The Backers. The Builders. The Believers. Meet The Winners of the EUVC Awards 🏆
The names you’ll remember. The reasons that matter. The Hall of Fame speech that stole the room.
At the EUVC Summit, we gathered almost 200 of Europe’s top VCs, LPs, founderss and ecosystem leaders in a room charged with ambition. The goal: not just another summit, but a working room. A launchpad for real conversations—from European sovereignty to fund strategy, from policy to portfolio construction.
And at the heart of it all: the EUVC Awards.
We didn’t create another award show for the sake of it. We created one that transcends venture.
Because Europe doesn’t just need more capital. It needs more champions. People whose work, integrity, and influence ripple far beyond their fund size or title. This is about spotlighting those voices—and amplifying them beyond our own echo chambers.
Together with our judging partner Isomer Capital, and thanks to the stewardship of Chris Wade and his team, we put rigor, integrity, and intentionality at the core of the selection process.
And now—we’re proud to share the winners with you.
To everyone who joined us at the first EUVC Summit: thank you. Your energy made it what it was. And to all our partners—Google Cloud, HSBC Innovation Banking, Synaptic, Haynes Boone, Fundcraft, Ace Alternatives, CEW Communications, and Goodwin—thank you for making it possible.
We’ll see you next year.
Until then: keep building, keep accelerating, and keep pushing for Europe✊
with 💖 David & Andreas
Hall of Fame
Before we honour the new, we celebrate the timeless. This year, we’re proud to induct Robin Klein, Founding Partner at Phoenix Court Group, whose decades-long impact as an early-stage investor has been nothing short of foundational. Watch Robin’s full acceptance speech here:
From co-founding LocalGlobe with his son Saul in 2003 to championing now-household names like Wise, Robinhood, Monzo, Figma, and Zoopla, Robin’s track record speaks for itself. But it’s his belief in venture as a force for both return and impact—from unicorns to food banks—that sets him apart.
As a mentor and ecosystem builder, Robin’s contributions extend far beyond the cap table—supporting founders through platforms like Seedcamp, TechNation, and SVB, and inspiring the next generation of investors through Phoenix Court Works.
Here’s to a legend who didn’t just follow opportunity—he helped create it.
And now a word from our friends from HSBC Innovation Banking, without whom the awards might not have ever come to be.
At HSBC Innovation Banking, we're proud to sponsor both the Hall of Fame and Newcomer of the Year categories at the EUVC Awards-celebrating the legends who’ve shaped the venture landscape and the rising stars who are just getting started. Every day, we partner with founders, investors, and fast-growing companies, offering the banking solutions and support they need to scale with confidence. Whether it’s fueling early innovation or backing global ambition, our mission is to empower those driving progress. We are honoured to recognise the individuals and firms making a lasting impact on the venture ecosystem- past, present, and future.
Newcomer of the Year
Breaking in is never easy. Standing out is even harder. The Newcomer of the Year award at the EUVC Awards honours a new firm that’s already showing the strategy, sharpness, and traction to help shape the next chapter of European venture.
Finalists were judged on:
Fundraising success: percentage of the target raised and backing from top-tier LPs
Deal quality: early investments that signal judgment, access, and category potential
Early portfolio performance: traction or inflexion points from day-one deals
In partnership with HSBC Innovation Banking, we’re thrilled to announce that Shapers by Thomas Teixeira da Mota and Philippe Teixeira da Mota won this year’s Newcomer of the Year Award.
Shapers is a fintech-focused early-stage fund launched in 2024, backing startups in B2B infrastructure and financial innovation. Philippe leads all investment activity for the fund and has had a very successful personal track record of investing.
Phillippe was the first employee hired at Hedosophia and went on to become a Partner and build the firm's global fintech presence. He has also done over 100 angel investments. Early investments include Finary, Ferovinum, and Deblock- each showing momentum through revenue growth, licensing, and early-stage scaling across Europe.
Exit of the Year
A great exit isn’t just a return, it’s a result of vision, discipline, and decades of collective effort. At the EUVC Awards, the Exit of the Year honours a firm whose strategic execution delivered a defining outcome for its founders, GPs, LPs, and the broader ecosystem.
The judging committee evaluated:
Exit Valuation - size of the exit and value relative to the initial investment
Timing & Strategy - how the exit was timed in relation to market conditions and what strategy was used to optimise the outcome
Post-Exit Performance - whether the company has continued to perform, grow, and influence its industry following the transaction
In partnership with ACE Alternatives, we’re proud to recognise SV Health for their exit of Eyebio with the Exit of the Year Award —an achievement that reflects both exceptional return and lasting impact.
Eyebio, founded and incubated by SV Health Investors, was acquired by Merck in February 2024 in a deal worth up to $3 billion-$1.3 billion upfront with milestone-based payments. The exit, achieved within three years of launch, is among the largest biotech M&A deals involving a UK-founded company.
The timing, amid a constrained biotech funding environment, highlighted strong strategic execution. SV played a hands-on role from inception, with Kate Bingham serving as Chair and the firm driving team formation, pipeline expansion, and investor syndication.
Post-acquisition, Eyebio is now a central part of Merck’s global ophthalmology strategy, marking a landmark UK biotech exit with deep transatlantic impact.
And now, a word from our friends at Ace Alternatives who not only supports the awards but also continuous to support at EUVC throughout the year. Matias Collan, Rhea Colaso — your support means the world to us 🙏
At ACE Alternatives, we’re honoured to sponsor the Exit of the Year Award at the EUVC Summit. This award celebrates not only the incredible achievements of founders and their teams but also the vital roles played by the GPs who champion them and the LPs who believe in their vision. Together, these efforts create success stories that drive innovation, growth, and long-term impact in the venture ecosystem. We’re thrilled to recognise and celebrate these collective milestones.
Impact Leader of the Year
What does it look like when returns and responsibility go hand in hand?
At the EUVC Awards, the Impact Leader of the Year honours a venture firm not just delivering strong financial performance, but doing so while driving real change for people and planet.
The judges assessed:
Fund performance - returns assessed against Cambridge benchmarks, with emphasis on performance driven by high-impact portfolio companies
Impact performance - evidence of meaningful outcomes for people and planet, based on company or portfolio-level metrics
Impact practice - incorporation of impact into sourcing, decision-making, and portfolio management, with clear measurement and reporting
Ecosystem influence - signals sent to the wider VC industry, including partnerships, thought leadership, or policy engagement
Operational leadership - strong governance, diverse teams, and a culture aligned with long-term, responsible value creation
In partnership with Google Cloud, we’re proud to recognise Pale Blue Dot as this year’s Impact Leader of the Year, a firm proving that impact is not a trade-off, but a catalyst.
Pale Blue Dot is a Malmö-based Article 9 climate tech fund launched in 2020, investing in startups that reduce or reverse climate change. The firm’s 20+ portfolio companies have raised €350M+ from global investors, including a16z and Atomico. PBD stand out especially for their:
Strong female founder representation in the portfolio
Strong representation of founders from underprivileged backgrounds
Portfolio perfectly aligned with climate impact goals
What is more, Pale Blue Dot uses ESG scorecards and values-based assessments throughout diligence, and their Article 9 classification confirms their strong focus on measurable impact.
Not only did Google Cloud support this award, they supported the entire summit and joined as venue hosts. And we could not have dreamt of better hosts for the day: Oksana Stowe, Arabella Reeves, Adrian Poole — yours and the support by your entire events team executing the event a breeze for our team and an absolute joy for our guests. Thank you so much 💞
At Google Cloud, we're proud to sponsor the Impact Leader of the Year category at the EUVC Awards, recognising those driving meaningful change through innovation, leadership, and purpose.
We support startups and investors with cutting-edge cloud technology- AI, data, security, and infrastructure- to help them scale faster and tackle global challenges. It's our honour to celebrate leaders transforming the venture ecosystem for the better.
Emerging Manager of the Year
Every fund has a first close. Not every fund makes a first impression and grow their influence and traction over the first couple of fund cycles like the emerging manager finalists.
The Emerging Manager of the Year award at the EUVC Awards recognises bold early-stage venture firms between Fund I and III that are not just raising capital, but redefining what modern VC leadership looks like.
Finalists were evaluated on:
Deployment activity - number of deals closed and up-rounds secured
Fund performance - DPI and TVPI, assessed against Cambridge benchmarks
Team and culture - strength, cohesion, and growth of the internal team
Innovation and operational edge - use of internal tools and unique strategies
Diversity and inclusion - progress in building balanced and inclusive partnerships
Transparency and fairness - how the firm engages with founders and the broader community
In partnership with Fundcraft, we’re excited to name Tapestry VC as this year’s Emerging Manager of the Year, a firm that’s turning early conviction into real traction.
Here’s what set Tapestry apart:
Tapestry stands out as a global seed-stage fund built to back repeat founders. With a concentrated approach and a strong founder focus, the firm supports exceptional entrepreneurs from the earliest stages.
In 2024, it was made public that portfolio company Nothing surpassed $550M in annual revenue, highlighting Tapestry’s ability to spot and scale breakout consumer talent.
The fund also counts Manna and Relay among its growing roster of high-potential startups, further establishing its presence as a trusted partner to Europe’s most ambitious second-time founders.
Sponsoring the award are our new-found friends at Fundcraft. Thomas Pire, Chloé Naon, I’ve heard many great things from your clients and I’m proud to be working with you. Thank you so much for the support.
At fundcraft, we're thrilled to sponsor the Emerging Manager of the Year award at the EUVC Awards-celebrating the bold, early-stage venture firms that are reshaping the future of European tech. As a digital-native fund operations solution, fundcraft is purpose-built for the agility and urgency of emerging managers-but also for the ambitions that come with scale. Our platform handles high volumes and operational complexity from day one, making us not just a partner for Fund I, but for Fund III and beyond.
We streamline fund administration, compliance, and reporting, so managers can focus on what matters most: backing visionary founders and building enduring firms. We're proud to support the next generation of investors who are challenging the status quo and setting new standards for the venture ecosystem.
Firm of the Year
Enduring firms don’t just adapt to change. They lead through it. The Firm of the Year award at the EUVC Awards honours a venture firm that has not only delivered exceptional results, but done so with vision, consistency, and integrity.
The judging committee considered:
Capital deployment - including the number of funds raised, deals closed, and up-rounds achieved in 2024
Fund performance - measured through DPI, TVPI and other return benchmarks
Ecosystem impact - influence and leadership across the European VC landscape
Team and culture — strength, diversity, and growth within the partnership and broader team
Innovation - use of internal tools, operational excellence, or unique strategic approaches
Fairness and transparency — how the firm conducts itself with stakeholders
In partnership with Haynes Boone, we’re proud to name Credo Ventures as this year’s Firm of the Year, a team redefining what it means to build with scale, purpose, and long-term conviction.
Here’s what made Credo Ventures standout:
Credo Ventures is one of Europe’s less known but incredibly high performing firms. They focus on backing founders from Central and Eastern Europe and their global diaspora.
With a disciplined focus on pre-seed and seed investments—typically up to €5M—Credo has built a reputation for consistency in fund performance and strategic fund sizing.
In 2024, the firm continued its standout trajectory with ElevenLabs’ Series C at a significant valuation uplift just two years post-investment, reinforcing its ability to deliver DPI across vintages with 2024 being particularly remarkable.
Now to our dear friends at HaynesBoone who have supported the awards for two years in a row — thank you! Your guidance in our own work as well as many of our best friends’ is invaluable and as is your support for our summit and community 🙏
At Haynes Boone, we are proud to sponsor the Firm of the Year award, celebrating the firms shaping the future of our industry with excellence, leadership, and innovation. Our commitment to supporting the PE & VC ecosystem runs deep, representing clients - both investors and start-ups – across the life cycle of an investment, from fund formation, downstream investments, through to exit, we provide strategic legal counsel that fuels growth and success across Europe, the US and around the world.
Our cross-border London and US investment management group’s expertise includes fund formation, equity/growth financings, M&A (public and private), capital markets, and beyond. Partnering with visionary leaders is at the heart of what we do, and we are honoured to recognise those who drive impact and elevate our community.
Achievement of the Year
Some moments don’t just make headlines, they move industries. The Achievement of the Year award honours a defining contribution that left a lasting mark on European venture in 2024, whether through policy, innovation, or movement-building.
Judging focused on:
Impact on industry practices - actions that shifted norms, inspired change, or raised the bar across European VC
Ecosystem development - meaningful collaboration, community activation, or creation of shared infrastructure (e.g. accelerators, platforms)
Recognition and credibility - whether from peer institutions, government honours, or international media
Sustained influence - a contribution with the potential to shape the ecosystem long beyond 2024
In partnership with CEW Communications, we’re proud to celebrate State of European Tech Report for their 10th anniversary for an achievement that hasn’t just raised the bar, but redefined the European tech narrative.
Why the State of European Tech deserved to win this year:
2024 marked the 10th anniversary of Atomico’s State of European Tech report, solidifying its role as the definitive benchmark for the continent’s tech ecosystem.
Drawing on data from 41 countries and thousands of industry voices, the 2024 report reflects on a decade of transformation, highlighting a tenfold increase in capital raised since 2015 and the emergence of over 35,000 early-stage startups across Europe.
The report’s influence extends beyond data: it shapes narratives, informs policy, and inspires confidence in European tech’s global potential. Its anniversary edition featured a documentary launched at Slush and a multi-format distribution strategy, reinforcing its role as a unifying force in the ecosystem.
By chronicling Europe’s rise from underdog to innovation leader, State of European Tech continues to be a catalyst for ambition, investment, and collaboration across the continent.
And now finally a big thank you to the masterminds behind the PR work for the EUVC Summit and Awards, ensuring that both Bloomberg, Financial Times, CNBC, Sifted, Tech.eu and many more joined us. You’re incredible partners and even better friends.
At CEW Communications, we celebrate actions that reshape industries. We're proud to sponsor the Achievement of the Year award because we understand the power of breakthrough moments.
Our team helps growing companies craft narratives that capture media attention when it matters most. Your funding round, market expansion or industry innovation deserves storytelling that mirrors the magnitude of your achievement and is recognised and remembered.
See you again next year 💖