Key Takeaways
- • Project Ventures, an Imperial College London-rooted venture capital firm, has launched a £5 million debut fund targeting pre-seed and seed-stage startups in deeptech and AI, with ticket sizes of £100,000 to £300,000 per investment.
- • More than 80% of the fund's limited partners are Imperial alumni, positioning it as the first independent, alumni-powered venture capital fund dedicated to the university's startup ecosystem.
- • The fund is led by Shahryar Barati, a three-time Imperial alumnus, and has already deployed capital across three portfolio companies: Tewke (home energy), NexusAM (AI-powered metal 3D printing quality assurance), and Neubond (neurotech for stroke rehabilitation).
- • Investment thesis focuses on founders applying science, engineering, and AI to develop intelligent systems bridging digital and physical worlds, with sector focus areas including robotics, healthcare, climate, energy, and advanced manufacturing.
- • The fund's operational model draws from US university-based alumni venture networks, leveraging deep connections within the Imperial community to identify and support early-stage companies.
Summary
Project Ventures has closed its first fund at £5 million, establishing itself as an independent venture capital firm dedicated to backing deeptech and AI startups emerging from the Imperial College London ecosystem. The fund, founded and managed by Shahryar Barati—a three-time Imperial alumnus—represents a notable institutional development in UK early-stage venture capital by institutionalizing the university's alumni network as a primary source of deal flow and investor capital.
The fund's investor base reflects strong institutional commitment from the Imperial community, with more than 80% of limited partners comprising Imperial alumni. This composition positions Project Ventures as the first independent, alumni-powered venture capital fund explicitly dedicated to supporting Imperial's startup ecosystem. The structure mirrors proven models from leading US universities where alumni networks serve as both capital providers and operational support systems for early-stage founders.
Project Ventures targets pre-seed and seed-stage companies with ticket sizes between £100,000 and £300,000 per investment. The fund's investment thesis centers on founders applying frontier science, engineering, and AI technologies to build intelligent systems that bridge digital and physical worlds. Core sector focus areas include robotics, healthcare, climate, energy, and advanced manufacturing—verticals where Imperial's research strengths align with commercial opportunity.
The fund has already deployed capital across three portfolio companies. Tewke operates as a home energy platform; NexusAM provides AI-powered quality assurance for metal 3D printing; and Neubond focuses on neurotech applications for stroke rehabilitation. According to founder Barati, the timing reflects accelerating development cycles in deeptech driven by AI adoption, coupled with Imperial's distinctive research depth across science, engineering, and medicine. The fund's embedded position within the Imperial community provides differentiated access to technical talent and commercial expertise that can support portfolio companies through early scaling phases.
The fund's investor base reflects strong institutional commitment from the Imperial community, with more than 80% of limited partners comprising Imperial alumni. This composition positions Project Ventures as the first independent, alumni-powered venture capital fund explicitly dedicated to supporting Imperial's startup ecosystem. The structure mirrors proven models from leading US universities where alumni networks serve as both capital providers and operational support systems for early-stage founders.
Project Ventures targets pre-seed and seed-stage companies with ticket sizes between £100,000 and £300,000 per investment. The fund's investment thesis centers on founders applying frontier science, engineering, and AI technologies to build intelligent systems that bridge digital and physical worlds. Core sector focus areas include robotics, healthcare, climate, energy, and advanced manufacturing—verticals where Imperial's research strengths align with commercial opportunity.
The fund has already deployed capital across three portfolio companies. Tewke operates as a home energy platform; NexusAM provides AI-powered quality assurance for metal 3D printing; and Neubond focuses on neurotech applications for stroke rehabilitation. According to founder Barati, the timing reflects accelerating development cycles in deeptech driven by AI adoption, coupled with Imperial's distinctive research depth across science, engineering, and medicine. The fund's embedded position within the Imperial community provides differentiated access to technical talent and commercial expertise that can support portfolio companies through early scaling phases.
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