Harry Stebbings

SCOOP: Graphcore CEO to launch deeptech VC fund --- Graphcore founder and CEO Nigel Toon is set to launch a new growth-stage deeptech fund, following a bruising year for the sector in Europe that saw a number of darlings fall by the wayside. Toon, who is still chief at the AI chip maker following its acquisition by SoftBank last year, is launching the vehicle with Ekaterina Almasque, who was previously general partner at Finnish VC OpenOcean, according to Companies House filings. The new fund is called BlankPage Capital, will launch in 2025 and invest at growth stages in the UK and Europe, according to a company website seen by Sifted. A pop-up on the site invites LP investors and deeptech companies to get in touch. While Europe boasts world-leading research institutions, commercialising science-based technology has proved difficult in the region. In 2024, a number of once hyped unicorns, including EV maker Arrival, electric plane startup Lillium and battery company Northvolt all filed for bankruptcy. Full story: https://lnkd.in/e2R86TWv

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🚀 Big news from FirstPartyCapital Today we are proud to announce the launch of FirstPartyFinance, our new solution to help founders access the flexible, non-dilutive capital they need to scale. For too long, innovation in our sector has been held back by slow payment terms and a lack of understanding by traditional financial institutions. FirstPartyFinance aims to change that by connecting ad tech and digital media companies with debt solutions that increase cash flow, fuel growth, and allow founders to maintain more control and ownership of their companies. This marks the third pillar of our support model for adtech businesses: • FirstPartyCapital: direct investment in high-growth companies • FirstPartyStudio: strategic incubation and operational support • FirstPartyFinance: debt financing Delighted to be working with my former FastPay colleague, James Ryall, to launch this new business unit! FirstPartyFinance will serve companies both inside and outside the FPC equity portfolio, and seeks to provide global coverage including the US, UK, Europe, APAC, and Brazil. The goal is simple: Adtech vendors and publishers the liquidity they need to compete and innovate at a time of huge change in the industry. 👉 If you are building in adtech or digital media and want to explore how this can support your growth, we’d love to talk. #AdTech #VC #Innovation #FirstPartyFinance #FirstPartyCapital #FirstPartyStudio #lending #debtfinance

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Here’s a harsh truth: fundraising today is slow, costly, and unfairly tilted towards the well-connected. You know what I’m talking about. We’ve all seen it again and again.   Europe has brilliant founders with bold ideas, yet too many fail before they even get a fair chance. And don’t get me wrong, it’s not because they lack vision, but because the fundraising system is outdated. CORE changes that. Because founders get a digital co-pilot that levels the playing field: AI guidance, investor-ready decks, early visibility, and rounds live in under 72 hours.  For the cost of a dinner, every founder now has access to the tools, structure, and visibility once reserved for a few. The real cost isn’t trying, it’s waiting. This isn’t about building another tool. It’s about building Europe’s private market infrastructure, where preparation, raising, and managing capital become accessible to all. 👉 This is how we level the field: https://lnkd.in/dsYhQqnp

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"I could be the Lionel Messi of mining, but ..." Hg's Nic Humphries shares advice for young and old people about what to learn or study in the age of AI. Watch the entire conversation on Alt Goes Mainstream here: https://lnkd.in/erQGkAMK

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The Lightrock team are proud to have co-led Makersite’s €60M Series B, alongside Partech, with SE Ventures joining and continued backing from all the company’s Series A investors. Manufacturing accounts for more than a fifth of global emissions, and companies are under increasing pressure to reduce climate impact while remaining competitive. Makersite is meeting that challenge by making product design and manufacturing smarter – and, in turn, delivering resource, energy, and cost efficiencies in addition to positive climate impact. The company’s AI-powered platform helps manufacturers like Microsoft and Schneider Electric understand their supply chains by fixing fragmented and inconsistent product data, enriching it with one of the most comprehensive supply chain databases available, and enabling real-time analysis of cost, carbon, compliance, and risk – all throughout the product design process. With its scalable, technology-driven business model and proven impact, Makersite aligns perfectly with Lightrock's investment thesis: The company embraces sustainability not just as a trend or tick box, but as a strategic business advantage. Congrats to Neil D'Souza and the ‘Makernauts’ on this milestone success, which you can learn more about from Sifted’s coverage and the company’s announcement - both linked in the comments. The Lightrock team is excited to support Makersite’s next stage of growth. #Lightrock #AI #ClimateTech #Manufacturing #ProductDesign #SupplyChain

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