# Terese Hougaard
Terese Hougaard is a Danish venture capital investor who was a Partner at the London-based venture firm [Atomico](https://www.edgepedia.org/atomico) from 2020 to September 2025, focusing on early-stage B2B software across climate and fintech, and known for leading Atomico's investments in Abacum, Vaayu, and Opna.[1](https://atomico.com/team/terese-hougaard) • [2](https://sifted.eu/articles/atomico-exodus-terese-hougaard) Before joining Atomico she spent roughly five years at CapitalG, Alphabet's growth equity fund, where she worked with Stripe, Robinhood, Gusto, and UiPath.[3](https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/27/atomico-recruits-sasha-astafyeva-as-consumer-focused-partner-and-ex-googler-terese-hougaard-as-principal/)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Firm and role | Partner (Venture), Atomico, London; April 2020 to September 2025[1](https://atomico.com/team/terese-hougaard) • [4](https://www.linkedin.com/in/terese-hougaard-66505050) |
| Focus | Early-stage B2B across fintech, crypto, data, and climate; pre-seed to early Series B[5](https://atomico.com/insights/europes-three-newest-investment-partners) • [4](https://www.linkedin.com/in/terese-hougaard-66505050) |
| Notable Atomico investments | Abacum, Vaayu, Opna, Tem Energy, /dev/agents[1](https://atomico.com/team/terese-hougaard) • [4](https://www.linkedin.com/in/terese-hougaard-66505050) |
| CapitalG deals | Stripe, Robinhood, Gusto, UiPath, Airbnb[3](https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/27/atomico-recruits-sasha-astafyeva-as-consumer-focused-partner-and-ex-googler-terese-hougaard-as-principal/) • [6](https://globalventuring.com/blog/2020/04/28/hougaard-hurries-to-atomico/) • [4](https://www.linkedin.com/in/terese-hougaard-66505050) |
| Earlier career | Growth lead, vice-president, and partner at CapitalG (2015–2020); marketing at Google and American Express[6](https://globalventuring.com/blog/2020/04/28/hougaard-hurries-to-atomico/) • [3](https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/27/atomico-recruits-sasha-astafyeva-as-consumer-focused-partner-and-ex-googler-terese-hougaard-as-principal/) |
| Education | MPhil, Business Innovation and Strategy, Cambridge Judge Business School (2009–2010); BA English, Cambridge (2007–2009); BSc Business Studies Finance, Cass Business School (2004–2007) (self-reported)[4](https://www.linkedin.com/in/terese-hougaard-66505050) |
| Departure | Left Atomico September 2025, reported by Sifted as part of a broader partner exodus[2](https://sifted.eu/articles/atomico-exodus-terese-hougaard) |
## Early life and education
Hougaard is originally from Denmark.[3](https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/27/atomico-recruits-sasha-astafyeva-as-consumer-focused-partner-and-ex-googler-terese-hougaard-as-principal/) Her self-reported education record shows a BSc in Business Studies Finance at Cass Business School from 2004 to 2007, followed by a move to the [University of Cambridge](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-cambridge), where she took a BA in English from 2007 to 2009 and an MPhil in Business Innovation and Strategy at Cambridge Judge Business School from 2009 to 2010.[4](https://www.linkedin.com/in/terese-hougaard-66505050)
## Career
Marketing before investing. Hougaard began her career as an operator rather than an investor. She has described spending a large part of her early career working in marketing, first at [American Express](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-express) and then at Google.[1](https://atomico.com/team/terese-hougaard) TechCrunch reported that she held roles in internal strategy and e-commerce business development at American Express's London and New York offices, and worked in Google's London SMB marketing organization.[3](https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/27/atomico-recruits-sasha-astafyeva-as-consumer-focused-partner-and-ex-googler-terese-hougaard-as-principal/) Global Venturing dates her American Express period from 2011, lasting more than three years, with a roughly 10-month stint as a Google UK product marketing manager before she moved into investing.[6](https://globalventuring.com/blog/2020/04/28/hougaard-hurries-to-atomico/)
**CapitalG, 2015 to 2020.** CapitalG, then called Google Capital, hired her as a growth lead in 2015. She was promoted to vice-president in late 2016 and to partner the following year, and was most recently a partner when she left.[6](https://globalventuring.com/blog/2020/04/28/hougaard-hurries-to-atomico/) Her LinkedIn records the CapitalG partnership as running from December 2017 to April 2020, working on late-stage investments including Stripe, Robinhood, Airbnb, and UiPath.[4](https://www.linkedin.com/in/terese-hougaard-66505050) During this period she served as a board observer at three India-based portfolio companies: the healthcare reservation software developer Practo, the mathematics tuition platform [Cuemath](https://www.edgepedia.org/cuemath), and the online automotive marketplace [CarDekho](https://www.edgepedia.org/cardekho).[6](https://globalventuring.com/blog/2020/04/28/hougaard-hurries-to-atomico/)
**Atomico, 2020 to 2025.** [TechCrunch](https://www.edgepedia.org/techcrunch) reported on 27 April 2020 that Atomico had hired Hougaard as a principal from CapitalG, Alphabet's growth equity fund, alongside the recruitment of consumer-focused partner Sasha Astafyeva.[3](https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/27/atomico-recruits-sasha-astafyeva-as-consumer-focused-partner-and-ex-googler-terese-hougaard-as-principal/) Atomico subsequently promoted her to Partner, one of three new investment partners announced by the firm, citing her lead roles in Vaayu and the Series A investment in the collaborative FP&A software company Abacum.[5](https://atomico.com/insights/europes-three-newest-investment-partners) The promotion announcement described her remit as early-stage B2B opportunities across fintech, crypto, data, and climate within Atomico's Venture team, and noted that she led Atomico's Angel Programme, the firm's initiative for building its angel investing network.[5](https://atomico.com/insights/europes-three-newest-investment-partners) At the time of the promotion she had also played roles in Atomico's investments in the data company Y42, the crypto platform SheeldMarket, and Qatalog.[5](https://atomico.com/insights/europes-three-newest-investment-partners)
**Departure.** Sifted reported that Hougaard departed Atomico, framing the exit as part of a broader wave of partner departures from the firm.[2](https://sifted.eu/articles/atomico-exodus-terese-hougaard) Her LinkedIn lists the Atomico partner role as running from April 2020 to September 2025, five years and five months.[4](https://www.linkedin.com/in/terese-hougaard-66505050) The two records conflict: Atomico's own team page continued to list her as a Partner on the investment team.[1](https://atomico.com/team/terese-hougaard) What she has done since leaving Atomico is not publicly established in the sources reviewed.
## Notable investments
At Atomico, Hougaard led the firm's investments in Abacum, Vaayu, and Opna, according to her team page.[1](https://atomico.com/team/terese-hougaard) Her LinkedIn adds Tem Energy and /dev/agents to the list of deals she led, and names Gaia, Scarlet, and Aplo among the companies she worked with.[4](https://www.linkedin.com/in/terese-hougaard-66505050) The pattern spans her stated focus areas: Abacum is collaborative FP&A software,[5](https://atomico.com/insights/europes-three-newest-investment-partners) Vaayu is described by Atomico as automated carbon tracking for retailers,[5](https://atomico.com/insights/europes-three-newest-investment-partners) and Tem Energy is a portfolio company whose later round she publicised.[4](https://www.linkedin.com/in/terese-hougaard-66505050)
**Follow-on rounds.** Two of her portfolio companies raised large rounds in early 2026. In February 2026 she shared that Tem Energy had raised a $75 million Series B led by Lightspeed.[4](https://www.linkedin.com/in/terese-hougaard-66505050) In March 2026 she congratulated OpenFX on a $94 million [Series A round](https://www.edgepedia.org/series-a-round).[4](https://www.linkedin.com/in/terese-hougaard-66505050) The sources reviewed record no exits and no failures among her portfolio companies; only follow-on financings are documented.
## Public positions and writing
Her sourced board roles are historical rather than current: board member and observer positions at the CapitalG portfolio companies Cuemath, CarDekho, and Practo.[6](https://globalventuring.com/blog/2020/04/28/hougaard-hurries-to-atomico/) • [4](https://www.linkedin.com/in/terese-hougaard-66505050) Within Atomico, her most visible public position was leading the firm's Angel Programme, which Atomico described as a vital part of its vision to build the tech ecosystem.[5](https://atomico.com/insights/europes-three-newest-investment-partners) Her public commentary in the reviewed sources is limited to announcements about her portfolio companies; no published investment thesis documents were retrieved.
## Recent developments
Three developments define her recent record. First, new deal activity: her LinkedIn names Tem Energy and /dev/agents among the investments she led, extending the list beyond the Abacum, Vaayu, and Opna deals that anchored her 2021–2022 profile.[4](https://www.linkedin.com/in/terese-hougaard-66505050) Second, follow-on momentum: Tem's $75 million Series B led by Lightspeed (February 2026) and OpenFX's $94 million Series A (March 2026) both occurred after her departure was reported.[4](https://www.linkedin.com/in/terese-hougaard-66505050) Third, her own exit: Sifted reported her departure from Atomico in the context of a broader partner exodus, and her LinkedIn marks the tenure as ending in September 2025, while Atomico's team page continued to list her as a Partner.[2](https://sifted.eu/articles/atomico-exodus-terese-hougaard) • [4](https://www.linkedin.com/in/terese-hougaard-66505050) • [1](https://atomico.com/team/terese-hougaard)
## References
1. Terese Hougaard — Atomico team page. https://atomico.com/team/terese-hougaard
2. Atomico exodus continues as Terese Hougaard departs VC firm. Sifted. https://sifted.eu/articles/atomico-exodus-terese-hougaard
3. Atomico recruits Sasha Astafyeva as consumer-focused partner, and ex-Googler Terese Hougaard as principal. TechCrunch, 27 April 2020. https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/27/atomico-recruits-sasha-astafyeva-as-consumer-focused-partner-and-ex-googler-terese-hougaard-as-principal/
4. Terese Hougaard — LinkedIn profile (self-reported). https://www.linkedin.com/in/terese-hougaard-66505050
5. Congratulations to Europe's three newest investment Partners! Atomico. https://atomico.com/insights/europes-three-newest-investment-partners
6. Hougaard hurries to Atomico. Global Venturing, 28 April 2020. https://globalventuring.com/blog/2020/04/28/hougaard-hurries-to-atomico/
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Economics and business › Founders, operators, and investors › Venture and growth investors › European venture › UK and Ireland investors*
*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