Key Takeaways
- • Eka Ventures closed a $107 million Fund II, bringing total assets under management to $200 million and establishing the firm as the UK's largest early-stage impact venture capital investor.
- • Fund II will deploy capital across up to 30 UK pre-seed and seed-stage companies in health, wellbeing, sustainability, and inclusive access sectors, with an average first investment of approximately $2 million per portfolio company.
- • Limited partners for Fund II include institutional philanthropic foundations—The Health Foundation, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, and Vivensa Foundation—alongside family offices, signaling continued institutional appetite for impact-driven venture strategies.
- • The fund represents a significant expansion from Eka's inaugural fund, with meaningful reserves allocated for follow-on investments to support portfolio companies through critical early-stage milestones.
Summary
Fund II will target pre-seed and seed-stage startups addressing systemic challenges across three primary sectors: healthcare, climate and sustainability, and inclusive access to core services. Eka plans to back up to 30 portfolio companies through the fund, with an average initial investment of approximately $2 million per company. The fund structure includes meaningful reserves allocated for follow-on investments, enabling Eka to support portfolio companies through subsequent funding rounds and critical growth milestones—a strategic approach that demonstrates institutional discipline in early-stage venture capital deployment.
The LP base for Fund II reflects the expanding role of philanthropic capital in venture financing. New limited partners include three major charitable foundations: The Health Foundation, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, and Vivensa Foundation, alongside a cohort of family offices. This composition underscores a broadening acceptance among institutional philanthropic investors of venture capital as a vehicle for achieving social and environmental impact while generating financial returns.
The fund close positions Eka Ventures as a significant player in the UK's impact technology ecosystem, particularly in early-stage capital allocation where the firm has demonstrated market expertise and track record. The $107 million raise and established AUM base provide substantial dry powder for deployment across underserved segments of the UK startup ecosystem where impact and commercial objectives align.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.