# Highland Europe
Highland Europe is a growth-stage venture capital firm headquartered in London with a second office in Geneva, founded in 2012 as a spin-off from the US firm [Highland Capital Partners](https://www.edgepedia.org/highland-capital-partners) to invest exclusively in European-rooted scale-up technology companies.[1](https://www.highlandeurope.com/about/) Since then it has raised €3.75 billion across six funds, invested in more than 80 companies, and guided 30 exits, according to the firm's July 2026 announcement of its €1.1 billion sixth fund.[2](https://www.highlandeurope.com/highland-europe-raises-fund-vi/) Independent reporting confirms those cumulative figures.[3](https://thenextweb.com/news/highland-europe-1-1bn-fund-vi)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2012, as a spin-off from Highland Capital Partners[1](https://www.highlandeurope.com/about/) |
| Headquarters | London and Geneva[1](https://www.highlandeurope.com/about/) |
| Strategy | Growth-stage European technology, Series B to pre-IPO[4](https://www.uktech.news/news/investment-news/british-business-bank-commits-55m-to-highland-europes-fund-vi-20260731) |
| Funds | Six funds totalling €3.75 billion since 2012[2](https://www.highlandeurope.com/highland-europe-raises-fund-vi/) |
| Largest fund | €1.1 billion Fund VI, announced 30 July 2026[2](https://www.highlandeurope.com/highland-europe-raises-fund-vi/) |
| Track record | More than 80 companies backed, 30 exits[2](https://www.highlandeurope.com/highland-europe-raises-fund-vi/) |
| Structure | Equal partnership, 36 staff including 20 investment professionals[2](https://www.highlandeurope.com/highland-europe-raises-fund-vi/) |
## History and people
The firm was created in 2012 when its founding team spun off from Highland Capital Partners, the Boston-based venture firm, to focus entirely on European scale-ups rather than splitting attention across geographies.[1](https://www.highlandeurope.com/about/) Fergal Mullen, described by Reuters in December 2020 as the Geneva-based co-founder and partner, led the firm through its fourth fund close during the post-COVID rebound in European technology investment.[5](https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/famine-feast-investment-european-tech-startups-roars-back-2020-12-22/)
The firm operates as an equal partnership with a team of 36, including 20 investment professionals.[2](https://www.highlandeurope.com/highland-europe-raises-fund-vi/) Alongside the Fund VI close in July 2026 it promoted two new partners: Helena Richardson, who joined in 2016 and has worked with consumer companies including Ffern, ME+EM, Modulr, and Huel, and Jacob Bernstein, who joined in 2017 and focuses on enterprise companies such as Unframe, Zero Networks, Oritain, and [Descartes Underwriting](https://www.edgepedia.org/descartes-underwriting).[6](https://techfundingnews.com/highland-europe-1-25b-fund-vi-growth-startups/)
## Strategy
Highland Europe invests in high-growth European internet, mobile, and software companies that already generate more than €10 million in annualised revenues.[7](https://tech.eu/2023/01/23/highland-europe-launches-new-eur1-billion-fund/) It does not make seed-stage bets; as The Next Web put it, it invests in companies that already work and need capital to grow, a stage where Europe has long struggled to keep pace with the United States.[3](https://thenextweb.com/news/highland-europe-1-1bn-fund-vi)
Fund VI, its current vehicle, targets software, AI, cybersecurity, fintech, data, and consumer technology companies spanning Series B through pre-IPO stages.[4](https://www.uktech.news/news/investment-news/british-business-bank-commits-55m-to-highland-europes-fund-vi-20260731)
## Funds by the numbers
The firm's fund cadence has accelerated over its history:
- **Fund IV**: €700 million, announced December 2020.[7](https://tech.eu/2023/01/23/highland-europe-launches-new-eur1-billion-fund/)
- **Fund V**: €1 billion, closed January 2023, bringing total capital raised at that point to €2.75 billion.[7](https://tech.eu/2023/01/23/highland-europe-launches-new-eur1-billion-fund/)
- **Fund VI**: €1.1 billion (£941.8 million), announced 30 July 2026, lifting the cumulative total to €3.75 billion across six funds.[2](https://www.highlandeurope.com/highland-europe-raises-fund-vi/)
One named limited partner is the British Business Bank, which announced a €65 million (£55.6 million) commitment to Fund VI on 31 July 2026.[4](https://www.uktech.news/news/investment-news/british-business-bank-commits-55m-to-highland-europes-fund-vi-20260731) The firm's About page, from the Fund V era, reported $3 billion or more in assets under management, more than 70 portfolio companies with $4 billion in aggregate portfolio revenue, and 29 exited companies at that time.[1](https://www.highlandeurope.com/about/)
## Portfolio and exits
The firm's most prominent recent exit is [Nexthink](https://www.edgepedia.org/nexthink), the Swiss software company Highland had backed since its Series B a decade earlier, sold to [Vista Equity Partners](https://www.edgepedia.org/vista-equity-partners) at around $3 billion.[3](https://thenextweb.com/news/highland-europe-1-1bn-fund-vi) Other recent liquidity events, as reported by the firm and trade press, include Danone's roughly €1 billion purchase of nutrition brand Huel, the $7.5 billion merger of EGYM with Playlist, and [Bending Spoons](https://www.edgepedia.org/bending-spoons)' Nasdaq debut at a market capitalization above $18 billion, a 67% jump from eight months before.[2](https://www.highlandeurope.com/highland-europe-raises-fund-vi/) • [6](https://techfundingnews.com/highland-europe-1-25b-fund-vi-growth-startups/)
Earlier fund-era investments include leading Huel's $24 million round in December 2022 and participating in Contentsquare's $400 million Series F at a $5.6 billion valuation in July 2022.[7](https://tech.eu/2023/01/23/highland-europe-launches-new-eur1-billion-fund/) Its UK portfolio includes the insurance technology scale-up hyperexponential, fraud prevention company Featurespace, and fashion brand ME+EM.[4](https://www.uktech.news/news/investment-news/british-business-bank-commits-55m-to-highland-europes-fund-vi-20260731) Recent investments announced alongside Fund VI include leading the $70 million Series B for Wordsmith, the $50 million Series B for Unframe, and the $105 million Series D for Ecorobotix.[2](https://www.highlandeurope.com/highland-europe-raises-fund-vi/)
## Recent developments
The January 2023 close of Fund V was followed by a busy three years. The firm announced Fund VI at €1.1 billion in July 2026, saying it did so on the back of generating over €1 billion of liquidity in 2026 alone, from the Nexthink, Huel, EGYM–Playlist, and Bending Spoons transactions.[2](https://www.highlandeurope.com/highland-europe-raises-fund-vi/) It also refreshed its leadership with the promotions of Richardson and Bernstein to Partner.[2](https://www.highlandeurope.com/highland-europe-raises-fund-vi/) • [6](https://techfundingnews.com/highland-europe-1-25b-fund-vi-growth-startups/)
## References
1. [About us - Highland Europe](https://www.highlandeurope.com/about/)
2. [Highland Europe raises €1.1B Fund VI to Continue Backing Exceptional Founders at the Growth Stage](https://www.highlandeurope.com/highland-europe-raises-fund-vi/)
3. [Highland Europe closes a €1.1bn fund to keep backing European scale-ups](https://thenextweb.com/news/highland-europe-1-1bn-fund-vi)
4. [British Business Bank commits £55m to Highland Europe's Fund VI](https://www.uktech.news/news/investment-news/british-business-bank-commits-55m-to-highland-europes-fund-vi-20260731)
5. [From famine to feast, investment in European tech startups roars back](https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/famine-feast-investment-european-tech-startups-roars-back-2020-12-22/)
6. [Highland Europe closes $1.25B fund to back Europe's next-gen growth-stage startups](https://techfundingnews.com/highland-europe-1-25b-fund-vi-growth-startups/)
7. [Highland Europe launches new €1 billion fund](https://tech.eu/2023/01/23/highland-europe-launches-new-eur1-billion-fund/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Economics and business › Finance › Venture capital and private equity › Venture capital firms of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa › Venture capital firms of Western Europe › Venture capital firms of the United Kingdom and Ireland*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license