Celero Ventures Opens $25 Million Early-Stage Fund to Investors Backing the Next Generation of European Software Companies

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Celero Ventures Opens $25 Million Early-Stage Fund to Investors Backing the Next Generation of European Software Companies

2025-07-01 15:30 Last Updated At：15:42

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 1, 2025--

Celero Ventures, a new venture capital firm founded by experienced software operators Dave Wyatt and Nick Cochran, is now raising its debut $25 million fund to invest in early-stage startups across the UK and Europe. The fund, which is already 25% subscribed, targets pre-seed and seed-stage companies building next-generation AI and data infrastructure.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250701820933/en/

Based in London, Celero Ventures is inviting limited partners (LPs) to join its mission of backing exceptional technical founders and accelerating their path to product-market fit and scalable growth.

Wyatt and Cochran bring a rare combination of deep go-to-market (GTM) experience and startup leadership. Together, they helped scale both MuleSoft and Databricks—two of the most successful enterprise software companies of the past decade. Their experience building and leading commercial teams across Europe and North America forms the foundation of Celero’s operator-first investment approach.

“Our goal is to give founders what we wish we’d had earlier in our careers: practical, experienced support from people who’ve built and scaled GTM from the ground up,” said Wyatt. “We’re raising this fund to support those teams early—when execution, speed, and strategic clarity matter most.”

The fund will invest in 20 to 25 companies, primarily across the UK and Europe, with an emphasis on AI, data tooling, and infrastructure software. Celero has already made its first investments, including leading a pre-seed round in a technical founding team building novel AI infrastructure.

Wyatt and Cochran have personally anchored the fund, reinforcing long-term alignment with both founders and investors.

“We’re not just investing capital—we’re investing capability,” said Cochran. “We work side by side with founders on segmentation, hiring, pricing, and repeatable growth playbooks—the kinds of things we’ve done at scale ourselves.”

One of Celero’s early portfolio companies, Catio, is already seeing that approach in action.

“Dave and Nick helped us get our GTM engine humming,” said Boris Bogatin, CEO of Catio. “They bring sharp insight, hands-on support, and a real sense of partnership. They’re the kind of investors you want when things are moving fast and stakes are high.”

Celero’s strategy is grounded in the belief that strong commercial execution is often the difference-maker in early-stage success—especially for technical founding teams. The fund is designed to close that gap by offering both capital and highly relevant operational support.

While the firm is headquartered in London, Celero is building a geographically diverse portfolio across Europe. Its focus is on founders building the infrastructure and applications that will define the AI-native enterprise stack.

Howard Dawber, Deputy Mayor of Business & Growth, said: “It’s great to see London reinforcing its position once more as a global leader in Tech, with London-based Celero Ventures expanding its investment in start-ups across the UK and Europe. This investment will be a game-changer for start-ups in their early stages, offering both funding and operational support at a critical time. Europe is home to incredible talent in the AI and data infrastructure space, and I look forward to seeing how Celero’s backing transforms companies beginning to make their mark in this industry.”

“Europe is home to world-class technical talent,” said Wyatt. “What many of those teams need is sharper, earlier GTM support. That’s what we’re bringing—and we’re looking for LPs who believe in the same opportunity.”

Janet Coyle CBE, Managing Director of Grow London at London & Partners said: "Here in the capital, investors and founders alike benefit from a unique blend of world‑leading talent, unrivalled market access and a quality of life that simply can’t be matched. From the energy of our tech communities to the global networks that span the City and Canary Wharf, London offers VCs and funds a gateway to Europe and beyond. It’s no surprise that more and more investors are calling London home. We look forward to working with Celero Ventures as they back the next generation of AI and infrastructure innovators right here in London.”

Celero Ventures is currently speaking with family offices, high-net-worth individuals, and institutional investors interested in partnering on the next wave of software innovation—alongside a team with deep operating experience and proven track records.

For more information on participating in the fund, visit celeroventures.com or contact the team directly.

Thousands of nurses go on strike at several major New York City hospitals

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.