London-based Lansdowne Partners has launched a venture capital fund to support high-potential UK companies emerging from the country’s leading university research base and startup ecosystem.
The fund announces a first close at €128.9 million ($150 million) and plans to hold a second and final close in December, with indicated investor interest exceeding the fund’s €171.9 million ($200 million) cap.
The fund is anchored by British Business Bank, Aviva Investors, and Lloyds Banking Group, with additional backing from Lansdowne Investors and internal partners’ capital.
“The UK has at least as much intellectual property per capita as any country in the world. Yet too often, the companies built around those ideas struggle to access the capital needed to scale globally. By backing a concentrated set of exceptional businesses with substantial capital and disciplined strategic guidance, we aim to help them realise their potential to be global leaders and drive domestic economic growth while delivering strong returns for our investors,” said Peter Davies, partner and head of Developed Markets at Lansdowne Partners.
Founded in 1998, Lansdowne Partners claims to manage assets on behalf of some of the world’s largest and most sophisticated investors. It is among the earliest investors in key innovation platforms, including Oxford Science Enterprises, IP Group, Entrepreneur First, Cambridge Innovation Capital, and Northern Gritstone.
It also noted that several scale-ups in which Lansdowne Partners was a key early investor have now reached unicorn status. These include Oxford Science Enterprises, Oxford Nanopore, Raspberry Pi, Oxford Ionics, TechMet, and Helsing. The firm has also provided financial and strategic support to Tungsten West.
Lansdowne Partners stated that the fund aims to bridge the gap between early-stage innovation and global commercial success. The firm strongly believes that this strategy offers exceptional potential returns, given that UK IP is often significantly undervalued relative to international peers.
To accomplish this, Lansdowne Partners will collaborate closely with founders to develop their ideas ambitiously, all while maintaining strict financial discipline.
“The UK has one of the world’s largest venture capital markets, but there remains a significant opportunity to increase participation from domestic institutional investors. We are now seeing tangible momentum behind the Mansion House agenda, with pension funds and insurers increasingly looking at how they can access the growth potential of UK companies. Lansdowne’s first close is a strong example of progress in the mobilisation of UK institutional capital into the UK’s innovation economy,” said Christine Hockley, MD and Co-head of Funds at British Business Bank.
The firm aims to invest in future-oriented industries with the new fund, such as healthcare data, quantum computing, natural capital, advanced materials, semiconductors, and defence technology. It will also focus on related sectors where secure supply chains and domestic capabilities are increasingly critical.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/05/lansdowne-partners-unveils-new-vc-fund-to-turn-uk-university-ip-into-global-companies-hits-e128-9-million-first-close/
