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Dealroom
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Dealroom

European VC data and analytics platform; source of the UK's Q1 2026 74% AI-share figure.

Dealroom's own tracker put UK startups on course to raise $34.2bn in 2026, a 45% jump on 2025, the data firm said on 23 July, with $17.1bn already banked in the first half.

Last refreshed: 31 July 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

Does Dealroom's data show that British VC is now almost entirely concentrated in AI?

Timeline for Dealroom

#14 21 Aug
#13 23 Jul

Projected UK tech funding to reach $34.2bn for 2026

UK Startups and Innovation: Dealroom projects $34.2bn for UK tech
#9 20 Jun
#13 20 Jun
#9 18 Jun
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Background

Dealroom is an Amsterdam-based data and analytics platform, founded in 2013 by Yoram Wijngaarde, that tracks startup investments, valuations, founders and exits across Europe and beyond. It aggregates data from public announcements, SEC filings, Companies House records and proprietary LP reporting, supplemented by direct outreach to companies and investors. Dealroom supplies the data behind national ecosystem reports commissioned by the UK, Netherlands and French governments, and competes with the US-centric PitchBook and CB Insights for European VC analytics; it is typically cited as more current and granular on European deals than either rival.

Dealroom counts investments by announced deal date rather than money-in date, a methodological choice that can inflate quarterly totals when large rounds land in a quarter's final weeks. Its UK figures, particularly the share of venture capital going to AI, have become the benchmark investors, journalists and the government use to judge the health of the British startup ecosystem quarter by quarter .

The pattern Dealroom's methodology captures held through the second quarter too: PhysicsX's $300m Series c on 8 June, led by Temasek with no UK state fund on the cap table, was exactly the kind of large, late-announced round its deal-date counting weights most heavily .

Key Issues
UK VC forecasts

Full-year UK forecast climbs to $34.2bn

Dealroom said on 23 July that UK startups could raise $34.2bn across 2026, a 45% rise on 2025, built from $17.1bn already banked in the first half of the year . The figure is a projection, not cash in hand, and one week that month saw CuspAI's round alone supply more than half the total raised.

The forecast follows Dealroom's own Q1 count of $7.8bn in UK venture capital, 74% of it into AI companies at $5.8bn, with seven firms crossing the unicorn threshold in three months . Both figures rest on Dealroom's announced-deal-date methodology, which weights mega-rounds heavily whenever they land late in a quarter.

Common Questions
What is Dealroom and why is its data used for UK startup statistics?
Dealroom is an Amsterdam-based VC data platform tracking European startup investments, valuations and exits. It is the primary source for UK ecosystem statistics because it offers more granular and current European deal data than US competitors like PitchBook, and is used by the UK Government, BVCA and major investors as the authoritative benchmark.Source: Dealroom
How much did UK startups raise in Q1 2026?
UK startups raised $7.8bn in VC investment in Q1 2026, according to Dealroom and HSBC Innovation Banking. AI companies accounted for 74% of that at $5.8bn, reflecting a significant concentration of UK venture capital in AI sectors.Source: Dealroom / HSBC Innovation Banking
How does Dealroom count startup investment rounds?
Dealroom records investments by announced deal date rather than money-in date. This can create quarter-end timing effects when large rounds announced in the final weeks of a quarter inflate headline figures. Its Q1 2026 UK total of $7.8bn reflects announced deals, supplemented with Companies House filings, SEC records and direct LP reporting.Source: Dealroom methodology
What UK startup fundraises did Dealroom track in May 2026?
Among May 2026 UK deals tracked by Dealroom: CircuitHub's $28m Series A led by Plural (20 May), Fractile's $220m Series B co-led by Factorial Funds (13 May), and Lansdowne Partners' €128.9m fund first close (14 May). Multiverse's $2.1bn valuation on its first cash-positive quarter was also reported in the same briefing period.Source: Lowdown uk-startups-and-innovation
Who founded Dealroom?
Dealroom was founded in 2013 by Yoram Wijngaarde and is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It competes with PitchBook and CB Insights for European VC analytics but is typically cited as more current and granular on European deals.Source: Dealroom