A London-based venture capital firm focusing on B2B marketplaces and data platforms has announced its £21m second fund, targeting late-seed to Series A deals aimed at modernising trade and supply chains worldwide.
Verb Ventures has opened its fund with a £850,000 investment in AI-powered procurement platform SkySelect, co-investing with Lux Capital, Bain Capital, FJ Labs and Initialized.
The company aims to build a portfolio of 15 platforms over the next three years, investing in companies that tackle fundamental inefficiencies, such as limited transparency, procurement complexity and fragmented supply chains, across traditionally opaque B2B markets.
This expands on an existing portfolio of seven companies, including SmartCat, which raised £32m in 2024, YardLink and Geomiq.
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Joining Verb Venture’s founding partner Alexander Chikunov in leading the fund is general partner Igor Burlakov, who oversaw an investment group with over $1bn in trading volume.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to launch our second fund! The past couple of years have been tough for venture capital, which makes us even more grateful for our amazing LPs who believe in us and fuel our mission of backing brilliant founders ready to transform entire industries,” said Chikunov.
“Watching our debut fund in action has been an incredible ride, and we can’t wait to see what’s coming up next for us.
“One thing is certain: we’re staying true to our principles, doubling down on B2B marketplace platforms, and remaining as passionate as ever about supporting bold founders and game-changing businesses.”
Burlakov added: “I believed in Alexander’s vision from the very start, back when Verb Ventures was just taking shape.
“Now, I’m excited to step up and help scale Verb Ventures and to back entrepreneurs who are redefining the way business is done globally.”