Celero Ventures Opens $25 Million Early-Stage Fund to Investors Backing the Next Generation of European Software Companies

Celero Ventures, a new venture capital firm founded by experienced software operators Dave Wyatt and Nick Cochran, is now raising its debut $25 million fund to invest in early-stage startups across the UK and Europe. The fund, which is already 25% subscribed, targets pre-seed and seed-stage companies building next-generation AI and data infrastructure.

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Based in London, Celero Ventures is inviting limited partners (LPs) to join its mission of backing exceptional technical founders and accelerating their path to product-market fit and scalable growth.

Wyatt and Cochran bring a rare combination of deep go-to-market (GTM) experience and startup leadership. Together, they helped scale both MuleSoft and Databricks—two of the most successful enterprise software companies of the past decade. Their experience building and leading commercial teams across Europe and North America forms the foundation of Celero’s operator-first investment approach.

“Our goal is to give founders what we wish we’d had earlier in our careers: practical, experienced support from people who’ve built and scaled GTM from the ground up,” said Wyatt. “We’re raising this fund to support those teams early—when execution, speed, and strategic clarity matter most.”

The fund will invest in 20 to 25 companies, primarily across the UK and Europe, with an emphasis on AI, data tooling, and infrastructure software. Celero has already made its first investments, including leading a pre-seed round in a technical founding team building novel AI infrastructure.

Wyatt and Cochran have personally anchored the fund, reinforcing long-term alignment with both founders and investors.

“We’re not just investing capital—we’re investing capability,” said Cochran. “We work side by side with founders on segmentation, hiring, pricing, and repeatable growth playbooks—the kinds of things we’ve done at scale ourselves.”

One of Celero’s early portfolio companies, Catio, is already seeing that approach in action.

“Dave and Nick helped us get our GTM engine humming,” said Boris Bogatin, CEO of Catio. “They bring sharp insight, hands-on support, and a real sense of partnership. They’re the kind of investors you want when things are moving fast and stakes are high.”

Celero’s strategy is grounded in the belief that strong commercial execution is often the difference-maker in early-stage success—especially for technical founding teams. The fund is designed to close that gap by offering both capital and highly relevant operational support.

While the firm is headquartered in London, Celero is building a geographically diverse portfolio across Europe. Its focus is on founders building the infrastructure and applications that will define the AI-native enterprise stack.

Howard Dawber, Deputy Mayor of Business & Growth, said: “It’s great to see London reinforcing its position once more as a global leader in Tech, with London-based Celero Ventures expanding its investment in start-ups across the UK and Europe. This investment will be a game-changer for start-ups in their early stages, offering both funding and operational support at a critical time. Europe is home to incredible talent in the AI and data infrastructure space, and I look forward to seeing how Celero’s backing transforms companies beginning to make their mark in this industry.”

“Europe is home to world-class technical talent,” said Wyatt. “What many of those teams need is sharper, earlier GTM support. That’s what we’re bringing—and we’re looking for LPs who believe in the same opportunity.”

Janet Coyle CBE, Managing Director of Grow London at London & Partners said: "Here in the capital, investors and founders alike benefit from a unique blend of world‑leading talent, unrivalled market access and a quality of life that simply can’t be matched. From the energy of our tech communities to the global networks that span the City and Canary Wharf, London offers VCs and funds a gateway to Europe and beyond. It’s no surprise that more and more investors are calling London home. We look forward to working with Celero Ventures as they back the next generation of AI and infrastructure innovators right here in London.”

Celero Ventures is currently speaking with family offices, high-net-worth individuals, and institutional investors interested in partnering on the next wave of software innovation—alongside a team with deep operating experience and proven track records.

For more information on participating in the fund, visit celeroventures.com or contact the team directly.

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