The New York Stock Exchange is set to address the London Venture Capital Summit next week, with vice chairman and global head of capital markets Michael Harris confirmed to speak on liquidity and exit options for private equity, venture capital and founders. The summit, taking place at Guildhall on 15 May, will gather more than 100 speakers from leading global investment institutions representing approximately £20 trillion in assets under management. The event is the centrepiece of London Venture Capital Week, a broader programme running from 11 to 15 May designed to foster connections across the venture community.
Summit Purpose: Examining a Selective but Opportunity-Rich Market
Under the theme “The Future of London as Europe’s VC Capital,” the one-day conference will examine how capital is being redeployed in a market that has become more concentrated since the 2021 peak. European venture capital has entered what organisers describe as a more selective phase: deal volumes have declined as money flows into fewer, larger transactions. Fintech and consumer technology, which once dominated, have slowed significantly, with European fintech investment remaining well below 2021 levels despite some signs of stabilisation in 2025. At the same time, artificial intelligence, defence technology and selected deeptech sectors are drawing a growing share of capital, reshaping where and how investors deploy funds. London continues to act as a gateway for international capital and remains one of the most active global centres for venture investment and startup formation.
Key Speakers and Institutions
Alongside Michael Harris of the NYSE, the summit will feature Leandros Kalisperas, chief investment officer of the British Business Bank, which is actively targeting more than 60 per cent of its venture and growth investment towards scale-ups, writing larger cheques and increasing direct investments. Katie Ramsey, head of the venture capital unit at the Office for Investment, will also speak. From the private sector, Giuseppe de Filippo, head of direct private investments at Julius Baer, and Zeynep Ozturk, managing director at JP Morgan Private Bank, are confirmed. Stuart Chapman, co-founder of Molten Ventures — a firm that has backed UK tech successes including Wise and Revolut and reported £135 million in exits for the year ending 31 March 2025 — will join the speaker list. Alex Taussig, board partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, a multi-stage investor with a significant global presence, is also confirmed, alongside Meagan Loyst, founder of Gen Z VCs. Chris Elphick, head of VC at UK Private Capital, will attend on behalf of the industry body, which represents more than 600 firms backing 13,000 businesses and employing 2.5 million people. UK Private Capital reported that in 2024, £29.4 billion was invested by private capital into UK businesses, with 83 per cent raised from overseas investors.
Programme Highlights
With more than 30 panels scheduled across the day, key sessions include “Where Are VCs Putting Their Money?”, “The Future of London as Europe’s VC Capital”, “AI in 2030: What’s Next?”, “The Future of Spacetech & Aerospace”, “Liquidity Options for PE, VC, and Founders”, “Policy Update: VC, Tax, and Global Capital in 2026”, “Structuring Funds in 2026”, “The Future of HealthTech”, “The Future of Climate Investing”, and “Beyond Series B: Growth Capital & Public Markets”. High-growth startups across AI, fintech, climate tech, life sciences and deeptech will present through curated pitch sessions, with a Startup Pitch Competition showcasing companies seeking investment and strategic support.
The Changing Venture Capital Landscape
The shift in venture capital activity forms the central narrative of the summit. European VC deal value has shown resilience despite a decline in volume, with investment becoming more focused on quality and profitability. Data from the research briefing indicates that in 2025, artificial intelligence accounted for 35.5 per cent of total European VC deal value, with AI investments surging 24 per cent in deal value in Europe. The UK is a leading hub for AI investment: UK AI startups secured £1.8 billion in VC funding in the first half of 2025 alone. Beyond AI, investment in life sciences is running close behind as a growth sector, while spacetech and aerospace are attracting increased capital, supported by UK government commitments to the European Space Agency and national programmes. HealthTech and climate tech remain key areas of interest. Fintech, which had slowed sharply after the 2021 peak, is showing signs of recovery, with 29.3 per cent more capital invested year-on-year in 2025. A persistent challenge in the European market is the “scale-up” phase: while early-stage funding remains strong, there is a relative lack of late-stage investment to help companies grow domestically. The British Business Bank is actively targeting more than 60 per cent of its venture and growth investment towards scale-ups, aiming to write larger cheques and increase direct investments. The UK VC market overall rebounded in 2025, with a 35 per cent year-on-year increase in funding to $23.6 billion — the first annual growth in four years — driven by a resurgence in late-stage megarounds and a surge in AI investment. The European VC market, while still smaller than that of the United States, has seen significant growth since 2010, and discussions at the summit will address the relatively limited participation of institutional investors compared to the US, with reforms and initiatives underway to encourage greater involvement. Enhancements to schemes such as EIS and SEIS, set to increase investment limits from April 2026, are also part of the policy context.
Co-founders Dan Idhenga and Aadam Sümer said: “London Venture Capital Week has become a key meeting point for global capital and innovation. While the UK remains one of Europe’s most active venture ecosystems, founders are navigating a more challenging fundraising environment as capital concentrates into fewer, higher-quality opportunities. That is why the Summit brings together leading venture capital firms, institutional investors, and family offices alongside early-stage companies to examine the forces shaping markets, from technological disruption to geopolitics, and translate those insights into investment and long-term partnerships.”
Tickets for the London Venture Capital Summit 2026 start from £105. The full speaker agenda and ticket details are available at www.londonvcsummit.com. The broader programme of events during London Venture Capital Week can be found at www.londonvcweek.com. The summit will be held at Guildhall, Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HH.
