Arāya Ventures Secures £20m for Startup Fund Backed by British Business Investments
Deal News | Mar 03, 2025 | British Business Bank Investments Ltd
Arāya Ventures, led by Founder & Managing Partner Rupa Popat, has announced a second closure of its Arya Super Angel Fund at £18.2 million, accompanied by a £5 million commitment from British Business Investments. The fund aims to support up to 60 UK-based startups in pre-seed and seed stages over four years, targeting sectors such as Health, FinTech, Commerce, and the Future of Work. This initiative comes amidst a promising environment for UK startups, with significant growth in AI sectors and a total market valuation of $1.1 trillion. Already, Arāya Ventures has invested in nine companies, focusing heavily on AI. British Business Investments' participation through its Regional Angels Programme is aimed at addressing regional disparities in early-stage funding. The fund's diverse group of investors includes notable entrepreneurs, C-Suite professionals, and family offices, all contributing to the goal of fostering innovation and support in the UK's burgeoning tech scene.
Sectors
- Venture Capital
- Technology
- Financial Services
Geography
- United Kingdom – The fund focuses on investing in UK-based startups, and British Business Investments is a UK entity.
- Middle East – Family offices from the Middle East are mentioned as investors.
Industry
- Venture Capital – The article focuses on funding and investment in startups facilitated by a venture capital fund.
- Technology – The targeted investments will be in tech startups, with a significant focus on AI, Health, FinTech, and Commerce.
- Financial Services – Involvement of British Business Bank Investments and other investors points to the financial services sector's influence in funding early-stage businesses.
Financials
- £20 million – Total size of the Arya Super Angel Fund.
- £18.2 million – Amount raised in the second close of the Arya Super Angel Fund.
- £5 million – Commitment made by British Business Investments.
Participants
| Name | Role | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arāya Ventures | Venture Capital Fund | Company | A fund targeting early-stage UK startups across various sectors. |
| Rupa Popat | Founder & Managing Partner of Arāya Ventures | Person | An experienced entrepreneur and investor leading the fund. |
| British Business Investments | Co-Investor | Company | A subsidiary of the British Business Bank that co-invests to support regional growth in the UK. |
| British Business Bank | Parent Company | Company | The UK government-owned bank designed to increase the supply of credit to SMEs. |
| Saarthi Capital | Fund of Funds Investor | Company | An investor in the Arya Super Angel Fund. |
| Phil Cutts | Investor | Person | Former CEO of Credit Suisse. |
| Holli Rogers | Investor | Person | Former CEO of Browns. |
| Rachel Pendered | Investor | Person | Successful entrepreneur involved in the fund. |
| Dr Raoul-Gabriel Urma | Investor | Person | Successful entrepreneur involved in the fund. |
| Niraj Pabari | VC Investor | Person | Associated with Giano Capital. |
| Daljit Sandhu | Investor | Person | Former COO of Precede Capital Partners. |