Latest fund size
$27M
Announced
November 9, 2026
Global HQ
United Kingdom
Members only
Check size
$500K-$2M
Members only
Stage focus
Pre-Seed
Members only
Regions of investment
United Kingdom, Europe
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Octopus Ventures is a London-based venture capital firm that is part of Octopus Group, with additional offices in New York, Shanghai, and Singapore. The firm has been backing founders since 2008 and invests from pre-seed through later growth stages, with a particular focus on B2B software, bio, climate, consumer, deep tech, fintech, and health. Its dedicated pre-seed program, First Cheque, launched in 2021 to back very early-stage founders across the UK and Europe.
Erin Platts, Chief Executive Officer
Kirsten Connell, Partner, Pre-Seed (First Cheque)
Tilly Fleming, Associate, Pre-Seed (First Cheque)
tilly.fleming@octopusventures.com
Anishka Reddy, Associate, Pre-Seed (First Cheque)
anishka.reddy@octopusventures.com
Taos Edmondson, Venture Partner, First Cheque
Angel Issa, Managing Partner
angel.issa@octopusventures.com
Uthish Ranjan, Partner and Chair of Investment Committee
Kamran Adle, Partner
Richard Court, Partner
Paul Davidson, Partner
Luke Edis, Partner
Edward Keelan, Partner
Zihao Xu, Partner
Adam Said, Principal
Gabi Slemer, Principal
gabi.slemer@octopusinvestments.com
Theo Xydas, Principal, Growth
Members only
Names, roles, emails and LinkedIn profiles for the team, plus the fund's website.
Octopus Ventures invests from pre-seed through later-stage growth, with its sweet spot in pre-seed through Series A, across seven core areas: B2B software, bio, climate, consumer, deep tech, fintech, and health.
Its First Cheque program is a dedicated pre-seed vehicle investing across the UK and Europe, with First Cheque II concentrating on AI infrastructure, robotics, health and biology, digital security, industrial operating systems, and energy.
The program aims to back more than 80 founders, continuing the approach of its predecessor, which made first-round investments as small as $133,500 for 3 to 6 percent equity and did not reserve capital for follow-on rounds.
Members only
What the fund looks for in founders and which sectors it backs.
Octopus Ventures' First Cheque II pre-seed fund held its first close, the firm announced on November 6, 2026, targeting more than $26.7 million, over double the $13.4 million size of its predecessor, First Cheque I.
As part of the first close, Octopus acquired the fund, portfolio, and operations built by Onstage, an early-stage platform founded in 2020 by Taos Edmondson and Hector Mason, bringing six companies, including Serova Bio, into First Cheque II.
First Cheque I backed more than 80 companies from its $13.4 million fund, including OLIX, now valued above $3 billion, and Prima Mente, an AI biology company.
Members only
Fund size, LPs and track record.
Leadership
Investment Strategy
Octopus Ventures organizes its investment team into specialist sector pods and draws on a global network of Venture Partners, former executives and entrepreneurs who advise on product development, marketing, and scaling.
The First Cheque program takes small first checks in very early-stage companies, co-investing alongside angels, high-net-worth individuals, micro funds, and other early-stage VCs, and accepts cold inbound approaches rather than relying only on warm introductions.
Notable Investments
Notable Exits
Members only
Leadership, investment strategy, notable investments and exits.
