Venture capital firm Accel on Tuesday announced that it has raised $5 billion in new capital to back late-stage startups globally.
Of this, $4 billion will be allocated to its fifth Leaders Fund, which focuses on making large late-stage investments across markets. The firm has also raised a $650-million sidecar vehicle to increase exposure in select portfolio companies, per media reports.
Accel’s Leaders Fund typically invests in late-stage rounds of existing portfolio companies and select new bets, supporting them as they scale toward public listings or large exits.
“The rules of company-building are rewriting themselves in real time. AI has collapsed the distance between having an idea and scaling it, and the market is expanding to match. In the midst of that convergence, we believe the defining companies of the next decade are taking shape,” said Accel in a statement.
“We’ve raised $5 billion in late-stage capital, reflecting our commitment to this shift. It builds on decades of early-stage insight and deep founder relationships to help scale the next era of entrepreneurship,” the statement added.
This raise follows Accel’s $650-million early-stage fund for India and Southeast Asia, announced in January 2025, which targets pre-seed to Series A startups across AI, consumer, fintech, and manufacturing sectors.
Accel has built a strong and steadily expanding investment footprint in India, spanning early-stage startups as well as late-stage scale-ups. Its investments in India include Swiggy, Meesho, Zetwerk, Spinny, Urban Company, and Freshworks.
