# Mercuri

Mercuri is a Private Equity based in London, United Kingdom.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Private Equity
- **Headquarters:** London, United Kingdom
- **Region:** Europe
- **Address:** London, United Kingdom
- **Founded:** 2017
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** www.mercuri.vc
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/mercuri-vc

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Mercuri is an early-stage venture capital fund and first-cheque investor leading pre-seed and seed funding rounds for UK media technology and AI companies. It backs founders building at the intersection of media, entertainment and AI, including generative AI, creator economy platforms, gaming, XR and next-generation advertising. The firm takes an engaged approach, often taking board seats and working actively alongside founders post-investment.

## Sectors

- Media & Entertainment
- AI/ML

## People

- Alan Hudson — Founding General Partner
- Esha Vatsa — Partner
- Anna Jones — Investment Committee Chair
- Sam Rickard — Partner & CFO

## Questions

### Who leads investment decisions at Mercuri?

Founding General Partner Alan Hudson makes or approves all investment decisions. The investment committee is chaired by Anna Jones, and the deal team includes Partner Esha Vatsa. Venture Partners Denise Xifara, Dyson Bogg, and Tony Lewis contribute sourcing and diligence.

### How is Mercuri related to the Guardian?

Mercuri was originally founded as GMG Ventures, with an anchor commitment from The Scott Trust, the entity that owns the Guardian Media Group. The Scott Trust remains an LP in both funds. The firm rebranded to Mercuri in 2023 to establish a distinct commercial identity independent of the Guardian name.

### What is The Scott Trust's role as a limited partner?

The Scott Trust is the ultimate owner of the Guardian Media Group and serves as a mission-driven LP. Its investment is not purely financial; the trust exists to sustain liberal journalism perpetually. For Mercuri, that means access to patient capital with a longer time horizon than is typical in conventional venture funds.

### Does Mercuri invest only in UK companies?

The fund focuses on UK-based startups, particularly those emerging from London's King's Cross tech hub where Mercuri is headquartered. However, portfolio companies such as Hugging Face and Kickstarter are global operations, and the firm does not restrict its companies from scaling internationally.

### What is Mercuri's typical investment stage and check size?

Mercuri leads pre-seed and seed rounds. The firm's first fund was £42m and the second is £50m, implying modest fund sizes calibrated for initial-stage commitments. Precise check-size ranges are not publicly disclosed.

## Related profiles

- [Merck China](https://altss.com/profile/merck-china)
- [Mercuria Investment](https://altss.com/profile/mercuria-investment)

---

Last updated: 2026-08-11T15:07:26.757Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/mercuri

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology