We’re thrilled to welcome Nafis Jamal as our newest Venture Partner at Accel.

Nafis has been a longtime member of the Accel family for the past 15 years, having founded two Accel-backed companies in Mopub (acquired by Twitter) and Elements (acquired by Circle). We’ve seen first hand his passion for new technologies and his pragmatism for shaping viable companies around them. He’s one of those rare founders who can connect technology value to equity value. We love that kind of thinking.

Importantly, Nafis embodies a common pattern for our team: an emphasis on trusted relationships, a focused and patient approach to building businesses, and a commitment to only working with the best. He's proven his mettle as an advisor and angel to many successful startups; Accel will only expand his impact with product-oriented technical founders in AI, fintech, and beyond.

We can’t wait to see his work unfold. Welcome Nafis!

—Accel

Europe and Israel’s Founder Factories: GenAI Edition

Europe and Israel are poised to produce a wave of category-leading GenAI companies as the region’s world-class universities and big tech companies’ local research labs fuel a new wave of founders. Examining the roots of these companies, including their founding locations and founders’ work and educational experiences via Dealroom, the Accel team has identified some key trends. Download the report below

DOWNLOAD THE GENAI FOUNDER FACTORIES REPORT

At a glance

25%

The percentage of GenAI startups where at least one founder has gained experience at companies Amazon, Apple, DeepMind, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft

38%

The percentage of GenAI companies founded by people who hold or have held positions at academic institutions

10

The average number of years that GenAI founders have worked for prior to founding a company

Insights

“

The European and Israeli tech ecosystem is a hotbed for entrepreneurial AI talent. Innovative AI startups are consistently emerging and going on to quickly build ambitious teams and products that attract huge numbers of customers and investors. When looking deeper at these companies’ roots, we begin to see where the main GenAI talent hubs exist in the region and the common paths founders take... Deep-rooted expertise is fueling innovation in the region and suggests Europe and Israel are well-poised to transform the global AI landscape.

Harry Nelis, Partner at Accel

GenAI key takeaways

London (27%), Tel Aviv (13%), Berlin (12%), Paris (10%), and Amsterdam (5%) are the top five cities for GenAI startup creation across the region
French-founded GenAI companies lead the way when it comes to funding levels, raising $2.29B
More than two thirds (70%) of the GenAI companies analyzed have announced they have secured $1M or more in funding

Download the 2023 Founder Factories report here

Deepening Our Commitment to the Earliest Stages of a Founder’s Journey with Accel Atoms 4.0

Our commitment to exceptional teams across Europe and Israel

Welcome, Matt Robinson!

At a glance

25%

38%

10