Since its creation in 2007, Seedcamp has been present in the early days of some of Europe’s biggest technology success stories. Revolut, Wise, UiPath and more recently Synthesia were still among the startups when they received their first funding. After supporting the emergence of the first generation of European champions, Seedcamp is now seeking to identify the next one.
Today the question is no longer whether Europe can create technological champions, but to determine in which sectors the next ones will emerge.
This development is reflected in the raising of 279 million euros announced by the British fund to launch its seventh investment vehicle. Beyond the amount, the operation offers an overview of the convictions which now structure part of European venture capital.
For nearly two decades, technology value creation has been primarily focused around software. Cloud computing, digital platforms, fintechs and SaaS were the main investment categories. This cycle enabled the emergence of several dozen European unicorns and contributed to putting the continent on the global innovation map.
For Seedcamp, this phase is gradually reaching maturity.
“We are actively seeking founders who are building on the frontier of the new technology paradigm. Personally, I’m particularly excited where artificial intelligence meets science and the physical world. », Estimates Tom Wilson, Partner at Seedcamp.
This reading joins a trend observable throughout the global ecosystem. Artificial intelligence is no longer limited to automating digital tasks or generating content. It is becoming a technological layer capable of transforming sectors as varied as pharmaceutical research, industry, energy, robotics and even space infrastructure.
The fund’s recent investments illustrate this shift. BioOrbit explores manufacturing capabilities in a space environment. Sunrise Robotics develops autonomous robotic systems. Dust is interested in artificial intelligence agents intended to automate complex processes within companies. Three very different companies but which share a common characteristic: they are located at the intersection of software, artificial intelligence and the physical world.
As models become more accessible and technical barriers decrease, value shifts to assets that are more difficult to reproduce: scientific research, infrastructure, proprietary data, industrial processes or production capabilities. Software remains essential, but it is gradually ceasing to be the sole driver of differentiation.
For Europe, this development could represent a major opportunity, because unlike the United States, the continent has exceptional industrial and scientific depth. Research centers like CERN, the Fraunhofer Institute, CEA and ETH Zurich have long fueled global innovation. Historically, Europe has struggled to transform these advances into large-scale technological companies. Artificial intelligence could help reduce this distance between laboratory and market.
More and more funds are now seeking to finance university spin-offs, companies emerging from fundamental research or startups capable of applying advances in AI to complex industrial problems. The targeted sectors are no longer just digital services but also health, energy, advanced materials, robotics and defense.
This transformation is also accompanied by a change in mentality among European founders. New generations build directly for global markets, recruit internationally and think about their development beyond national borders from the very beginning.
It is with this in mind that the fund is strengthening its presence in the United States. The goal is not to move European companies across the Atlantic, but to give them faster access to customers, talent and investors who remain focused on the American market.
Behind this strategy lies the conviction that the next generation of European technological giants could emerge from the convergence of artificial intelligence, science, industry and infrastructure.
