Brighteye closes 2nd fund at €100M; to invest in Edtech companies across Europe 

European edtech VC Brighteye announced on Monday that it has completed the final close of its second fund at €100M, double the size of the first fund.

New investors in the fund include the European Investment Fund (EIF), Jacobs Foundation, and Partners in Equity, and Family offices from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

With the final close of the second fund, Brighteye Ventures now has €150M in total Assets Under Management (AUM).

Founding Partner Benoit Wirz says, “Brighteye has been fortunate to accompany some incredible entrepreneurs across Europe and North America. We’re grateful to have more resources to assist them and excited to partner with the next wave of founders harnessing technology to maximise human potential.”

With this capital, Brighteye says it intends to invest in promising early-stage Edtech companies at Seed and Series A stages across Europe.

“We are very proud to have the leading European institutional partner backing Brighteye Fund II. The EIF’s support is testimony to the great confidence both the European Union and the market have in the burgeoning sectors of Edtech and workforce transformation, with key challenges facing societies as automation presents both significant risks and massive opportunities for the development of human productivity,” says Alexander Latsis, Founding Partner at Brighteye.

Brighteye Ventures: Edtech early-stage VC fund

Established in 2017 by Alexander Latsis and Benoit Wirz, Brighteye Ventures is an edtech early-stage venture capital fund that leverages deep experience and relationships in tech, education, media, and VC. 

Besides funding, Brighteye helps portfolio companies refine products, build partnerships, and scale across geographies. 

The VC’s 40+ strong portfolio includes Epic!, Hack The Box, Ornikar, Ironhack, and Sdui, among others. 

The team counts nine members and continues to grow. The investment team was joined by a new Associate earlier this year, taking their headcount to 5. 

About the EIF

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is part of the European Investment Bank Group. It aims to support Europe’s micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by helping them access finance. 

The EIF designs and develops venture and growth capital, guarantees, and microfinance instruments that specifically target this market segment. 

“In a changing economy, skills and human capital have to be adaptable and constantly updated. This is why, with the backing of the InvestEU programme, we are keen to support fund managers like Brighteye Ventures that are active in the education technology space, ensuring that European businesses developing innovative solutions to help improve skills and education get the support that they need,” says Marjut Falkstedt, EIF Chief Executive.