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UK’s Pario Ventures rolls out fund to help startups during recession

The London-based venture capital firm has launched a £45 million fund to help startups that may struggle to raise funds in a recession.

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  • Firm invests sectors that include automotive, fintech and green tech
  • Also plans to offer accelerator-like program for companies facing challenges in the financial downturn
  • The venture firm is owned by David Murray-Hundley and Kevin Doyle

London-based venture capital firm Pario Ventures has launched a £45 million ($53.5 million; €53.3 million) fund to help startups that may struggle to raise funds in a recession.

“The current changes to the financial markets will have an impact on companies that had planned funding to break even,” CEO and co-founder David Murray-Hundley said in a statement. “Dot-com and GFC in 2008 show that funding becomes increasingly harder to get and capital more expensive. We are already seeing companies with 3x liquidation preferences negotiations with investors as a way of not publicly saying they have had to down round or flat round.”

Pario Ventures also plans to launch a product called “unplugged” that will provide an accelerator-like program for companies that are facing challenges in the financial downturn.

Pario Ventures is based in London, with offices in Brussels and New York. It has made more than 80 investments across the world since its founding in 2010. The firm invests sectors that include automotive, fintech, green tech and space tech.