Lightrock
Global growth-equity investor backing technology companies with a measurable impact mandate
On 14 September 2026, Lightrock led an €300 million Series C in British satellite maker Open Cosmos alongside ETF Partners, in a round with no American investor.
Last refreshed: 22 September 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Timeline for Lightrock
Joined Open Cosmos's funding syndicate
UK Startups and Innovation: Open Cosmos raises €300m, no US nameBackground
Lightrock manages roughly $5.8 billion in assets as a global growth-equity platform spun out of Swiss private bank LGT. It backs technology-enabled companies with cheque sizes typically between $10 million and $50 million, grouped under three themes it calls people, planet and productivity, spanning fintech, edtech, cybersecurity, healthcare and climate.
The firm has raised funds by geography and theme, including a $900 million Growth Fund I, an €860 million climate-focused fund aimed at net-zero growth companies, and a $300 million fund targeted at Latin America, alongside activity across Europe and India.
That spread of thematic and regional funds lets Lightrock back companies at a growth stage where founders need patient, impact-minded capital rather than a fast exit, a positioning distinct from generalist growth-equity firms chasing the largest possible returns alone.
Lightrock backs a non-US satellite round
Lightrock led the round with ETF Partners, its first public role in the funding of a British dual-use space company . The firm normally writes cheques of $10 million to $50 million across fintech, edtech, cybersecurity, healthcare and climate, grouping its bets under themes it calls people, planet and productivity.
Open Cosmos fits that productivity lens: earth observation and satellite connectivity support the climate monitoring and infrastructure use cases the firm already backs elsewhere. The deal adds a UK space company to a portfolio built from Lightrock's roughly $5.8 billion in assets, spun out of Swiss private bank LGT.
