Investor behaviour
VCs breaking their thesis
A focused fund's first cheque outside its own track record: a new sector, a new region, or an entry far earlier than usual. The thesis is what each fund's earlier first cheques show (15 or more, 80% inside the focus). Follow-ons never count. Each deal is checked against the round's sources, and a deal whose article lists other investors and not the fund is left out.
907
VCs broke their pattern since 2020
495
of them in 2025 and 2026
14%
of focused VCs investing in 2026 (283 of 2023)
884 / 1087 / 31
new sector / region / earlier stage
VCs breaking their pattern, per month
New sectorNew regionEarlier stage
Jan 2020Oct 2026
843 breaks are rounds known only by their year. They count in the totals and the list, not in the monthly bars.
- Apr 28, 2022SourceNew sectorFirst Healthcare & Life Sciences cheque. Before: 20 first cheques, 12 in Software & Developer Tools, 5 in Finance & Blockchain.New regionFirst deal in LATAM. Before: 20 first cheques, 18 in North America, 1 in UK & Ireland.
- Apr 11, 2022New regionFirst deal in LATAM. Before: 23 first cheques, 19 in North America, 3 in APAC.
- Apr 7, 2022SourceNew sectorFirst Finance & Blockchain cheque. Before: 43 first cheques, 24 in Software & Developer Tools, 11 in Industry & Hardware.
- Apr 6, 2022SourceNew regionFirst deal in UK & Ireland. Before: 15 first cheques, 12 in North America, 1 in Benelux & France.
- Apr 5, 2022
- Apr 2022New regionFirst deal in North America. Before: 24 first cheques, 23 in Benelux & France, 1 in DACH.
- Apr 2022New sectorFirst Healthcare & Life Sciences cheque. Before: 29 first cheques, 17 in Finance & Blockchain, 7 in Software & Developer Tools.
- Apr 2022SourceNew sectorFirst Commerce & Marketing cheque. Before: 21 first cheques, 14 in Finance & Blockchain, 4 in Software & Developer Tools.
- Apr 2022
- Apr 2022New regionFirst deal in APAC. Before: 15 first cheques, 13 in North America, 1 in Southern Europe.
- Apr 2022New regionFirst deal in APAC. Before: 25 first cheques, 23 in North America, 2 in UK & Ireland.
- Apr 2022SourceNew regionFirst deal in Southern Europe. Before: 16 first cheques, 13 in CEE, 2 in DACH.
- Apr 2022SourceNew regionFirst deal in APAC. Before: 22 first cheques, 18 in North America, 2 in UK & Ireland.
- Apr 2022SourceNew sectorFirst Commerce & Marketing cheque. Before: 21 first cheques, 13 in Software & Developer Tools, 5 in Finance & Blockchain.
- Mar 30, 2022New regionFirst deal in DACH. Before: 17 first cheques, 17 in Benelux & France.
- Mar 24, 2022SourceNew sectorFirst Industry & Hardware cheque. Before: 29 first cheques, 22 in Finance & Blockchain, 5 in Artificial Intelligence & Data.
- Mar 22, 2022
- Mar 9, 2022New sectorFirst Energy, Environment & Mobility cheque. Before: 29 first cheques, 22 in Software & Developer Tools, 4 in Finance & Blockchain.
- Mar 2022New regionFirst deal in Benelux & France. Before: 17 first cheques, 14 in Southern Europe, 1 in UK & Ireland.
- Mar 2022
- Mar 2022New regionFirst deal in DACH. Before: 63 first cheques, 54 in North America, 3 in UK & Ireland.
- Mar 2022New sectorFirst Artificial Intelligence & Data cheque. Before: 27 first cheques, 21 in Healthcare & Life Sciences, 4 in Software & Developer Tools.
- Mar 2022
- Mar 2022SourceNew sectorFirst Software & Developer Tools cheque. Before: 19 first cheques, 17 in Healthcare & Life Sciences, 1 in Industry & Hardware.
- Mar 2022
- Mar 2022SourceNew sectorFirst Commerce & Marketing cheque. Before: 40 first cheques, 25 in Software & Developer Tools, 9 in Industry & Hardware.
- Mar 2022New sectorFirst Consumer, Lifestyle & Services cheque. Before: 127 first cheques, 106 in Healthcare & Life Sciences, 9 in Software & Developer Tools.
- Mar 2022New sectorFirst Consumer, Lifestyle & Services cheque. Before: 25 first cheques, 18 in Healthcare & Life Sciences, 4 in Software & Developer Tools.
- Mar 2022SourceNew sectorFirst Industry & Hardware cheque. Before: 45 first cheques, 26 in Finance & Blockchain, 11 in Software & Developer Tools.
- Mar 2022New sectorFirst Finance & Blockchain cheque. Before: 132 first cheques, 114 in Healthcare & Life Sciences, 11 in Software & Developer Tools.
- Mar 2022New regionFirst deal in UK & Ireland. Before: 16 first cheques, 13 in Benelux & France, 2 in North America.
- Mar 2022New regionFirst deal in APAC. Before: 34 first cheques, 29 in North America, 2 in DACH.
- Mar 2022New regionFirst deal in APAC. Before: 47 first cheques, 40 in North America, 5 in UK & Ireland.
- Mar 2022New sectorFirst Industry & Hardware cheque. Before: 27 first cheques, 20 in Software & Developer Tools, 2 in Healthcare & Life Sciences.
- Feb 28, 2022
- Feb 24, 2022
- Feb 16, 2022New regionFirst deal in DACH. Before: 15 first cheques, 12 in Nordics, 1 in North America.
- Feb 4, 2022SourceNew regionFirst deal in Nordics. Before: 35 first cheques, 29 in CEE, 2 in DACH.
- Feb 2022SourceNew regionFirst deal in Nordics. Before: 31 first cheques, 25 in UK & Ireland, 2 in North America.
- Feb 2022New regionFirst deal in UK & Ireland. Before: 40 first cheques, 34 in North America, 2 in APAC.