The Raise Report
New funds with capital to deploy #017
Since we started releasing this data we have covered over 700 funds that have raised over $240b of fresh capital to deploy. Money does not seem to be an issue, getting out of those investors is, but why is that?
💸 New Funds Looking to Give You Cash
$1.21 billion Across 17 New Funds
Investors are doubling down on multi-sector vehicles alongside dedicated AI, fintech and deeptech funds.
Where the Money is Going
🌍 Geography at a Glance
Europe (79 %) – Dominated by generalist and regional multi-sector funds targeting scale-ups across CEE and Western Europe.
North America (13 %) – Concentrated in AI-focused and diversity-led early-stage vehicles.
Asia (8 %) – Driven by a dedicated campus fund backing student and dropout-founders in deeptech and emerging technologies.
Rest of the World – No significant new seed or pre-seed fund launches outside these regions in this period.🎯 Sector Priorities
Multi-sector (42 % of funds by $)
Generalist vehicles span enterprise software, fintech, AI and consumer tech, offering founders diverse syndication and follow-on support.
Artificial Intelligence (10 % of funds by $)
Dedicated AI funds target post-revenue, B2B machine-learning ventures solving real-world business problems.
Fintech (9 % of funds by $)
Capital flows into blockchain, igaming and regulated fintech platforms, often structured as Guernsey-registered partnerships.
Deeptech (8 % of funds by $)
Student-focussed and regional funds back space, biotech, advanced manufacturing and next-generation engineering startups.
Other Sectors (31 % of funds by $) – Venture debt, consumer-tech, defence, edtech, healthcare and gender-lens vehicles.
🚀 Investment Stages
Early Stage — 88 % of new funds (15 of 17)
Primarily pre-seed to Series A vehicles backing first-time founders and post-revenue inflection startups.
Growth Stage — 12 % of new funds (2 of 17)
Selective growth-oriented and venture-debt funds supporting businesses nearing break-even or Series B readiness.
What This Means for Founders
With Europe commanding nearly four-fifths of the capital—led by broad multi-sector vehicles and specialist AI and fintech funds—founders should prioritise UK and CEE investors, especially if operating in AI or financial technology, to maximise fundraising success.
Remembering Ali Jamal
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Ali Jamal, founder of First Check Ventures. Ali was more than an investor—he was a mentor, a supporter, and a true champion of innovation. His unwavering belief in early-stage founders and his generosity with his time and expertise have left a lasting impact on our community.
We are profoundly grateful for Ali’s support and encouragement over the years. His legacy will live on in the countless entrepreneurs and companies he inspired.
Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.
Thank you, Ali, for everything.
