Baobab Ventures closes £11.4m fund to back UK AI and robotics founders
This article covers Baobab Ventures, a solo general partner venture fund, which has launched a £11.4m ($15m) fund to back pre-seed and seed founders building in AI, robotics and defence. The fund, based in London and Barcelona, aims to support technical founders with modest cheques and hands-on go-to-market and operational support at the earliest stages.
Carles Reina, an early backer of ElevenLabs and Revolut, has launched Baobab Ventures, a £11.4m ($15m) solo general partner fund to back pre-seed and seed founders building in AI, robotics and defence. The fund, based in London and Barcelona and already oversubscribed, aims to pair modest cheques with hands-on go-to-market and operational support at the earliest stages — a niche its founder says is under-served in Europe.
Why it matters
Early-stage investors who combine capital with operator experience have become more sought-after as AI-driven startups face faster product cycles and fiercer competition. Baobab’s focus on technical founders in AI, robotics and defence — sectors that require both deep technical know-how and rapid commercialisation — makes it a notable addition to the European seed landscape. Reina’s dual role as Baobab’s founder and GTM Lead at ElevenLabs also brings a direct line to practical scaling experience from one of Europe’s most prominent AI firms.
Who’s behind the fund
Baobab Ventures is a solo GP vehicle run by Carles Reina. Institutional limited partners named in the fund include Cendana Capital, Isomer Capital, RSJ Investments, Emergence Ventures and Cyber Fund. Additional supporters listed are partners from Concept Ventures and Credo Ventures, angel backers and professional footballer Mario Götze, and deep tech investor Dr Fatima Godall.
Reina is described as one of ElevenLabs’ earliest investors and its fourth hire. ElevenLabs is valued at about £5bn ($6.6bn), and Reina will continue his GTM Lead role there alongside managing Baobab.
Funding strategy and support for founders
Baobab intends to write initial cheques in the range of £228k ($300k) to £266k ($350k). Half the fund will be deployed in Europe, with the remainder available for opportunities in the US and other markets.
The fund’s stated thesis emphasises accelerating founders’ ability to build momentum. Baobab plans to add practical support on areas including go-to-market and sales strategy, operational scaling, product development, customer pitches and contract negotiations, and recruiting early critical hires.
Carles Reina, GTM Lead at ElevenLabs, said:
Building startups has dramatically changed in the last few years. Sales cycles are faster, there are hundreds of competitors within months, and AI has killed cold outreach conversion rates.
Founders need to move incredibly quickly whilst building a sales and growth motion fit for the AI age. To do that, they need operators on their cap table who can draw on relevant frontline experience from the AI era and who are hands-on with their help.
This AI-informed operator experience is a clear gap in the European landscape and it’s one I believe Baobab can fill.
Inside the track record
Baobab’s credibility rests largely on Reina’s operating and investing history. His early involvement with ElevenLabs — now a multibillion-pound AI company — and exposure to fintech through Revolut link the fund to two of Europe’s scaling success stories. For founders, that background translates into access to an operator who has navigated rapid product-market fit and commercial expansion in AI and consumer finance.
How it fits the market
European seed funding has seen growing specialisation: funds focused on deeptech, climate, or AI have proliferated as LPs and founders seek domain-specific experience. Baobab positions itself at the intersection of AI and hard-tech sectors where capital is necessary but not sufficient; founders also need sales rigour and operational playbooks to turn complex tech into repeatable revenue.
The solo GP model has advantages and risks. A single operator can offer coherent hands-on support, but the approach concentrates decision-making and relies heavily on the GP’s bandwidth and network. Baobab’s LP mix and oversubscription suggest investor appetite for the bet on Reina’s experience.
What founders should expect
Founders targeting Baobab can expect modest initial capital with follow-on potential, plus active involvement on commercial and operational execution. The fund’s willingness to invest outside Europe reflects a recognition that early-stage tech markets are increasingly global, especially for AI-enabled products and robotics.
The bigger picture for the UK and Europe
Baobab’s launch adds another operator-led fund to Europe’s early-stage ecosystem at a time when practical AI commercialisation is a priority for investors and policymakers alike. For the UK and wider European market, funds that combine cash with hard-won go-to-market knowledge could help more technical teams translate research into scalable businesses — particularly in areas such as defence, robotics and AI where product complexity and customer cycles differ from consumer startups.
As AI and robotics move from lab demos to deployed products, the presence of investors who can advise on selling, hiring and contracting may be an increasingly important piece of the puzzle for founders across the region.
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