UK startup funding in H2 2010
European tech funding raised by UK startups during H2 2010.
In H2 2010, 86 startups in the UK closed 90 funding rounds and raised €333M in equity funding (excluding debt and grants), up 69.3% versus H2 2009. Software was the most active sector, and Accel was the most active investor. Data as of 6 Nov 2026.
Equity funding
€333M
+69.3% vs H2 2009 · excl. debt & grants
Funding rounds
90
+4.7% vs H2 2009
Companies
86
Top sector
Software
Rank in Europe
#2
16.2% of European funding
Top-10 round share
52.8%
of disclosed capital
Funding by month
€ raised vs rounds, by monthUK — funding by month, H2 2010 — interactive chart.
Data table
| Funding | Rounds | |
|---|---|---|
| Jul | €93M | 21 |
| Aug | €14M | 8 |
| Sep | €22M | 13 |
| Oct | €53M | 14 |
| Nov | €64M | 13 |
| Dec | €86M | 21 |
Top sectors
by € raisedUK — top sectors by capital, H2 2010 — interactive chart.
Data table
| UK — top sectors by capital, H2 2010 | |
|---|---|
| Software | €76M |
| Telecom | €39M |
| Wellness & Beauty | €31M |
| Cleantech | €30M |
| Healthtech | €28M |
| Consumer | €27M |
| Media | €26M |
| Transportation | €22M |
Stage mix
by € raisedUK — stage mix, H2 2010 — interactive chart.
Data table
| UK — stage mix, H2 2010 | |
|---|---|
| Growth/Late | €120M |
| Series A | €65M |
| Other | €42M |
| Series B | €42M |
| Early VC | €33M |
| Series C | €21M |
| Seed | €11M |
Exits & M&A
5 Buyout · 3 Acquisition · 1 IPO9 exits · €1.2B disclosed.
| Ocado | IPO | Jul 2010 | €1.1B |
| Chillingo | Acquisition | Oct 2010 | €18M |
| HCS Control Systems | Buyout | Jul 2010 | €10M |
| Arran Aromatics | Buyout | Sep 2010 | €3.4M |
| Abacus e-Media | Buyout | Jul 2010 | €2.7M |
| Lot78 | Buyout | Jul 2010 | €750k |
Top deals
largest disclosed rounds in H2 2010| Company | Stage | Date | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reward Gateway | Growth/Late | Dec 2010 | €30M |
| Kymab | Series A | Jul 2010 | €25M |
| Symbian Foundation | Other | Nov 2010 | €22M |
| Compact Media Group | Growth/Late | Oct 2010 | €20M |
| AlertMe | Series B | Oct 2010 | €17M |
| Zipcar Inc | Growth/Late | Dec 2010 | €16M |
| Cambridge Broadband Networks | Growth/Late | Dec 2010 | €13M |
| Aquamarine Power | Growth/Late | Nov 2010 | €13M |
| Mirics Semiconductor | Growth/Late | Jul 2010 | €11M |
| CloudMade | Series B | Jul 2010 | €9.5M |
| Notonthehighstreet | Series C | Aug 2010 | €9.1M |
| Attraction World | Early VC | Dec 2010 | €8.2M |
| SilverRail | Series A | Jul 2010 | €7.3M |
| Ubiquisys | Growth/Late | Jul 2010 | €7.3M |
| Flirtomatic | Series C | Jul 2010 | €7.3M |
Top investors
most active in H2 2010, by deal count- Accel5 deals
- Advent Venture Partners4 deals
- Octopus Ventures4 deals
- Atlas Venture3 deals
- Oxford Capital Partners3 deals
- Intel Capital3 deals
- Index Ventures3 deals
- Colin Hayhurst2 deals
- Amadeus Capital Partners2 deals
- Atomico2 deals