Molten Ventures

Molten Ventures is structurally different from a typical venture firm: it's a publicly listed venture platform, originally founded in 2006 as Esprit Capital and later known as Draper Esprit before its 2021 rebrand. That listed structure means gross portfolio value and net assets are more meaningful than a generic 'AUM' figure, and the firm's liquidity model, secondaries capability, and listed-company disclosure cadence make it closer to a hybrid of venture manager and permanent-capital vehicle than a traditional closed-end fund. The current strategy is clearly thematic - enterprise, deep tech, healthtech, and climate-adjacent industrial technologies - backing founders 'from Series A and beyond,' with UiPath's post-IPO run to a $35.8 billion valuation as its highlighted signature outcome.

£1.525B gross portfolio value / £1.324B net assets (as of March 31, 2026) AUM 75/100 Power Score™ 2006 Founded London, UK
Enterprise Software Fintech Deep Tech Healthcare Climate
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Signature Exit

UiPath, which Molten highlights at a $35.8 billion closing price post-IPO

Key Partners & Leadership

Chief Executive Officer
Senior Partner
Partner

Firm Timeline

2006
Founded as Esprit Capital.
2016
IPOs on the London Stock Exchange as Draper Esprit.
2021
Moves to the main market and rebrands as Molten Ventures.
2023
Acquires Forward Partners.
2024
Ben Wilkinson, previously CFO, becomes CEO in October.
2026
Reports £1.525 billion gross portfolio value as of March 31.

Notable Public Portfolio Companies