London’s Ascension Ventures secures up to €11.5 million commitment to support regional early-stage founders

January 27, 2026 at 12:07 PM UTC
EU-Startups
Original: EN
London’s Ascension Ventures secures up to €11.5 million commitment to support regional early-stage founders

The European early-stage venture capital landscape is witnessing a significant surge in capital formation, particularly for pre-seed and seed-stage technology and digital ventures. This trend is crucial for fostering innovation and supporting nascent companies across the continent, aiming to democratize access to funding beyond established tech hubs. Recent commitments signal a robust pipeline of investment dedicated to emerging technologies and foundational businesses. Notable activities include Ascension Ventures securing up to €11.5 million from the British Business Bank's Regional Angels Programme, specifically targeting early-stage founders outside of London. This initiative aims to address geographical imbalances in early-stage equity finance. Concurrently, other European regions are demonstrating strong investment momentum, with Vanagon Ventures in Germany raising €20 million for DeepTech and AI, and The Footprint Firm in the Nordics closing a €76 million fund for climate and DeepTech startups. These developments highlight a broader European effort to cultivate digital sovereignty and bolster local innovation ecosystems. By providing critical capital to pre-seed and seed-stage companies, these funds are enabling the growth of essential digital infrastructure, AI applications, and cybersecurity solutions. The aggregate commitments from these various funds surpass €480 million, underscoring a strategic pan-European push to empower a new generation of tech founders.

Curated and translated by Europe Digital for our multilingual European audience.

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Publication: EU-Startups
Published: January 27, 2026 at 12:07 PM UTC
All rights remain with the original publisher.