Technology
European VC Firm Announces First Closing On Fund

A European venture capital house has raised €90 million in the first closing of a fund targeting tech businesses.
KEEN Venture Partners, a new venture capital firm operating from
London and Amsterdam, has announced a €90 million ($99.83
million) first close of its inaugural KEEN venture
fund.
The fund will provide early growth capital for technology
companies with breakaway momentum across Europe with a particular
focus on innovation hubs in the UK, Netherlands, Sweden and
Germany, KEEN said in a statement last week.
Investors in the fund include the European Investment Fund, Dutch
Venture Initiative, ING Netherlands and KPN Ventures in
addition to several private investors and entrepreneurs. KEEN
intends to invest €5 million to €10 million per company, it
said.
KEEN invests by taking stakes in companies operating in specific
areas of information and communications technology. The company
is targeting a final close of the fund in 2017.
“This new fund is the first from KEEN Venture Partners and we are
pleased with the exceptional range of high-profile institutional
and private investors, demonstrating a high level of confidence
in the new fund,” said Robert Verwaayen, general partner of KEEN
Venture Partners.
Among other recent developments, KEEN appointed a number of
“network partners” or professionals that the company will draw
upon for investment advice and to support its portfolio
companies. These include Marcus Weldon, chief technology officer
of Nokia and president of Bell Labs, and Clare Johnston, founder
and CEO of The Up Group.