Alven is an independent Paris-based venture firm founded in 2000 by Guillaume Aubin and Charles Letourneur. It invests at early stage in European software founders and has backed more than 250 startups over 25 years. Its site reports over €2bn raised across seven funds, with the most recent disclosed vehicle, Alven VI, closing at €350M in 2022 — described at the time as the largest early-stage fund raised in France. Portfolio companies include Stripe, Qonto, Dataiku, Algolia, Gorgias, Kestra and Stoïk.
Investment thesis
Alven is a Paris venture capital firm investing at early stage in European technology companies, with around 25 years of investing behind it. Its stated approach is that straightforward honesty is the most useful thing a venture investor can offer a founder, so that teams can react and execute faster. It works with what it calls the most relentless builders in Europe.
Past investments
| Company | Round | Date | Round size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rivercell Paris, France | Seed | Oct 2026 | €22M |
| Generare Paris, France | Series A | Apr 2026 | €20M |
| Verley Lyon, France | Series A | Feb 2026 | €32M |
| Altrove Paris, France | Seed | Oct 2025 | €8.7M |
| Kestra Paris, France | Seed | Sep 2024 | €7.2M |
| Stoïk Paris, France | Seed | Jan 2022 | €3.8M |
| Gorgias San Francisco, United States | Series A | Nov 2019 | €12.7M |
| Qonto Paris, France | Seed | Jan 2017 | €1.6M |
| Dataiku Paris, France | Seed | Dec 2014 | €3M |
| Algolia San Francisco, United States | Seed | Oct 2013 | €1.1M |