Creator Fund, the UK-based pre-seed investor dedicated to supporting PhD founders, has announced a $41 million raise for its first European institutional fund. This makes it the world’s largest student venture capital firm, operating across 24 universities in eight countries. More than a financial win, it highlights Europe’s determination to transform its research universities into engines of economic growth and global innovation.
The new fund was anchored by Equation Capital, a German next-generation asset manager, alongside Denmark’s Export and Investment Fund (EIFO). They were joined by over 60 limited partners, signalling robust international interest in Europe’s deeptech pipeline. With the fund already twice the size of Creator Fund’s previous UK raise in 2022, strong investor appetite is clear.
European universities have long been hotbeds of groundbreaking science, but only recently has serious capital begun to flow into startups born from their labs. Creator Fund was built on the belief that research is the continent’s most under-utilised asset, and this new fund represents its largest bet yet on science-driven entrepreneurship.
A distinctive student-led model
Unlike traditional venture firms, Creator Fund embeds itself directly inside campuses. At each of its 24 universities, the fund recruits and trains students who receive carried interest to scout and support the best researchers around them. This insider model allows the fund to uncover hidden talent, often spotting companies before they even leave the lab.
Since its launch in 2019, Creator Fund has backed 55 startups across nine countries, with portfolio companies later raising over $250 million in follow-on rounds. Remarkably for a pre-seed investor, it has already notched two exits, including the sale of Loci to Epic Games. That spinout began with a Cambridge PhD thesis in computer science, which Creator Fund transformed into a venture-ready company that sold just four years later.
The approach is also unusually international. A striking 71% of its UK-backed startups were founded by students from abroad, underscoring Europe’s appeal as a hub for global talent. With US immigration policies tightening, this openness could position Europe advantageously in the race for innovation leadership.
Backing to redefine possibilities
Capital from the new $41 million fund is already being deployed. Two of the first ventures include Ovo Labs, a German-UK fertility startup developing methods to reverse the decline of human eggs, and Sphotonix, a Southampton company using precision lasers to engrave data into glass for ultra-secure storage.
These are far from isolated bets. Creator Fund deliberately searches beyond the usual Golden Triangle of Oxford, Cambridge, and London. It has backed three companies from Glasgow University, including Chemify, a robotics-led laboratory startup that has since raised $45 million. This willingness to explore overlooked research hubs broadens the scope of European innovation.
The fund focuses on the most challenging and potentially transformative fields, including AI, biotech, robotics, advanced materials, and physics. Each investment reflects a commitment to supporting frontier science that can shape industries and society for decades.
Creator Fund plans a final close at the start of 2026. For students and scientists across the continent, it offers more than capital. It represents a new pathway from the lab bench to global impact.
CEO Jamie Macfarlane said, “We should treat our universities less like museums and more like foundries. People across the world dream of coming to study in Europe. It’s where roboticists, computer scientists, and geneticists converge at the forefront of science. When we ask: how does Europe remain competitive on the world stage? The answer lies in our universities. Creator Fund helps turn scientific discovery into world-defining businesses.”
Co-founder and Managing Partner of Equation Capital, Mark Schmitz, said, “Creator Fund has built one of the most powerful networks across leading European universities. Our fragmented innovation landscape requires professional, pan-European funding providers that can unlock and commercialise groundbreaking research. We are excited to anchor the Fund and support the team in their journey.”
Head of Fund Investments at EIFO, Christoph Junge, said, “This partnership underscores our belief in the power of science-driven innovation and highlights the importance of empowering young founders to create breakthrough companies in Europe.”