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IQ Capital

Europe, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, Cambridge

Description

IQ Capital is a leading UK-based venture capital firm with a strong focus on early-stage deep tech companies. Headquartered in Cambridge and London, the firm specializes in identifying and nurturing businesses with defensible intellectual property and groundbreaking technological innovations. Their investment scope spans critical sectors such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, quantum computing, cybersecurity, and advanced engineering, aiming to support the commercialization of cutting-edge scientific research from university spin-outs and ambitious startups.

With a robust financial foundation, IQ Capital has significantly expanded its capacity to support deep tech ventures. In 2022, the firm successfully closed its fourth fund, IQ Capital Fund IV, securing an impressive $400 million. This latest fund elevated their total assets under management to over $1 billion, underscoring their substantial commitment and ability to deploy significant capital into the deep tech ecosystem. Their strategic approach involves not only providing capital but also leveraging their extensive network and expertise to accelerate the growth of their portfolio companies.

IQ Capital typically deploys initial cheques ranging from approximately $1.25 million to $12.5 million, primarily targeting Seed and Series A rounds, with the capacity for substantial follow-on investments as companies mature. Over its operational history, IQ Capital has made more than 100 investments in deep tech companies, demonstrating a wide reach and a consistent investment thesis. The firm boasts a strong track record of successful exits, including the notable acquisitions of Grapeshot by Oracle and Bloomsbury AI by Facebook, validating their acumen in identifying and scaling high-potential deep tech startups.

Investor Profile

IQ Capital has backed more than 161 startups, with 13 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 51 rounds, about 32% of its total and boasts 17 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Seed, Series A, Series Unknown rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United Kingdom, United States, The Netherlands.
  • Strong thematic focus on Software, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning.
  • Led 4 rounds in the past year.
  • Typical check size: $1.3M – $12.5M.

Stage Focus

  • Seed (37%)
  • Series A (22%)
  • Series Unknown (20%)
  • Series B (11%)
  • Series C (4%)
  • Pre Seed (3%)
  • Corporate Round (1%)
  • Private Equity (1%)
  • Convertible Note (1%)
  • Grant (1%)

Country Focus

  • United Kingdom (91%)
  • United States (5%)
  • The Netherlands (1%)
  • Germany (1%)
  • Canada (1%)
  • Sweden (1%)
  • Denmark (1%)

Industry Focus

  • Software
  • Artificial Intelligence (Ai)
  • Machine Learning
  • Information Technology
  • Financial Services
  • Fintech
  • Saas
  • Analytics
  • Biotechnology
  • Cyber Security
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does IQ Capital frequently co-invest with?

Par Equity
Europe, Edinburgh, City of, United Kingdom, Edinburgh
Co-Investments: 7
Seedcamp
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 6
Martlet Capital
Europe, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, Cambridge
Co-Investments: 11
AlbionVC
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 8
Molten Ventures
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 13
Cambridge Angels group
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 11
Amadeus Capital Partners
Europe, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, Cambridge
Co-Investments: 10
University of Cambridge Enterprise
Europe, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, Cambridge
Co-Investments: 10
Parkwalk Advisors
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 14
Notion Capital
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 6

Which angels does IQ Capital often collaborate with?

WT
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Shared Deals: 2
AW
Europe, Zurich, Switzerland
Shared Deals: 2
JW
North America, New York, United States, New York
Shared Deals: 1
David Braben
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Cambridge
Shared Deals: 1
BS
North America, Tennessee, United States, Nashville
Shared Deals: 1
JT
Europe, Harjumaa, Estonia, Tallinn
Shared Deals: 1
WB
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Shared Deals: 2
JT
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Shared Deals: 2
WM
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Shared Deals: 2
JM
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Cambridge
Shared Deals: 3

What are some of recent deals done by IQ Capital?

RevEng

London, England, United Kingdom

RevEng.ai is a deep AI framework for analysing binary computer programs.

Web DesignWeb Development
SeedJun 26, 2025
Amount Raised: $4,150,000
AccelerComm

Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom

AccelerComm is a semiconductor IP-core company specialising in channel coding solutions.

Semiconductor
Series UnknownMay 29, 2025
Amount Raised: $15,000,000
Valarian Technologies

London, England, United Kingdom

Valarian Technologies is a provider of data sovereignty infrastructure for enterprises and government institutions.

Communications InfrastructureComplianceSecuritySoftware
SeedMay 8, 2025
Amount Raised: $7,000,000
Nyobolt

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Nyobolt is a developer of high-powered battery technology used to serve automotive applications.

BatteryEnergyManufacturingRenewable Energy
Series UnknownApr 16, 2025
Amount Raised: $30,000,000
TurinTech AI

London, England, United Kingdom

Code Optimisation Platform

Artificial Intelligence (AI)DevOpsGenerative AIInformation TechnologyMachine LearningSaaS
Series AMar 18, 2025
Amount Raised: $15,000,000
Alpine Eagle

Munich, Bayern, Germany

Alpine Eagle is a mix of software and hardware focused on cost efficiency.

Software
SeedMar 5, 2025
Amount Raised: $10,885,414
Cambridge GaN Devices

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Cambridge GaN Devices is a semiconductor company focused on developing GaN power devices aimed at creating greener electronics.

ElectronicsManufacturingSemiconductor
Series CFeb 18, 2025
Amount Raised: $32,000,000
IONATE

Edinburgh, Edinburgh, City of, United Kingdom

IONATE creates energy solutions with hybrid intelligent transformers and AI-driven grid management for a more efficient power system.

Electrical DistributionEnergyHardwarePower GridSoftware
Series AFeb 5, 2025
Amount Raised: $17,000,000
Mindgard

London, England, United Kingdom

Mindgard empowers enterprise security teams to deploy AI and GenAI securely.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Cyber Security
Series UnknownDec 20, 2024
Amount Raised: $8,169,852
Molyon

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Molyon is producing the next generation lithium sulfer batteries.

SeedNov 26, 2024
Amount Raised: $4,511,409