**London**: Verb Ventures has unveiled its second €25 million fund to back late-seed and Series A startups focused on modernising global trade and supply chains, starting with a €1 million investment in AI-driven aviation procurement platform SkySelect.
London-based venture capital firm Verb Ventures has initiated its second fund, amounting to €25 million, aimed at facilitating late-seed to Series A investments primarily in B2B marketplaces and data platforms. This new fund represents a strategic move to target companies seeking to modernise trade and supply chain systems globally.
Notably, Verb Ventures kick-started the fund with a €1 million investment in SkySelect, an AI-driven procurement platform serving the aviation materials sector. This investment saw participation from prominent investors including Lux Capital, Bain Capital, FJ Labs, and Initialized.
According to reports, Verb Ventures intends to construct a portfolio of approximately 15 platforms within the next three years. The firm’s investment strategy revolves around addressing inefficiencies prevalent in B2B markets, specifically focusing on issues related to transparency in procurement and supply chain operations. The establishment of this fund follows the firm’s inaugural fund, which has already built a portfolio comprising seven companies such as SmartCat, YardLink, and Geomiq. Notably, SmartCat raised $43 million in 2024.
The Limited Partners of the new fund consist of various family offices of digital entrepreneurs, industrial investors, and former executives from prominent firms including Yahoo Marketplace and Prisma AI. This diverse backing reinforces the firm’s commitment to transforming B2B transaction methodologies.
Verb Ventures aims not only to provide capital but also to extend operational guidance and leverage an extensive network of industry professionals to its founders. An element of this support is embodied in Verb MAP, a proprietary analytical system designed to facilitate data-driven decision-making. This system enables founders to monitor operational metrics, allocate resources effectively, and pinpoint areas for potential cost reduction.
In a notable leadership change, Verb Ventures has appointed Igor Burlakov as General Partner to co-lead the new fund alongside founding partner Alexander Chikunov. Burlakov brings to the role a robust background, having previously managed an investment group with over $1 billion in trading volume and led transactions within both funds and technology companies, including Curve.
Chikunov expressed enthusiasm about the fund’s launch, stating, “We’re absolutely thrilled to launch our second fund! The past couple of years have been tough for venture capital, which makes us even more grateful for our amazing LPs who believe in us and fuel our mission of backing brilliant founders ready to transform entire industries.” He added, “Watching our debut fund in action has been an incredible ride, and we can’t wait to see what’s coming up next for us.”
Burlakov commented on his new role, saying, “I believed in Alexander’s vision from the very start, back when Verb Ventures was just taking shape. Now, I’m excited to step up and help scale Verb Ventures, and back entrepreneurs who are redefining the way business is done globally.”
Verb Ventures primarily focuses on supporting entrepreneurs building marketplace, platform, and B2B companies at late seed and Series A stages. The firm’s investment strategy spans regions including the UK, Northern Europe, and the US East Coast, with investment amounts typically ranging from €500,000 to €4 million.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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