The big picture: Brighteye Ventures, a London and Paris-based firm, has secured a $72M first close for its third fund, targeting technology that helps people learn, work, and adapt in the AI era, dubbed ‘HumanOS’. The fund aims for a final close in the first half of 2027, with a target of €100M (roughly $115M), bringing the firm’s assets under management to $245M.
What it will back:
- Investment Stage: The fund will focus on pre-seed to seed-stage companies, with core checks ranging from $0.5M to $4M and smaller ‘blink’ investments of $150K to $500K for idea-stage ventures.
- Sector Focus: Brighteye Ventures will back ‘HumanOS’ technology, encompassing AI-driven solutions for learning, productivity, and labor infrastructure, moving beyond traditional edtech.
- Geographic Scope: The fund plans to make up to 35 investments across Europe, leveraging the firm’s presence in London and Paris.
Who is behind it:
Benoit Wirz is a founding partner at Brighteye Ventures. The firm has also promoted David Guérin to partner, Isabella Vahdati to principal, and Rhys Spence to head of platform and research. The fund’s first close attracted new limited partners including Lumina Foundation, Zanichelli, and PI Impact, joining returning backers such as the European Investment Fund, Jacobs Foundation, and several European family offices. Brighteye’s previous vehicles include Fund II, which targeted €100M, and a debut fund of €50M.
The catch: In a venture landscape increasingly dominated by defense and AI infrastructure investments, Brighteye Ventures is carving out a niche by reframing the learning and work sector as ‘HumanOS’. The firm believes the true opportunity in the AI era lies in augmenting human capabilities rather than replacing them. By skewing towards earlier-stage checks, Brighteye aims to capitalize on the accelerated traction that AI-native companies can achieve, positioning itself to unlock productivity budgets that have historically been elusive for corporate learning solutions.
Key Facts
- Firm: Brighteye Ventures
- Fund: Fund III
- Raised so far: $72M
- Status: First close
- Stage: pre-seed to Seed
- Focus: HumanOS technology, learning and work AI
- Geography: Europe
- Cheque size: $150K to $4M
- Anchor LPs: Lumina Foundation, Zanichelli, PI Impact, European Investment Fund, Jacobs Foundation
- Partners: Benoit Wirz, David Guérin, Isabella Vahdati, Rhys Spence
- Previous fund: €100M for Fund II, €50M for debut fund
