British Business Bank backs multi-fund VC Fuel Ventures with €11 million investment

The British Business Bank has pledged €11 million (£10 million) to the Fuel Ventures funds, under the Bank's Regional Angels Programme. The programme, launched in 2019, aims to address disparities in access to early-stage equity finance across the UK. Fuel Ventures, originally a VC firm focused on initial investments, has since evolved into a multi-stage venture capital firm, supporting companies from pre-Seed to Series A. According to Mark Barry, Senior Investment Director at the British Business Bank, the Regional Angels Programme works to bridge early-stage capital gaps across the UK, with Fuel Ventures providing ongoing support as companies grow.

This commitment follows several other investments by the British Business Bank in UK venture and growth-capital managers in 2026, totaling €417 million across various funds. Founded by Mark Pearson, Fuel Ventures aims to help secure investment for UK's promising early-stage companies who struggle to secure subsequent funding from their existing investors.

This backing from the British Business Bank is seen as a strong endorsement of Fuel's model, enabling the company to provide longer-term support to its portfolio companies as they scale towards Series A. Since its inception, Fuel Ventures has deployed over €330 million across more than 230 early-stage UK companies, including notable investments in companies like Volt, ContentCal, and Capdesk.