Europe’s 30 most active public funds in H1 2026

In the first half of 2026, Europe's top 30 public funds have been actively investing in startups, despite their contribution to total deals being minimal when considering the number of deals alone. These funds primarily focus on sectors crucial to the nation's interests. Federico Scolari, a senior intelligence analyst and data lead at Sifted, provides insights into these trends.

The UK-based venture capital firm Northern Gritstone, which launched in 2021, is expanding its presence by opening a new office in San Francisco. The firm primarily invests in spinouts from major universities across England such as Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, and Liverpool.

Deeptech founders are exerting significant influence in determining term sheets for their deals in 2026, and they offer strategies to ensure fair negotiations. A recent article titled "How to look beyond headline valuations and secure an investor deal that actually works for your business" provides advice on securing beneficial investment terms.

Finally, US-based investment firm Accel has raised $800 million for its ninth early-stage Europe fund, with a focus on backing prominent European defense and AI startups.