Creator Fund Secures $41M To Fuel Deeptech Startups From Europe’s Top PhD Founders

Anchored by Equation Capital and Denmark’s Export and Investment Fund (EIFO), with support from 60+ LPs, the fund is already double the size of Creator Fund’s 2022 UK vehicle and aims for a final close in early 2026.

Operating across 24 campuses in eight countries, Creator Fund recruits student investors who share in carried interest to spot promising founders and lab breakthroughs early, supporting PhD teams from day one. Its focus spans AI, life sciences, robotics, and quantum computing, with early bets including Ovo Labs and Sphotonix.

Founder and CEO Jamie Macfarlane argues universities should be seen as “foundries, not museums,” as Europe attracts world-class talent in robotics, computer science, and genetics.

When we ask: how does Europe remain competitive on the world stage? The answer lies in our universities. Creator Fund helps turn scientific discovery into world-defining businesses.

In the past five years, Creator Fund has supported 55 startups, whose founders have collectively raised over $250 million in follow-on funding from top venture firms, with two successful exits to date.

The fund extends its reach beyond the UK’s traditional Golden Triangle, backing ventures from universities such as Glasgow including robotic lab innovator Chemify, which has raised over $45 million. One of the first investments from its new European fund comes from Southampton.

About Creator Fund

Founded in 2019, Creator Fund backs PhD and academic founders turning university research into deeptech startups. Operating across 28 campuses, it invests at pre-seed and seed in areas like mutation-proof vaccines, robotic e-skin, and mind-machine interfaces. Supported by leading US and European funds, CF helps founders scale globally.