Highland Europe closes €1.1B Fund VI after generating over €1B in liquidity from Nexthink, Huel, and Bending Spoons exits

A notable institutional backer is the British Business Bank, the UK government's economic development bank, which committed €65 million (£55.6 million) to Fund VI . Fund VI will target European technology companies from Series B through pre-IPO, with a focus on data, AI, software infrastructure, cybersecurity, fintech, and consumer tech .

The exit lineup that made Fund VI possible

Highland Europe's ability to raise a record fund during a period widely described as a VC liquidity crisis was underpinned by four major portfolio events :

• Nexthink ($3 billion) – The Swiss digital employee experience platform was sold to Vista Equity Partners in October 2025. Highland Europe led Nexthink's $40 million Series B in 2016 .
• Huel (~€1 billion) – Danone agreed to acquire the UK-based nutrition brand in March 2026 for approximately €1 billion (~$1.2 billion). Highland Europe had backed Huel in its 2022 fundraise that valued the company at $560 million .
• EGYM and Playlist ($7.5 billion merger) – Two Highland Europe portfolio companies in the fitness technology space merged in a deal valued at $7.5 billion, creating a combined next-generation fitness platform .
• Bending Spoons (Nasdaq listing) – The Italian mobile app developer behind Evernote and Meetup listed on Nasdaq with a market capitalization exceeding $18 billion, delivering a public market exit for Highland .

Recent investments and portfolio momentum

Beyond the headline exits, Highland remains active in deploying capital:

• Unframe ($50 million Series B) – An AI-powered platform, Unframe raised a $50 million Series B led by Highland Europe and surpassed $100 million in total contract value in under 12 months, per the firm's website .
• Wordsmith – Highland Europe led an investment in Wordsmith, though specific round details were not independently confirmed in available sources.
• Ecorobotix – Highland Europe backed Ecorobotix, an AI-driven precision agriculture company. Round details were not independently verified.

Partner promotions

Alongside the Fund VI announcement, Highland Europe promoted Helena Richardson and Jacob Bernstein to Partner. Both were noted as key senior investors who contributed to the firm's recent exit performance .

What Fund VI means for European tech

In a market where many venture firms have struggled to return capital to investors, Highland Europe's ability to close a record fund by converting portfolio paper into $1.1 billion in cash distributions stands out. The firm's strategy of backing growth-stage, product-led companies across software and consumer sectors has produced exits through trade sales (Nexthink, Huel), mergers (EGYM/Playlist), and public listings (Bending Spoons) — a diversity of liquidity paths that made Fund VI possible .