French venture capital firm Serena has announced the close of its €200 million Fund IV, bringing total assets under management to over €1 billion.
- Founded in 2008 by Xavier Lorphelin, Marc Fournier, and Philippe Hayat, Serena is a venture capital firm that invests in Europe-based startups from pre-seed to Series A. The firm typically makes initial investments ranging from €100,000 to €15 million, targeting companies with scalable digital business models.
- Serena invests across a wide range of sectors, with particular focus on AI, SaaS, Climate Tech, Internet Infrastructure, and Impact, prioritizing growth potential over strict industry boundaries. Its portfolio encompasses nearly 100 companies, including notable successes and exits such as The Fork, Aramis Auto, Cheerz, iBanFirst, and Dataiku.
- Serena IV plans to back early-stage European startups in applied AI and the energy transition, providing up to €15 million per company along with hands-on support to help them scale globally.
- The fresh fund has already made 4 investments, including Formality, an AI-driven contract management platform founded by the creators of TVTY, a company previously backed by Serena and later acquired by Nielsen.
- The €200 million Serena IV fund was supported by a mix of longstanding LPs, who made up 80% of the first close, alongside new institutional and private investors from France and abroad.
"Grateful to Marc, Xavier, and philippe for the trust, the guidance, and for building the foundation that allows us to push Serena’s mission forward. The next decade will belong to European builders. With Serena IV, we have the capital, the tools, and the commitment to partner with them to go global," claims Sébastien Le Roy, Partner at Serena.
