Seed VC, London + Ghent

Hummingbird Ventures

Venture capital firm · London · Founded 2010

Quick read

Hummingbird Ventures is a global generalist seed VC founded in 2010, headquartered in London with roots in Belgium. It's quietly produced multiple funds with greater than 10x net returns by backing outlier founders at the earliest stage — often as the first institutional cheque. Portfolio wins include Deliveroo, Kraken, Peak Games, and BillionToOne.

Key facts

Founded
2010
Founders
Barend Van den Brande
Employees
31
Sectors
generalist, consumer, fintech, biotech, ai
Website
www.hummingbird.vc/

Investment thesis

Hummingbird backs outlier founders at the seed stage globally — often as the first institutional investor — prioritising founders with non-linear backgrounds over pedigree or sector pattern-matching. Around 80% of the investment decision focuses on the founder; the firm invests across fintech, biotech, consumer, and deep tech with no geographic constraint.

Recent activity

  • Mar 2026fundraise
    Hummingbird closed an $800 million fundraise, oversubscribed and shut within a week. Founder Barend Van den Brande told the Financial Times the firm is doubling down on 'misfit' founders in crypto, AI, gaming, and semiconductors. everythingstartups.com
  • Mar 24, 2026press
    The Financial Times reported Hummingbird was actively targeting unconventional founders who don't fit the traditional mould, framing the $800 million fund around that contrarian thesis. cbinsights.com
  • May 27, 2026investment
    Hummingbird invested in Waypoint Bio as part of a Series A round — its most recent recorded investment per CB Insights. cbinsights.com
  • Apr 2025leadership
    Hummingbird launched its first SF-based cohort of the Analyst Program, a two-year role fully immersed in global early-stage investing. Applications closed April 25. x.com
  • Nov 2024product
    Hummingbird announced the Analyst Program more broadly, with applications closing November 22. The program targets a two-year stint in early-stage, high-conviction investing. x.com
  • Mar 2026fundraise
    Hummingbird closed $800 million in new funds — oversubscribed within a week. The raise includes a $600 million growth fund (the firm's first) and $200 million for earlier-stage investments, bringing total AUM to nearly $2 billion. This is the largest fundraise to date by a Belgian VC firm. everythingstartups.com
  • Mar 2026investment
    With the new growth fund, Hummingbird led a $220 million round in Olix, a UK chip venture, marking one of its first growth-stage deals under the expanded mandate. manda.be
  • Mar 2026leadership
    Hummingbird is recruiting a General Counsel into its Belgian core operations team to manage legal and compliance across the expanded fund structure, covering the full investment lifecycle from deal execution to exits. vialegis.be
  • 2024–2025product
    Hummingbird launched its first Bay Area Analyst Program cohort, based in San Francisco starting September, as part of a broader push to expand its US presence. Applications closed April 25. uk.linkedin.com
  • May 2023investment
    Hummingbird led a $4 million seed round in SkorLife, an Indonesian credit-builder fintech. AC Ventures, Saison Capital, and Bolt by QED also participated. acv.vc
  • Mar 2026fundraise
    Hummingbird announced $800 million in new funds, oversubscribed and closed within a week. The raise includes a first-ever growth fund at roughly $600 million plus $200 million for earlier-stage investments, bringing total AUM to nearly $2 billion. everythingstartups.com
  • Apr 2025product
    Hummingbird launched its first San Francisco-based cohort of its Analyst Program — a two-year program for early-stage investing — with applications open until April 25. x.com

Notable investments

Key people

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

  • Barend Van den Brande · Founder & General Partner
  • Firat Ileri · Managing Partner
  • Dominik Vacikar · Team Member
  • Akshay Mehra · Investor
    LinkedIn
  • Pamir Gelenbe · Partner

Sources

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Frequently asked

What is Hummingbird Ventures?+

Hummingbird Ventures is a global generalist seed VC founded in 2010, headquartered in London with roots in Belgium. It's quietly produced multiple funds with greater than 10x net returns by backing outlier founders at the earliest stage — often as the first institutional cheque.

Where is Hummingbird Ventures headquartered?+

Hummingbird Ventures is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.

When was Hummingbird Ventures founded?+

Hummingbird Ventures was founded in 2010 by Barend Van den Brande.

What sectors does Hummingbird Ventures invest in?+

Hummingbird Ventures focuses on generalist, consumer, fintech, biotech, ai. They primarily invest in these sectors.

How do I prepare for a meeting with Hummingbird Ventures?+

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Generated by briefthecall.com from public web sources. Last updated August 8, 2026. Each claim is linked to its source above.

Automatically generated by AI from public sources. May be inaccurate or out of date. Remove or correct this profile →