Octopus Investments (Octopus), an investment manager on a mission to invest in the people, ideas and industries that will change the world, today announces it has opened a new £10m fundraise for the Octopus Future Generations Venture Capital Trust (the VCT).
The VCT aims to support businesses that are addressing some of the most meaningful challenges shaping the markets of the future, such as climate change and pressures on healthcare systems. The ethos of the VCT centres on the idea that the companies that understand what it means to make the world a better place have the potential to deliver some of the best returns to investors over the coming decades.
Examples of portfolio companies include:
- Living Optics: Living Optics has been developing hyperspectral cameras for the mass market. Their devices access information invisible to human eyes and conventional cameras, enabling discoveries ranging from plastics sorting to greenhouse gas detection and tumour detection.
- Automata: Automata is a platform that combines robotic benches with easy-to-use software, allowing laboratories to design and run tasks automatically, from preparing samples, to running tests. The system is used in areas such as genetics, drug discovery and clinical testing.
Launched in January 2022, the VCT is now four years old and has made several achievements in this short time. The VCT has made 38 investments, deployed over £33m into exciting portfolio companies and already secured one full, and one partial, exit.
Co-investments with other Octopus VCTs in its early years has helped accelerate the VCT in establishing a strong foundation of high-quality investments. Now with the portfolio reaching scale and beginning to mature, the team is more focused on building an independent pipeline, while continuing to support existing companies where appropriate. This balanced approach – combining follow-on backing with selective origination of new, standalone investments – is expected to drive greater diversification over time.
The VCT is managed by Octopus Ventures, known for its expertise in identifying and supporting innovative businesses. The investment team is bolstered by a dedicated People and Talent team and a Portfolio Optimisation team. They offer direct support and expertise to help portfolio companies to scale their businesses and identify the best opportunities for exits.
To lead the VCT, Luke Edis has been appointed as Investment Partner at Octopus Ventures. Luke will be focused on managing and growing the VCT, as well as finding and supporting the UK’s next generation of category defining companies. Luke joins from Beringea, a transatlantic venture capital firm with around £750m under management. There he was an Investment Director leading the firm’s Seed-to-B-stage investments. Luke also gained valuable experience in the investment team at Passion Capital, one of Europe’s most active seed funds, and also as one of the first employees of UK startup, Fundstack.
Luke Edis, Investment Partner at Octopus Ventures said:
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the well-established and respected team at Octopus. I too hold the belief that some of the strongest, long-term returns will come from companies developing solutions to the significant commercial and operational challenges reshaping industries — from automation and efficiency, to data-driven services and healthcare innovation. These shifts are creating large and growing markets, providing opportunities for early-stage businesses and for us as investors to back them.”
Kristy Barr, Co-Head of Retail Investments. said:
“With VCT income tax relief reducing from 30% to 20% in April 2026, this tax year presents a clear opportunity for suitable clients to benefit from current relief levels. But it’s not just reliefs investors can benefit from with VCTs. For example, our Future Generations VCT is a young, but maturing VCT and after only four years it has already paid its first special dividend. This is an important milestone for a VCT and its investors at this stage of its life.”
The minimum investment for Future Generations VCT is £3,000 while the maximum VCT investment qualifying for tax relief is £200,000. The share offer is open until 2nd February 2027 but may close earlier if fully subscribed.