UK startup funding in H1 2011
European tech funding raised by UK startups during H1 2011.
In H1 2011, 134 startups in the UK closed 137 funding rounds and raised €463M in equity funding (excluding debt and grants), up 54.5% versus H1 2010. Debt rounds added €11M. Software was the most active sector, and Index Ventures was the most active investor. Data as of 6 Nov 2026.
Equity funding
€463M
+54.5% vs H1 2010 · excl. debt & grants · +€11M debt
Funding rounds
137
+38.4% vs H1 2010
Companies
134
Top sector
Software
Rank in Europe
#1
30.2% of European funding
Debt financing
€11M
2.4% of total
Top-10 round share
61.6%
of disclosed capital
Funding by month
€ raised vs rounds, by monthUK — funding by month, H1 2011 — interactive chart.
Data table
| Funding | Rounds | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | €40M | 25 |
| Feb | €163M | 26 |
| Mar | €16M | 16 |
| Apr | €121M | 31 |
| May | €54M | 14 |
| Jun | €81M | 25 |
Top sectors
by € raisedUK — top sectors by capital, H1 2011 — interactive chart.
Data table
| UK — top sectors by capital, H1 2011 | |
|---|---|
| Fintech | €120M |
| Healthtech | €72M |
| E-commerce | €71M |
| Marketing | €70M |
| Travel | €45M |
| Consumer | €40M |
| Media | €38M |
| Energy | €28M |
Stage mix
by € raisedUK — stage mix, H1 2011 — interactive chart.
Data table
| UK — stage mix, H1 2011 | |
|---|---|
| Series C | €109M |
| Growth/Late | €101M |
| Series B | €90M |
| Other | €46M |
| Early VC | €37M |
| Series D+ | €34M |
| Series A | €30M |
| Seed | €16M |
| Debt | €11M |
Exits & M&A
8 Acquisition · 3 Buyout · 2 IPO13 exits · €2.5B disclosed.
| BioVex | Acquisition | Jan 2011 | €909M |
| Google DeepMind | Acquisition | May 2011 | €480M |
| NaturalMotion | Acquisition | Apr 2011 | €479M |
| Mergermarket | Buyout | Jan 2011 | €458M |
| Pilat Media | Acquisition | May 2011 | €76M |
| Gold Medal International | Acquisition | May 2011 | €54M |
Top deals
largest disclosed rounds in H1 2011| Company | Stage | Date | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wonga | Series C | Feb 2011 | €85M |
| CellNovo | Series B | Feb 2011 | €35M |
| EVIIVO | Growth/Late | Apr 2011 | €34M |
| Oxford Nanopore Technologies | Series D+ | Apr 2011 | €28M |
| Enecsys | Series B | May 2011 | €28M |
| Shazam | Series C | Jun 2011 | €22M |
| Media Ingenuity | Growth/Late | Apr 2011 | €20M |
| Just Eat | Series B | Feb 2011 | €17M |
| Mirics Semiconductor | Growth/Late | May 2011 | €12M |
| WorldStores | Debt | Jun 2011 | €11M |
| MBA Polymers | Growth/Late | Feb 2011 | €11M |
| mblox | Growth/Late | Jun 2011 | €9.6M |
| Playcast Media | Other | Jan 2011 | €9.0M |
| Mind Candy | Other | Jun 2011 | €9.0M |
| Neul | Growth/Late | Jun 2011 | €8.9M |
Top investors
most active in H1 2011, by deal count- Index Ventures7 deals
- Octopus Ventures5 deals
- Eden Ventures3 deals
- Accel3 deals
- Oxford Capital Partners3 deals
- Northstar Ventures3 deals
- Balderton Capital3 deals
- Wellington Partners3 deals
- Scottish Equity Partners2 deals
- Draper Esprit2 deals