Emerging Managers

XGEN Venture, a life sciences-focused venture capital firm based in Milan, Italy, has closed its inaugural fund at about €180mn.

Close to €500m was invested in Belgian tech start-ups in the first half of this year, according to a new report.

Convinced that great founders can come from anywhere, AXA Venture Partners prefers funds that focus on regions with a high density of talented entrepreneurs.

The emerging manager's strategy of investing in both VC funds and start-ups allows family offices to access the VC market through a single commitment, partner Daniel Sakovics tells Venture Capital Journal.

Fund II is 90% larger than Theory Ventures' debut fund, which secured a commitment from The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America.

The firm is led by Jessica Owens, a former Kleiner Perkins partner, and Iana Dimkova, previously a director in the healthcare technology investing group of GE Ventures.

Focused on Switzerland's tech sector, Founderful saw strong demand for its sophomore fund, which was oversubscribed and 55% larger than its debut effort.

The London-based firm’s strategy is based on a preferred equity approach to give GPs, LPs and companies short-term liquidity.

The New York City-based firm leverages its founders’ backgrounds to focus more on the builders of companies than the sectors they operate in.

Mountside Ventures’ new accelerator program is the first in Europe specifically geared to emerging VCs, who are struggling to secure commitments from limited partners.