Nauta closes £45m first close to back UK deeptech and B2B startups
This article covers Nauta Capital, a venture capital firm, closing the first tranche of its sixth fund, Nauta VI, at £45m. The fund aims to back European B2B software, AI and deep tech startups from pre-seed to Series A and includes a Nauta Labs strand for early-stage deep tech, supporting founders across the UK and Europe.
Nauta Capital has closed the first tranche of its sixth fund, Nauta VI, at £45m to back European B2B software, AI and deep tech startups from pre-seed to Series A. The vehicle — which includes a Nauta Labs strand aimed at early-stage deep tech — secured an anchor commitment from the British Business Bank and aims to reach a final close of between €150m and €200m by the second half of 2027. For a firm that has backed more than 200 founders across 100 companies, the raise underscores continued appetite for specialist European VC focused on capital-efficient software and frontier technology.
Why it matters
This first close is both a signal and a bet. Nauta VI’s emphasis on B2B software across verticals such as travel, finance, retail and HR aligns with a broader European trend: VCs favouring capital-efficient SaaS and software companies that can scale into large, established markets. The inclusion of Nauta Labs inside the same fund also points to a renewed willingness to back deep tech at pre-seed, from high-performance computing to AI infrastructure and energy frontier technology.
The fund reports the first close at £45m, and elsewhere cites an initial close of €60m. The British Business Bank has committed €30m as an anchor investor — its fourth time backing Nauta — while other early investors include SETT, Merifin Capital and Institut Català de Finances, plus family offices and institutions across the UK, Continental Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Around three-quarters of the limited partners in this close are repeat backers.
Inside the portfolio
Nauta’s pitch is familiar: pair sector expertise with early-stage capital and follow-on capacity. Its existing portfolio mixes ambitious deep tech and pragmatic B2B software plays.
- Universal Quantum is a deep tech holding working on large-scale quantum hardware.
- Lodgify is a B2B software example focused on short-term rental management, showing Nauta’s interest in vertical software that addresses a specific commercial need.
- Recent investments such as Unravel, Acai Travel and Netbird illustrate the fund’s blend of travel-tech, infrastructure and security-orientated bets.
Across more than two decades Nauta says it has generated almost €3bn in exit value through over 25 exits, including Brandwatch, Holded and Connectbase. The firm expects Nauta VI to push its total assets under management close to €750m.
Who’s behind the fund
Nauta is positioning this vehicle as a continuation of a strategy that mixes sector focus with stage flexibility. Carles Ferrer Roqueta, a General Partner at Nauta, framed the approach with an emphasis on long-term conviction and adaptability.
Carles Ferrer Roqueta, General Partner at Nauta, said:
Having invested through every major technology shift since the early 2000s, we’ve learned that enduring venture firms are built on discipline, adaptability and long-term conviction. This philosophy has enabled us to reach the rare milestone of a sixth fund, but more importantly it has strengthened our belief that every generation of technology brings with it a new wave of exceptional companies. We’re incredibly excited about what lies ahead and the role we can play in shaping the next era of European innovation.
On the limited partner side, the British Business Bank’s anchor commitment is notable: the institution has been active in catalysing private capital into UK and European VC and this marks its fourth commitment to Nauta.
Michael Laycock, Investment Director, Funds, British Business Bank, said:
Our long-standing partnership with Nauta demonstrates the role the British Business Bank can play in attracting international investors to the UK. Since our first commitment, Nauta has built a substantial presence in London and established the UK as a core investment market for them. This is helping to bring more capital, expertise and international connections into the UK venture ecosystem, helping innovative businesses to grow and strengthening the UK venture market over the long term.
How it fits the market
The fund’s dual focus — capital-efficient software and early-stage deep tech — reflects two concurrent dynamics in European VC. First, investors remain attracted to SaaS and vertical software that can scale with modest capital if product-market fit is strong. Second, there is growing institutional appetite for earlier-stage bets in compute-heavy and infrastructure areas that underpin AI and industrial digitalisation.
Nauta’s target for a €150–200m final close would give it significant follow‑on capacity into portfolio companies, an advantage in markets where follow-on rounds can determine winners. That the firm counts repeat LPs across continents suggests confidence in its model, even as fundraising conditions remain selective.
What founders should note
For founders, Nauta VI presents a proposition combining sector focus with stage coverage from pre-seed to Series A. The inclusion of Nauta Labs means the firm is explicitly allocating capital to pre-seed deep tech opportunities — a space where capital is scarcer and technical validation takes longer.
The bigger picture
Nauta’s first close and its British Business Bank anchor highlight how European managers are still able to mobilise institutional capital for specialised strategies. If Nauta VI reaches its target size, it will increase the firm’s firepower at a time when the next generation of AI, infrastructure and vertical B2B companies is emerging across Europe. For the UK, the involvement of the British Business Bank reinforces ongoing efforts to attract international funds into London as a core investment hub.
The outcome will matter to founders and ecosystems alike: more dedicated capital for vertical software and deep tech could accelerate product development and commercial scaling across the UK and Europe.
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