Growth Business has published a comprehensive directory of the UK’s venture capital firms, outlining their investment sizes, sector focus and previous investments.

The UK is the biggest VC market in Europe and second most active in the world, second only to the US.

There were 2,722 equity deals in total in 2022, of which venture capital and private equity contributed in 1,329 of them. This was a 7 per cent drop from 2021’s total equity figure, but more than any other year.

London remains the epicentre, absorbing 69 per cent of those deals.

There are challenges in the VC industry. A global funding downturn has contributed to a difficult first quarter of 2023 which saw a 37 per cent drop in equity deals from the same period last year and a 14 per cent decrease from Q4 2022.

This was reflected in the amount raised. In the first quarter of 2023, £2.38bn was deployed by investors – a 67 per cent decrease from Q1 2022 and a 36 per cent decrease from the previous quarter. It should be noted however that the first quarter of 2022 was the highest on record for investment.

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There are promising signs, though. The UK ranks first in Europe for climate tech funding, according to PwC, with strong activity showing in the sustainability, gaming, health and biotech sectors. Indeed, a start-up with strong sustainability credentials could earn a 15 per cent premium, according to research from Amazon.

You can discover the UK VC directory here.

More on venture capital firms

Most active venture capital firms revealed – There were 2,722 equity rounds in 2022 – down 7 per cent on 2021 but higher than years prior

Angel investing in Britain – a Growth Business guide – Angel investors put £2bn a year into early-stage UK start-ups – here’s what angel investing is and how to get it