Air Street Capital

Profile

Air Street Capital is a venture capital firm specializing in AI-first companies, headquartered in London, UK. Founded in 2019 by Nathan Benaich, a Cambridge PhD graduate with a background in AI research and venture capital, Air Street Capital operates as a solo GP firm. It is known for its deep network within the AI community, which includes initiatives like the State of AI Report and the RAAIS conference, providing significant leverage in deal sourcing and supporting portfolio companies without the need for a broader partnership structure.

Air Street Capital focuses on early-stage investments, primarily in AI-driven sectors such as software, developer tools, techbio, and defense/security. The firm invests across Europe and North America, with check sizes ranging from $500K to $25M. Its total assets under management include Fund I: $15M, Fund II: $52M, and the recently closed Fund III: $232M. The LP base is diverse, including US university endowments, foundations, and institutional platforms that have increased their commitments over time.

Notable investments include Synthesia, an AI video generation platform; Black Forest Labs, a leading AI model provider; Wayve, an autonomous driving company; Poolside, an AI lab; and Profluent, applying AI to protein design. Key exits are Valence Discovery acquired by Recursion, Graphcore by SoftBank, Adept by Amazon, and Allcyte by Exscientia. Nathan Benaich leads all investment activities, leveraging his extensive experience to guide the firm’s strategic direction.