Air Street Capital

Air Street Capital is a London-based venture firm founded in 2019 by Nathan Benaich that invests exclusively in AI-first companies across Europe and the US. Run as a solo-GP firm, it backs frontier AI models, AI infrastructure, applied software, TechBio and science, and defence and autonomy, with portfolio highlights including Synthesia, Black Forest Labs, Poolside, Profluent, Wayve and ElevenLabs. Air Street is famous for its research franchise - the State of AI Report, Air Street Press essays, RAAIS, and spinout.fyi. In March 2026 it closed $232M Fund III - the largest solo-GP venture fund in Europe - to lead early rounds with checks from $500K to $15M plus select growth investments up to $25M. Its disclosed portfolio spans four eras from 2019 to today, with exits to Amazon, SoftBank, Meta and others.

Air Street Capital logo
Founded
2019
Headquarters
London, UK
Founder
Nathan Benaich (solo GP)
Type
AI-only venture capital; solo GP
Funds
Fund III $232M (2026) - largest solo-GP venture fund in Europe
Stage
Pre-Seed to growth; leads early rounds
Typical check
$500K-$15M early; up to $25M growth
Disclosed portfolio
66 companies across Epoch I-III + pre-Air Street angel investments

How Air Street Capital invests in AI

AI-first, only

Air Street invests exclusively in AI-first companies - businesses for which advances in AI are the primary driver of product capability, competitive advantage and long-term value. It focuses on AI-first software (frontier models, AI SaaS, agents, world models), developer tools and infrastructure, TechBio and science, and defence and security, in the US and Europe.

From earliest stage, leading rounds

The firm invests from Pre-Seed through growth, leading early-stage rounds of $500K to $15M and selectively making growth investments of up to $25M. As a solo-GP firm, a single decision-maker enables high-conviction, fast decisions with significant capital behind the most ambitious teams.

Deep engagement on product and strategy

Beyond capital, Air Street is known for hands-on engagement on product, technical strategy and market positioning from day one, and for backing founders it has often known for years through its network, events and prior investments.

Research and community as a moat

Air Street publishes the State of AI Report - the most widely read independent annual analysis of AI progress - essays via Air Street Press, runs the RAAIS research summit and the Air Street AI Network, and drove policy reform through spinout.fyi, using research-driven conviction to find non-consensus opportunities early.

Epoch III ('25-)

Fund III vintage (announced Mar 2026): frontier AI, AI infrastructure, AI-for-science, defence and applied AI across Europe and the US.

Epoch II ('22-'25)

Fund II era: frontier evals, world models, robotics, TechBio, enterprise automation and defence/autonomy.

  • Kradle logo
    KradleFrontier evals

    Frontier model evaluation (USA)

  • Clove logo
    CloveFintech AI

    AI wealth management (UK)

  • General Reasoning logo

    Long-horizon reasoning agents (UK)

  • GTVAI video

    AI video (USA)

  • Delfa logo
    DelfaHealth AI

    AI for clinical trials (USA/UK)

  • Polar Mist logo
    Polar MistMaritime autonomy

    Maritime autonomy (EU)

  • AI game studio (USA/UK)

  • Fern LabsAI agents

    AI agents (UK) - acquired by Poolside

  • Patina Systems logo
    Patina SystemsAI software

    AI lifestyle software (USA)

  • Interloom logo
    InterloomEnterprise AI

    Enterprise automation (DE)

  • Odyssey logo
    OdysseyFrontier AI

    World models / interactive AI (US/UK)

  • Delian AI logo
    Delian AIDefence

    AI-first navigation for autonomous defence systems (EU)

  • SereactRobotics

    Physical AI / embodied robotics for warehouses (DE)

  • Samaya AI logo
    Samaya AIFintech AI

    AI knowledge discovery for finance (USA)

  • Profluent logo
    ProfluentTechBio

    Programmable biology & protein language models (USA)

Epoch I ('19-'22)

Fund I era: many companies since acquired (e.g. Adept -> Amazon, Graphcore -> SoftBank) or listed (Exscientia, Recursion).

  • AdeptAI agents

    AI agents (USA) - acquired by Amazon

  • AllcyteTechBio

    AI diagnostics (AT) - acquired by Exscientia

  • AnagenexTechBio

    AI + DNA-encoded libraries for drug discovery (USA) - acquired

  • AthenianDev tools

    Software-engineering metrics (FR) - acquired by Linux Foundation

  • CellVoyant logo
    CellVoyantTechBio

    AI cell-biology forecasting (UK)

  • ClipDropAI media

    AI visual content creation (FR) - acquired by Stability AI/Jasper

  • Coram AI logo
    Coram AIComputer vision

    Video intelligence (UK/USA)

  • ExscientiaTechBio

    AI-driven pharma (UK) - NASDAQ: EXAI, merged into Recursion

  • Gandeeva logo
    GandeevaTechBio

    Structural biology (CA)

  • GourmeyFood biotech

    Cultivated cell-based meat (FR)

  • Graphcore logo
    GraphcoreAI semiconductors

    AI semiconductors (UK) - acquired by SoftBank

  • Hedera logo
    HederaTechBio

    Liquid-biopsy diagnostics (FI/CH)

  • Intenseye logo
    IntenseyeComputer vision

    AI workplace safety (TR)

  • LabGenius logo
    LabGeniusTechBio

    AI protein therapeutics (UK)

  • Mission Barns logo
    Mission BarnsFood biotech

    Cultivated fat (USA)

  • Modern Intelligence logo

    AI for defence (USA)

  • Poolside logo
    PoolsideFrontier AI

    Enterprise AI for software engineering / frontier coding lab (USA)

  • Recursion logo
    RecursionTechBio

    AI-driven pharma (USA) - NASDAQ: RXRX

  • Valence Discovery logo

    AI-driven drug discovery (CA) - acquired by Recursion; now Valence Labs

  • V7 logo
    V7AI data infra

    Computer-vision data platform (UK)

  • ZOE logo
    ZOEConsumer health

    Personalised nutrition from gut-microbiome science (UK)

pre-Air Street

Angel and personal investments made by Nathan Benaich before founding Air Street in 2019 (Stripe, Wayve, ElevenLabs, Synthesia and more).

  • Andela logo
    AndelaSoftware services

    Remote engineering teams (USA)

  • Automata logo
    AutomataRobotics

    Lab automation systems (UK)

  • Chroma logo
    ChromaAI infrastructure

    Open-source vector database for AI (USA)

  • Contextual AIEnterprise AI

    Enterprise AI grounded in context / RAG (USA)

  • Crusoe logo
    CrusoeAI infrastructure

    AI cloud / clean compute for frontier AI (USA)

  • ElevenLabs logo
    ElevenLabsFrontier AI

    AI audio and voice generation (USA/UK)

  • EnvedaTechBio

    AI discovery of natural-product medicines (USA)

  • JukedeckAI media

    AI music generation (UK) - acquired by ByteDance

  • Lambda logo
    LambdaAI infrastructure

    GPU cloud for AI training and inference (USA)

  • MapillaryComputer vision

    Street-level imagery and mapping platform (SE) - acquired by Meta

  • Muon Space logo

    Climate & Earth-observation satellite constellations (USA)

  • Ndea logo
    NdeaFrontier AI

    Frontier AI research lab (USA)

  • NianticConsumer software

    Real-world AR games (USA) - acquired by Scopely

  • Numerai logo
    NumeraiFintech AI

    AI-powered hedge fund / data science tournament (USA)

  • Optimal logo
    OptimalAgri-tech

    Autonomous indoor vertical farms (UK)

  • PolyAI logo
    PolyAIEnterprise AI

    AI voice assistants (UK)

  • Ravelin logo
    RavelinFintech AI

    AI fraud prevention (UK) - acquired by Worldpay

  • Flow Engineering logo

    Engineering tools (UK)

  • Thought Machine logo

    Core-banking platform (UK)

  • Tractable logo
    TractableInsurtech AI

    AI for insurance claims (UK)

  • Starship logo
    StarshipRobotics

    Autonomous last-mile delivery robots (EE)

  • Stripe logo
    StripeFintech

    Online payments (USA)

  • Wayve logo
    WayveAutonomous driving

    Embodied AI for autonomous driving - AV2.0 (UK)

Related rounds

No rounds led by Air Street Capital are in the tracker yet. Deals will appear here as they are recorded.