Octopus Ventures

Octopus Ventures is a prominent United Kingdom venture capital firm founded in 2000 / 2007 (part of the broader Octopus Group / Octopus Investments founded 2000; Octopus Ventures as a distinct venture-platform traces formation from 2007) and headquartered in London, United Kingdom with a regional office in New York City. The firm is part of Octopus Investments, a London-headquartered UK investment management group that manages GBP 9.9 billion on behalf of retail and institutional investors as of June 2025 (with 600+ employees, Certified B Corporation status, and parent of Octopus Energy, Octopus Real Estate, and related subsidiaries). Octopus Ventures invests across healthcare and biotech, fintech, deep-technology, B2B software / SaaS, cybersecurity, insurance technology, legal technology, mobility technology, climate and clean-technology, e-commerce, and consumer-technology sectors primarily across Europe, deploying over GBP 200 million annually with GBP 1.7 billion+ in dedicated venture AUM as of 2022. The firm has invested in 353+ portfolio companies producing 2 unicorns, 6 IPOs, 76 acquisitions, and 141+ exits. Octopus Ventures leverages Octopus Group's permanent-capital-base access to UK tax-advantaged retail investor money through Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs), Enterprise Investment Schemes (EIS), and business-relief-qualifying investments, alongside traditional institutional fund structures. The firm operates through sector-focused ''pods'' with 53-70+ team members including 10 partners. Notable portfolio companies include Zoopla (LSE: ZPG, exited), Cazoo (NYSE SPAC, subsequent delisting), Depop (acquired by Etsy for USD 1.625 billion), ManyPets, Elvie, WaveOptics (acquired by Snap), SwiftKey (acquired by Microsoft), Secret Escapes, The Access Group, Graze (acquired by Unilever), Chronext, Origami Energy, AutoGrab, and many others.