Virgin Group joins Giant Ventures’ new purpose-driven tech fund
Giant Ventures – the leading venture capital firm for purpose-driven technology founders – has announced the launch of two new funds, totalling $250 million.
Giant builds and backs technology companies solving the world’s most pressing challenges. It focuses on three themes – climate, health and inclusive capitalism (investing in companies that will have a positive impact on the world, read more about impact investing on Holly Branson’s blog) – across the UK, the US and the Nordics.
A $100 million seed fund will back 25 early-stage companies, while a $150 million climate-focused growth fund fills a major Series B climate funding gap, providing scale-up capital to the world’s leading climate technology companies. The firm has already made 10 investments from the two fresh funds.
Virgin Group is among the backers for the new funds, alongside the founders of Booking.com, Unity, and SoFi, as well as current and former CEOs and board members of Rolls Royce, Goldman Sachs, Intel, bp, Johnson & Johnson, Standard Chartered, McKinsey and GSK. Giant has also attracted capital from a broad alliance of leading institutional investors including BMW, Henkel, RIT Capital Partners, clients of Cambridge Associates, Stepstone, Denmark’s sovereign investment fund, and The Nature Conservancy.
Giant is led by a team of former founders and operators with deep networks in both the US and Europe. It was founded by Cameron McLain, a tech founder and leading angel investor formerly of Hummingbird Ventures, and Tommy Stadlen, co-founder of Swing Technologies (acquired by Microsoft) and best-selling author on sustainable business. Team members include alumni of Revolut, Microsoft, Deliveroo, Babylon Health, and Y Combinator.
“Our vision is to create the world’s leading engine of purpose-driven innovation,” said Cameron McLain, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Giant. “We deliver top returns by partnering with the most ambitious founders using technology as a force for good.”
Tommy Stadlen, Co-Founder and General Partner of Giant added: “We believe the biggest technology companies of the decade will be built by solving climate change and improving healthcare - two of the most urgent issues facing humanity. Giant backs companies that matter.”
Visit Giant Ventures to find out more.
As well as investing in Virgin companies, the Virgin Group and Branson family have a number of other investments in key sectors, including real estate, space, clean energy, philanthropy and venture capital. Virgin’s venture capital portfolio backs ambitious entrepreneurs building transformational companies, spanning industries from digital health to fintech, IoT to digital media, online education, renewables and mobility. Learn more about Virgin’s investment strategy.