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The UK Venture Capital market in 2025

Attilio Leccisotti
Attilio Leccisotti, Partner

“The venture capital market in the United Kingdom (UK) settled into a more selective, disciplined rhythm in 2025 as investors navigated a year shaped by inflationary pressure, shifting interest rates and global trade tensions that tested confidence across the wider economy. Deal value remained steady, although capital flowed more cautiously with investors favouring stronger fundamentals and clearer routes to profit. Early‑stage rounds remained active, while late‑stage financings were fewer and more scrutinised. Across Europe and the UK, valuations stabilised at more sustainable levels and sectors driving investment continued to be AI, life sciences and climate tech.Interestingly, the Private Equity market showed that 2025 was the lowest year for fundraising in 10 years.2

Key takeaways

  • Valuations stabilise: UK valuations have stabilised after the volatility of previous years.3
  • Early-stage deals surge: The majority of Mishcon’s 2025 deals were in Seed and Series A rounds, reflecting a renewed focus on early-stage innovation.
  • Pre-seed, Seed and Series A activity gained momentum and accounted for an increasing share of deal flow, with Crunchbase signalling that early‑stage deals rose to 37–40% of global venture activity, up from around 30–32% in 2024. PitchBook and Beauhurst report the same trend in the UK, with early‑stage rounds increasing their proportional share as later‑stage financings slowed.4
  • Investors turn cautious: There is a clear shift from aggressive deployment to strategic investment. Investors are prioritising businesses with strong fundamentals and clear paths to profitability. Sifted gave a full analysis of UK investor behaviour earlier this year.5
  • Late-stage investment drops: Fewer late-stage rounds were completed in Q1, mirroring global trends as investors become more risk-averse at higher valuations.6

Sources

1 Europe's VC Funding Stayed Flat In Q1, Even As Healthcare Added A Third and Q1 2025 European VC Valuations Report – PitchBook
23 charts setting the stage for Europe's PE fundraising in 2026 - PitchBook
3https://www.beauhurst.com/blog/uk-venture-capital-market-update-2025/
4https://news.crunchbase.com/startups/early-stage-funding-trends-2025/ 
5https://sifted.eu/articles/uk-vc-outlook-2025/ 
6https://pitchbook.com/news/reports/q1-2025-european-venture-report