Accel

Europe and Israel’s vibrant tech ecosystem is being fuelled by the flywheel of talent springing from the region’s unicorns. Marking 25 years since we opened our London office, our founder factory report with Dealroom.co reveals that: ➡️ 281 of the 360+ VC-backed unicorns in Europe and Israel have fuelled 2,027 tech-enabled startups across the region ➡️ Klarna, Spotify, and Zalando top the list of 26 unicorn founder factories that have each produced 20+ new companies ➡️ 53% of new tech startups are founded in the same city as their parent unicorn, helping to build thriving tech hubs We’re looking forward to seeing the innovation that comes out of the region in the future! Thank you to Fortune’s Ryan Hogg for today's feature (see comments) and Deliveroo’s William S., Monzo Bank's Tara Ryan, Spotify’s Alex Norstrom, Supercell’s Ilkka Paananen and Plural and Wise's Taavet Hinrikus for the additional insights. Full report here 👇

Don’t bet against Marc Lore. That’s the message—direct or implied—from nearly everyone Jason Del Rey spoke to for Fortune’s new profile of the serial entrepreneur behind Diapers.com, Jet.com, and now, Wonder Marc’s story is a masterclass in perseverance. Thousands of fundraising meetings. 95% rejections. Most entrepreneurs wouldn’t admit that—Marc wears it like a badge of honor. He doesn’t care how many people say no. He just keeps going. What comes through clearly in the piece is that Marc isn’t wired like most people. From his earliest days, he’s had a relentless, at-any-cost drive to succeed—no matter the odds, no matter the noise. But what makes this profile especially compelling is Marc’s willingness to be vulnerable. He opens up with a level of honesty and self-awareness rarely seen from leaders at his level—a series of personal truths most would keep private. Marc was dealt a bad hand early in life—and somehow, he manages to beat the house. Again and again. CultureSpeed Communications

G2 is a category-of-one: the trusted destination where over 90 million B2B software buyers find their next great tool every year. But it wasn’t always that way. A few weeks after G2’s launch, Godard Abel and his co-founders opened Google Analytics to find only three people on their site. It can be easy for early-stage founders to encounter these kinds of hurdles, get intimidated, and assume their ideas are doomed. But Godard and G2 prove that with conviction, adaptability, and foresight, G2 was built into its own category of one software review and buying destination. It was a pleasure to have Godard join Arun Mathew on this latest episode of Spotlight On to talk about Godard’s founder journey and what he’s learned about building teams, marketplaces, and brands. 🎧 Link to the full episode in comments.

I loved sitting down with Godard Abel for Accel's latest episode of Spotlight On. We've been partners with Godard & G2 for the last 8 years, and we couldn't be more excited about his vision for G2's opportunity in the age of AI. You can check out the entire episode here: https://lnkd.in/gRBx4s2p

🚨 Big news: Frank Slootman joined Cyera’s Board of Directors. Frank’s leadership has helped define the modern tech industry — from scaling ServiceNow to leading Snowflake through one of the most successful IPOs in software history. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome him as we accelerate into the next chapter of our growth. Why now? 📈 26x revenue growth in two years 💥 $162M acquisition of Trail 🔐 First unified, AI-native data security platform Frank knows what it takes to build industry giants. We’re proud to have him onboard as we continue to redefine what data security looks like in the AI era. Read why he joined Cyera, in his own words: https://lnkd.in/gKJdR37h

When we founded G2, it was with the conviction that the internet needed a storefront for buying software, just as it did for every other product. Both G2 and the world have changed a lot since then. But as AI changes the B2B buying journey, our mission is even more relevant. Now, we have the opportunity to help businesses reach their PEAK potential in the age of AI -- informing their software buying decisions and go-to-market strategies with the most trusted data and insights. 💡 It was great to sit down with Arun Mathew for Accel’s 'Spotlight On' podcast to discuss G2's journey, including how we're adapting to AI buying and discovery. Thanks for having me on - I'm grateful for your partnership these past 8 years! 🙏 Episode is linked below. 👇

At the heart of American healthcare lies a complex web of administrative hurdles that often hinder the simple act of patient care. Silna is pioneering a solution to this problem by automating processes like prior authorizations to reduce delays and costs, ultimately improving health outcomes. With a strong founding team including Jeffrey Morelli, Sagar Jajoo, and Pavel Asparouhov, Silna is uniquely positioned to transform healthcare workflows. Their mission is to streamline administrative tasks, allowing providers to focus on what matters most—caring for their patients. Read more from our partner Amit Kumar #AccelFamily https://lnkd.in/gbZx-a67

Our Partner Ben Fletcher will take the stage at Fortune's Brainstorm AI in London to discuss how Europe's AI investing landscape compares with that of the U.S., Europe's biggest AI opportunities, and much more. cc Allie Garfinkle Link in comments ⬇️

I get asked a lot about how AI applications can differentiate themselves if they're all able to leverage similar models. The assumption in that question is that the end experience = the underlying infrastructure. Take it from someone who's building a successful consumer AI application, Connor Zwick of Speak: building good products, distributing them, and changing people's behaviors to continue using them is an incredibly hard thing to do. Regardless of what is underneath. It was a pleasure to have Connor on Accel's latest episode of Spotlight On. On it, we talk about:  - Midwestern roots, and serendipitous airport encounters - Early days of launching and getting big in Korea  - How we actually learn languages – and why AI is the key to unlocking that globally - Choosing to do the correct thing over the easy thing You can listen to the episode here: https://lnkd.in/gHRbuE_t

At Accel Connect 2025, we paused to celebrate two remarkable journeys— Swiggy and BlackBuck (Zinka Logistics Solutions Ltd). From writing their first pitch decks to ringing the bell, we’ve had the privilege of witnessing Sriharsha M. and Rajesh Yabaji build enduring businesses with heart, hustle, and high conviction. An IPO isn’t the finish line—it’s a powerful milestone. As Sriharsha says, “Building a company is like an amusement park. The IPO is just one more ride.” Rajesh reminded us that true resilience is staying obsessed with the problem—even when the path forward demands hard pivots and reinvention. A special moment for us was honouring Girish Mathrubootham, the founder who first showed the way with Freshworks' historic listing on the Nasdaq. He’s truly been an inspiration to the next generation of Indian product and platform builders. These IPOs are more than individual wins—they’re inflection points for the ecosystem. They expand what’s imaginable, raise the bar, and spark ambition in every founder chasing the long game. Here’s to more bold bets, breakout companies, and the builders turning India’s startup dreams into lasting institutions. The best is yet to come. Shekhar Kirani Anand Daniel Prayank Swaroop Sameer Gandhi Barath Shankar Subramanian Abhinav Chaturvedi Subrata Mitra Mahendran Balachandran Prashanth Prakash Dinesh Katiyar Alok Bathija Rishi Dogra Rashi Shukla Vinod Kumar Menon Amit Jhunjhunwala