Ruya Ventures Raises $50M to Bridge DeepTech Lab Gap

Jan de Vries · 2026-07-01

London-based Ruya Ventures, a venture capital firm founded by DeepTech investor Rick Hao, just closed its first fund at $50 million. That's around €43 million for those keeping track. The fund was oversubscribed and hit its final close in under a year -- a strong signal that investors see real potential in taking science out of the lab and into the real world. Rick Hao, the solo general partner behind Ruya Ventures, puts it bluntly: "DeepTech is a marathon not a sprint." He's right. Getting out of the lab isn't the hardest part. The real challenge? Figuring out how to turn a working prototype into something you can manufacture at scale and actually sell. Most DeepTech companies fail not because the science is wrong, but because nobody helps them cross that gap. ### Why DeepTech Startups Stall Think of it like building a car engine in your garage. You've got a prototype that runs beautifully. But taking that single engine and figuring out how to mass-produce it, source all the parts, and get car manufacturers to trust it? That's a whole different ballgame. Most early-stage investors aren't set up to help with that. They write the check and move on. Ruya Ventures wants to be different. Hao explains: "We are interested in the work that happens after the check is written. It's the commercialisation, the manufacturing strategy, the global network that most early-stage investors are not set up to do well." ### The Big Picture: DeepTech Funding in 2026 Ruya's fund close comes at a time when money is flowing into DeepTech and related areas. Think semiconductors, robotics, physical AI, and quantum computing. Recent big rounds include: - Barcelona's Openchip raised $130 million for AI chips - Eindhoven's Invisix closed $23 million for semiconductor metrology - Barcelona's THEKER secured $82 million for AI robotics - QuantWare pulled in $172 million for quantum computing - Quobly raised $130 million, and eleQtron added $64 million Add it all up, and you're looking at roughly $2 billion in DeepTech funding across these 2026 rounds alone. That's serious momentum. ### Ruya's Global Approach Hao knows DeepTech isn't a local game. "A European lens alone is not sufficient," he says. That's why Ruya Ventures is rooted in Europe but built with a network spanning Europe, the US, and Asia. The firm plans to build a portfolio of 20 DeepTech companies worldwide, focusing on AI, batteries, robotics, semiconductors, materials science, and novel computing. They're already putting money to work. First investments include WLF Energy, which is working on energy infrastructure from generation to grid, and MegaCool, which builds cooling hardware for modern computing needs. They've also backed three stealth-mode startups in AI, robotics, and semiconductors. ### What Makes Ruya Different Most VC firms focus on finding the next big idea. Ruya focuses on what happens after the idea. They're a day-zero fund, meaning they want to support founders from their first financing round -- sometimes even before the company is officially incorporated. Through their Asian networks, they help with commercialisation, manufacturing, supply chain development, and international expansion. Europe has a strong research base, no doubt. But many DeepTech startups need access to manufacturing partners, global customers, specialist infrastructure, and cross-border capital. Ruya's model is designed to connect founders with that broader ecosystem from day one. Hao sums it up: "DeepTech failures are not down to the science being wrong. Most companies stall because no one helps founders figure out how to cross the chasm between a working prototype and a product that can be manufactured at scale and adopted by the market." For DeepTech founders, that's exactly the kind of partner they need.