Concept Ventures Raises €75M Fund II
London-based Concept Ventures has closed its second fund at €75 million, marking the largest dedicated pre-seed fund in Europe. The new fund, called Fund II, will provide early capital to the UK and Europe’s most promising tech founders.
The round drew strong institutional support from investors such as Aldea Ventures, Top Tier Capital Partners, Marktlink Capital, Dominus, and Granite Capital Management. More than 80% of institutional investors came from the U.S., underlining international confidence in Europe’s early-stage market.
In addition, more than 70% of Concept Ventures’ portfolio founders joined as limited partners, including Mati Staniszewski, CEO and Co-founder of ElevenLabs. The fund was also oversubscribed, hitting its first close in just three weeks.
Investor and Founder Confidence
Founding Partner Reece Chowdhry emphasized the unique role of pre-seed specialists:
“As outsiders to VC, we’ve always believed pre-seed investing requires true specialists – partners who can spot and support founders before the wider market sees their potential. Raising an oversubscribed $88M fund from a majority-US investor base, as well as making first close in just three weeks, is a huge vote of confidence in this thesis and in the European market at large.”
Chowdhry added that having 70% of portfolio founders return as investors validated the firm’s people-first approach. He noted that the fund’s success “cements our position as Europe’s largest dedicated pre-seed fund and gives us the firepower to keep saying ‘yes’ at the very beginning of a founder’s journey.”
Position in Europe’s VC Landscape
Concept Ventures’ Fund II arrives during a competitive moment for European venture capital. Recent fund launches highlight the momentum:
- Evantic Capital raised €341M in London for later-stage B2B AI startups.
- Expeditions Fund II in Poland secured over €100M for defense, AI, and quantum projects.
- KAYA in the Czech Republic closed nearly €70M for Central and Eastern European startups.
Against this backdrop, Concept Ventures is carving a niche as a sector-agnostic, pan-European pre-seed investor. Its aim is to bridge the gap between small angel-backed rounds and the larger capital pools targeting later-stage companies.
Backing Early-Stage Founders
Since launching its first institutional fund in 2022, Concept Ventures has invested in more than 44 pre-seed companies. The firm says 90% of its portfolio founders had their very first VC meeting with them.
Its team’s non-VC backgrounds give them a fresh lens to identify unconventional talent and emerging markets. This is supported by proprietary sourcing tools and an open fundraising process designed for transparency.
Notable portfolio companies include:
- ElevenLabs, a voice AI unicorn now valued at $6.6B.
- VSim, a physics simulation AI startup.
- Treefera, a decarbonization data platform.
- Anam, an AI avatar generator.
Recent funding rounds include Archestra’s €2.8M pre-seed in August and Arondite’s €1.9M pre-seed, which later led to a €10.5M round.
Concept Venture’s Industry Endorsements
Investors view Concept Ventures as uniquely positioned in the pre-seed stage.
Eric Fitzgerald, General Partner at Top Tier Capital Partners, said:
“In today’s venture market, there’s nothing more important than partnering with managers who can spot exceptional talent before anyone else – and that’s exactly what makes Concept Ventures so special. The team brings together multi-generational expertise and unmatched networks, which we think gives them an edge in backing the next wave of standout founders.”
He praised their transparent, high-conviction approach as a differentiator in the crowded VC space.
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Fund II Strategy and Impact
With Fund II, Concept Ventures plans to back up to 50 pre-seed companies across Europe and the UK. The firm will lead or co-lead over 90% of rounds, with an average check size of $1 million.
Concept Ventures also integrates a social impact element. The firm pledges 1% of its carry pool to founder-chosen charities, which currently support school infrastructure in India, youth mental health in the UK, and LGBT communities impacted by HIV and AIDS.
The firm now manages $200 million in assets under management (AUM). Its first fund, Fund I, reportedly sits in the top 1% of its global vintage, with every company that went to market securing a follow-on round. Collectively, Fund I portfolio companies have raised more than $450M since 2022.
Concept Ventures plans to use Fund II to strengthen its role as a trusted first check investor for ambitious European founders. To stay updated on crypto venture capital funding and market trends, visit our venture capital news section for more insights.
