Most active UK startup investors 2026

The investors that back the most UK startups, ranked by the number of funding rounds they took part in. Choose a year, the last 12 months or every year since 2023.

Between 1 January 2026 and 21 October 2026, 1,511 named investors took part in 651 UK startup rounds. The most active was Innovate UK, with 30 rounds worth £133m in total, mostly at Pre-Seed stage. British Business Bank (25) and PXN Ventures (17) follow.

Most active investors in UK startup rounds, 2026 so far
#InvestorRoundsTotal disclosedTypical stageTop sectors
1Innovate UK30£133mPre-SeedHealthtech, Cleantech, Energy
2British Business Bank25£2.89bnSeries CHealthtech, Software, Energy
3PXN Ventures17£98.9mSeedSoftware, Deeptech, Hardware
4Mercia Ventures16£151mSeries AHealthtech, AI, Deeptech
5Entrepreneurs First14£380mPre-SeedHealthtech, Software, Cybersecurity
6Index Ventures12£1.21bnSeedAI, Software, Legaltech
7Oxford Science Enterprises12£771mSeries CHealthtech, Deeptech, Energy
8Octopus Ventures12£134mSeedSoftware, AI, Healthtech
9Fuel Ventures12£30.5mPre-SeedSoftware, Fintech, AI
10Haatch12£26.5mSeedSoftware, AI, Fintech
11SFC Capital12£13.4mPre-SeedAI, Healthtech, Software
12Seedcamp11£290mPre-SeedDeeptech, Software, Fintech
13AlbionVC11£172mSeries AEnergy, Fintech, Software
14Scottish Enterprise11£83.8mSeedDeeptech, Cleantech, Energy
15Balderton Capital10£1.16bnSeries AAI, Fintech, Healthtech
16General Catalyst10£582mSeries AAI, Proptech, Software
17Northern Gritstone10£79.1mSeedDeeptech, Agritech, Cybersecurity
18Foresight Group10£57.3mSeedAI, Software, Space
19UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (UKI2S)10£54.3mSeedAgritech, AI, Deeptech
20LocalGlobe9£342mSeedAI, Agritech, Cleantech
21IQ Capital9£278mSeries AEnergy, Healthtech, Agritech
22Speedinvest9£137mSeedAI, Fintech, Deeptech
23Y Combinator9£127mSeries ASoftware, AI, E-commerce
24Love Ventures9£43.8mSeedFintech, AI, Cleantech
25Ada Ventures9£39.7mSeedAI, Deeptech, Edtech
26Antler9£27mPre-SeedCybersecurity, Software, AI
27Plural8£233mSeries AAI, Cleantech, Cybersecurity
28ACF investors8£51.6mSeedDeeptech, Agritech, Fintech
29Cambridge Enterprise Ventures8£48.4mSeedCleantech, Agritech, AI
30Ascension VC8£42.1mPre-SeedAI, Cleantech, E-commerce
31Blackfinch Ventures8£25.6mSeedDeeptech, Energy, Fintech
32UK Sovereign AI Fund7£3.11bnSeries BAI, Healthtech, Cleantech
33NVIDIA7£2.99bnSeries D+AI, Healthtech, Transportation
34Accel7£540mSeries ACybersecurity, Software, AI
35NATO Innovation Fund7£330mSeries ADefence, AI, Cleantech
36BGF7£81.1mSeedAI, Healthtech, Energy
37Clean Growth Fund7£56.3mSeries ACleantech, AI, Consumer
38Ventures Together7£30.9mPre-SeedSoftware, Agritech, Cleantech
39Episode 1 Ventures7£27.4mPre-SeedSoftware, AI, Cybersecurity
40GV6£2.39bnSeries BHealthtech, AI, HRtech
41Atomico6£410mSeries BAI, Healthtech, Energy
42Begin Capital6£238mSeedAI, Proptech, Robotics
43Notion Capital6£132mSeries ASoftware, AI, Fintech
44Outward VC6£72.4mPre-SeedFintech, Software, Cybersecurity
45YFM Equity Partners6£68.5mSeries ASoftware, Fintech, HRtech
46Maven Capital Partners6£65.5mSeedAI, Consumer, Cybersecurity
47Eka Ventures6£55.9mSeedHealthtech, Edtech, Energy
48MMC Ventures6£53.6mSeedAI, Software, Cybersecurity
49Empirical Ventures6£22.3mSeedHealthtech, Deeptech, Energy
50Osney Capital6£18mSeedCybersecurity, Deeptech, Semiconductors

Top 50 of 1,511 investors, 1 Jan 2026 to 21 Oct 2026.

How the ranking works

  • Each round counts once for every investor named on it, so a round with three investors appears in all three rows.
  • "Total disclosed" is the combined size of the rounds an investor took part in, not the amount it invested itself, which is rarely published. Rounds with no disclosed amount count as rounds but add nothing to the total.
  • Amounts are in pounds: sterling rounds use their own amount, others are converted at the ECB rate. Debt rounds are left out.
  • The typical stage is the stage most of an investor's rounds were at; sectors are the three it backed most often (a round can be in more than one sector).
  • Different spellings of the same firm are counted under one name ("Entrepreneur First" counts as Entrepreneurs First, "PXN Group" as PXN Ventures). Named funds and public programmes that a firm manages keep their own rows.

Explore every round, filter by investor, city or sector, and download the data on the UK startup funding data page.

Data as of , updated daily at midnight UK timeData: Tech.eu Funding Explorer

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