Houghton Street Ventures

We focus on investing in the best of the alumni, students and faculty of the London School of Economics and Political Science. We back LSE founders who are building companies that harness the power of the humanities, social sciences and technology.

Check Size

Not specified

Stages

Pre Seed, Seed

Focus Areas

Fintech, Enterprise Saas, Vertical Saas

Is Houghton Street Ventures right for your startup?

Upload your pitch deck and get an AI-powered match score in minutes. See exactly how well you fit their investment criteria.

See If You're a Match

Investment Thesis

Houghton Street Ventures invests in entrepreneurs shaped by the London School of Economics, believing that LSE’s 125-year legacy of producing global leaders and innovators in diverse fields creates founders with unique worldviews and capabilities. The firm emphasizes ‘Critical Capital’—investing at early stages (Pre-Seed to Series A) when conviction matters most, combining humanities, social sciences, and technology to back companies with transformative potential.

What Sets Them Apart

LSE-exclusive network: Only invests in LSE-connected entrepreneurs, with LSE founders collectively raising $30bn+ in VC and counting 25+ unicorns
Access to 200,000+ alumni and 15,000 founders through the LSE ecosystem
Partnership with LSE institution providing embedded access and credibility
Interdisciplinary focus on combining humanities, social sciences, and technology—rare in typical VC
Early-stage expertise positioning themselves as 'true partners' having been 'in the trenches'
Global support network leveraging LSE's international alumni base for talent, business development, and capital sourcing