱 DFF Ventures (Fund III)
Size: €70 million
Stage: Pre-seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: AI and e-commerce/marketplace
Early-stage fund targeting AI applications in commerce and marketplaces.
🇳🇱 Aqua-Spark (African Blue Economy Fund)
Size: $48 million
Stage: Pre-seed, Seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: CleanTech and agrifood
Impact fund targeting sustainable food systems and aquaculture.
🇪🇺 New VC Funds in Other European Countries Q1 2026
🇱🇺 Join Capital (Fund III)
Size: €235 million
Stage: Pre-seed, Seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: Deeptech and defence
European fund targeting dual-use technologies and defence applications.
🇩🇰 KOMPAS VC (Fund II)
Size: €160 million
Stage: Seed, Series A
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: AI and robotics
Nordic fund with strong technical expertise in AI and robotics.
🇪🇸 Samaipata (Samaipata III)
Size: €110 million
Stage: Seed, Series A
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: AI and SaaS
Spanish fund targeting B2B software and AI applications.
🇪🇸 Mundi Ventures (LatAm Fund I)
Size: $100 million
Stage: Series A, Series B
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: Fintech and HealthTech
Cross-border fund targeting Latin American fintech and health companies.
🇨🇿 Credo Ventures (Fund V)
Size: $88 million
Stage: Pre-seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: AI and SaaS
Central European fund with strong regional network and AI focus.
🇮🇹 360 Capital (Poli360 2)
Size: €85 million
Stage: Pre-seed, Seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: Deeptech
Italian deeptech investor with university partnerships and technical expertise.
🇩🇰 Unconventional Ventures (Fund II)
Size: €80 million
Stage: Pre-seed, Seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: CleanTech and HealthTech
Nordic impact fund targeting climate and health solutions.
🇵🇱 Montis VC
Size: €50 million
Stage: Pre-seed, Seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: CleanTech and infrastructure
Polish fund targeting climate technology and sustainable infrastructure.
🇵🇹 Bondstone (Maxwell Technologies I)
Size: €50 million
Stage: Seed, Series A
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: AI and life sciences
Portuguese fund targeting AI applications and biotech companies.
🇬🇷 Skybound (Fund I)
Size: $38 million
Stage: Pre-seed, Seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: Deeptech and infrastructure
Greek fund targeting technical founders in deeptech and infrastructure.
🇨🇭 Herbert Ventures (Zurich DeepTech Fund)
Size: €32.5 million
Stage: Pre-seed, Seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: Deeptech
Swiss fund leveraging university partnerships for deeptech investments.
🇵🇱 Expeditions
Size: €31 million
Stage: Seed, Series A
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: AI and Fintech
Polish fund targeting early-stage AI and financial technology companies.
🇱🇹 FIRSTPICK
Size: €25 million
Stage: Pre-seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: AI technologies
Baltic fund focusing on AI startups across the region.
🇨🇿 JIC Ventures
Size: €16.3 million
Stage: Pre-seed, Seed
Ticket size: Not disclosed
LPs: Not disclosed
Focus: Deeptech and cybersecurity
Czech fund targeting technical startups with security applications.
What This Means For Founders
- AI startups have unprecedented access to capital with 24 funds actively investing, but competition for deals will be fierce across all stages from pre-seed to growth.
- Life sciences and healthtech founders should target France, which hosts three major funds including Europe's largest life sciences fund at €1 billion.
- Pre-seed and seed companies have the most options with 28 funds actively investing at these stages, particularly strong in Germany and the Netherlands.
- CleanTech and climate companies should focus on Nordic and German funds, which show strong sectoral focus and government backing.
- Late-stage companies face a more concentrated market with only 10 funds investing at Series C+, making preparation and positioning crucial for successful raises.
Search and filter all funds by your stage, sector, and location at https://privateequitylist.com/aisearch
The new VC funds Europe Q1 2026 landscape shows strong capital deployment across AI and deeptech sectors. These 41 funds represent active investors with fresh capital ready to deploy. Find the right investors for your raise at https://privateequitylist.com/aisearch
