Many of Europe’s biggest VC firms have announced new funds within the last two years, and some have lots of money left to deploy.
But a few are out fundraising again, in one of the toughest environments for securing LP cash in many years. Over half of VCs say the fundraising environment is “bad”, according to a survey of over 100 investors by Sifted this week.
While most VCs must keep schtum until they’ve closed or partially closed a fund, they are regulated by law, so have to make filings in relevant jurisdictions.
Here’s who is fundraising now, according to US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Luxembourg filings (one of the most popular domiciles for VCs in Europe).
Plural
- Founded by Taavet Hinrikus, Ian Hogarth, Sten Tamkivi and Khaled Helioui, the founder- and operator-led fund announced its first fund of €250m last year.
- It hired a fifth partner, Carina Namih, a scientist and former CEO of biotech startup HelixNano, earlier this year.
- The fund has already begun to fundraise for a second vehicle, according to SEC filings and Luxembourg filings from June.
- A spokesperson declined to comment.
DN Capital
- The Auto1 backer is raising its sixth global VC vehicle, according to SEC and Luxembourg filings from earlier this year.
- It announced its fifth fund of $350m in 2021.
- The firm has since opened an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment by its founding partner Nenad Marovac, following a report by Sifted. DN Capital says the allegations do not reflect the culture at DN Capital. A spokesperson for Marovac says he was “shocked, disappointed and saddened to learn of the allegations and that they did not reflect him as a person nor the culture at DN Capital."
- The firm declined to comment.
Lakestar
- The backer of Alan and Revolut is raising a second growth fund and a fourth early-stage fund, according to SEC and Luxembourg, from 2022.
- Bloomberg earlier reported that Lakestar has raised the early-stage vehicle with $260m.
- Koehler Group is an LP in both funds, according to an announcement.
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Lakestar declined to comment on fundraising activities due to regulatory requirements.
