Breakthroughs in frontier technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, and next-generation computing have created what Aldea Ventures describes as a new “mega-wave” of innovation. To capitalize on this momentum, Aldea has closed €50 million toward its €125 million target for its second fund, aiming to fuel the next wave of deeptech advancement.
Positioned as a fund of funds, Aldea Ventures focuses on backing specialised early-stage VC managers with deep technical expertise. By concentrating on sectors expected to grow 42% annually—far outpacing the 3% growth of traditional tech according to ARK Invest’s BIG IDEAS report—Aldea hopes to unlock major opportunities at the cutting edge of technology.
The second fund has already started making strategic commitments, investing in firms like Moonfire (a data-driven venture firm), Amino (health and biotech frontier technology), and Unruly Capital (climate and deep tech).
A New Hybrid Investment Model for Europe
Founded in Barcelona in 2020, Aldea Ventures was created by Carlos Trenchs, Alfonso Bassols, Josep Duran, and Gonzalo Rodés to address a critical gap in Europe’s venture landscape. While Europe was producing more early-stage startups and micro VCs, there was no strong platform to systematically back these emerging managers or provide scaling capital for their most promising companies.
Borrowing a proven model from Silicon Valley, Aldea introduced a hybrid strategy to the European market—combining fund investments with direct co-investments. Their approach aims to make venture capital more transparent, data-driven, and connected across European tech hubs.
Alfonso Bassols, Managing Partner, explains it this way: venture capital works best as a dynamic intelligence network. He highlights that early-stage specialist managers, with their local expertise and sharp insights, are critical for spotting the subtle signals that drive tomorrow’s biggest breakthroughs. With Fund II, Aldea plans to double down on supporting these visionary managers, offering them more concentrated backing.
Through this model, Aldea supports deeptech companies tackling major global challenges, from climate change and mental health to cybersecurity. By prioritizing managers with strong technical roots, Aldea hopes to help startups avoid common pitfalls like unclear paths to commercial viability or reliance on immature technologies.
Targeting Europe’s Best Micro and Nano VCs
Building on the success of its first fund, Aldea Ventures’ Fund II will focus on creating a highly targeted portfolio of micro-VCs (sub-€100M funds) and nano-VCs (sub-€25M funds). A smaller portion of capital will also be used for selective co-investments and secondaries.
Some early portfolio highlights include:
- Moonfire II
- Amino II
- Lunar Ventures II
New additions like Concept Ventures and First Commit are also part of the growing roster.
Aldea’s first fund backed 28 emerging VC funds and nine standout growth-stage companies, supporting over 1,000 startups across AI, healthtech, climate tech, and fintech. Notable names from Aldea’s network include Podimo, Automata, Kenbi, Sorare, 011h, and Exoticca.
While Europe remains at the heart of Aldea’s strategy, the firm is opening its lens to the U.S. as well—targeting funds that can help European founders successfully expand across the Atlantic.
Mick Halsband, General Partner at Lunar Ventures, praised Aldea as a true long-term partner, highlighting their patience and trust in building deeptech companies for the future.
Daniela Cavagliano, recently promoted to Partner at Aldea, believes the time is ripe for investors to embrace frontier technologies. She points to Aldea’s unique value: offering a diversified portfolio of highly specialized managers, combining strong upside potential with smart risk mitigation.
