Ada Ventures

Quick read

Ada Ventures is a pre-seed and seed-stage inclusive venture capital firm, co-founded in 2018 and headquartered in London, UK. It invests £250K–£1.5M in European tech founders across three themes: climate equity, healthy ageing, and economic empowerment. The firm's 'Inclusive Alpha®' thesis holds that backing overlooked founders in underserved markets generates superior returns.

Key facts

Founded

2018

Founders

Matt Penneycard, Francesca Rea

Employees

10-20

Sectors

generalist, climate, healthcare, fintech

Website

www.adaventures.com

Investment thesis

Ada Ventures backs overlooked founders building technology businesses across climate equity, healthy ageing, and economic empowerment, investing £250K–£1.5M at pre-seed and seed stage. The firm calls its approach 'Inclusive Alpha®', arguing that a more inclusive sourcing and selection process surfaces better founders and produces stronger returns.

Recent activity

• May 2026investment
  Ada Ventures invested in Copenhagen-based Alcolase, which raised €1.5 million to develop an enzyme-based remedy for alcohol flush reaction. eu-startups.com
• Oct 2025investment
  Ada Ventures participated in the €17 million launch round for Irish biotech Aerska (formerly Helicon), which is developing RNAi medicines for brain diseases. The Series A was led by EQT Group's Dementia Fund and age1. eu-startups.com
• Aug 2025investment
  Ada Ventures backed Copenhagen-based Interhuman AI, which raised €2 million to build a social intelligence layer for AI systems. eu-startups.com
• 2025product
  Ada Ventures expanded its scout network into the Nordics, covering UK, Ireland, and the Nordic countries. The scout network has sourced 19 investments to date. The firm also hosted a hackathon in Norway with Startuplab and The Foundry, and invested in Danish company Alcolase. uk.linkedin.com
• 2025press
  Ada Ventures published its 2025 year-end wrap, citing nearly 10 Growth Angels matched with portfolio companies and dedicated talent acquisition support delivered through the Ada Ventures Talent Lab. adaventures.com
• Mar 2024fundraise
  Ada Ventures closed its second fund at €73.7 million, continuing its 'Inclusive Alpha' investment thesis. The fund backs underrepresented founders across climate, economic empowerment, and healthy ageing. eu-startups.com
• Aug 2024investment
  Ada Ventures backed London-based PHINXT Robotics, which raised €2.3 million for warehouse automation technology. eu-startups.com
• Apr 2026investment
  Ada Ventures participated in Gizmo's $22M Series A round. tipranks.com
• Mar 2026investment
  Ada Ventures invested in Base8, a financial software company, on 18 March 2026. pitchbook.com
• Feb 2026investment
  Portfolio company Alvie Health exited — Ada Ventures' most recent portfolio exit as of February 2026. cbinsights.com
• Nov 2025product
  Ada Ventures launched Deck Genius, an AI-powered pitch deck review tool giving founders VC-level feedback before they approach investors. cbinsights.com
• Oct 2025investment
  Ada Ventures participated in Jack & Jill's $20M Seed round on 16 October 2025. cbinsights.com

Notable investments

• AlcolaseSeedMay 2026eu-startups.com
• Aerska (formerly Helicon)Series AOct 2025eu-startups.com
• Interhuman AISeedAug 2025eu-startups.com
• PHINXT RoboticsSeedAug 2024eu-startups.com
• GreenworkxUnknown2024uk.linkedin.com
• Multiomic HealthUnknownUnknownuk.linkedin.com
• BoundlessUnknownUnknownuk.linkedin.com
• GizmoSeries AApr 2026tipranks.com
• Base8UndisclosedMar 2026pitchbook.com
• Jack & JillSeedOct 2025cbinsights.com
• AerskaSeedOct 2025uk.linkedin.com
• Seva moneyUndisclosed2025pitchbook.com

Key people

Named individuals at the firm. We don't expose direct email or phone — use their LinkedIn for outreach.

• Matt Penneycard · Co-founding Partner
• Francesca Rea · Co-founding Partner
  LinkedIn
• Anjali Bhatnagar · Investor
  LinkedIn
• Dorothy Chou · Venture Partner (AI)
• Jasmin Thomas · Venture Partner

Sources

• Ada Ventures official website
• Ada Ventures LinkedIn
• Ada Ventures — 5 Years In (Medium)
• Ada Ventures Impact Report
• Ada Ventures Investor Profile — Tracxn
• Ada Ventures Portfolio — CB Insights
• Ada Ventures — PitchBook
• Ada Ventures I — Better Society Capital
• https://www.adaventures.com/inclusive-alpha-founder-report
• https://www.tipranks.com/private-companies/investor/ada-ventures
• https://uk.linkedin.com/in/emma-richards-22118711a
• https://www.eu-startups.com/tag/ada-ventures/
• https://www.adaventures.com/post/ada-2025---wrapped

Other VCs in United Kingdom

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• Atomico · Multi-stage VC, London·
• Molten Ventures · Multi-stage VC, London·
• Octopus Ventures · Early-stage VC, London·
• Hoxton Ventures · Seed VC, London·
• Episode 1 Ventures · Seed VC, London

Explore VCs by sector

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Globally

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Frequently asked