Arāya Ventures is an investment group born out of the idea that founders from all backgrounds should be able to access capital and support.
The London-based venture capital firm backs companies at the earliest stages and prides itself on working closely with its portfolio founders, many of whom have been otherwise shut out from mainstream support.
In an exclusive interview with UKTN, the firm’s founder and managing partner Rupa Popat discusses the problems in the venture capital industry and why they inspired her to launch an alternative.
What inspired you to start your own venture capital firm, and what gaps in the startup ecosystem were you hoping to fill?
When I sold my first company and tried to enter the venture ecosystem, I was struck by how opaque it was. Access was concentrated in the hands of a few, and too often the same types of founders were getting funded.
I launched Arāya Ventures to change that. I wanted to create a firm that not only backed exceptional founders at the earliest stages but also redefined who got access to capital in the first place.
From day one, we focused on inclusivity and impact: supporting founders overlooked by traditional VC, building a platform that provides strategic, hands-on support beyond funding, and training a new generation of investors through the Arāya Investment Academy.
We look for founders with a deep understanding of the problem they are solving — often because they have lived it
You have invested in many early-stage startups, especially women-led firms. What do you look for in a founder or founding team before you decide to invest?
At the earliest stages, our conviction always comes down to people. Ideas evolve and markets shift, but the strength, resilience, and clarity of the founding team are what ultimately determine success.
We look for founders with a deep understanding of the problem they are solving — often because they have lived it — and the ability to translate that insight into a scalable solution.
We place a lot of weight on how founders lead: Can they communicate a compelling vision? Do they have the humility to seek feedback and the tenacity to keep pushing forward? With female founders, we often see an added layer of capital efficiency and customer-centricity — qualities that can become real advantages.
What unique challenges do female founders still face when raising capital, and how are you working to change that narrative through your work?
Despite progress, female founders continue to face significant barriers when raising capital. This gap is driven by unconscious bias in the investment process, smaller average cheque sizes, and limited access to investor networks.
We have women-led companies across our funds. To further scale this impact, we recently launched the Arāya Sie Fund in partnership with Triin Linamagi, which will back 40 female-founded companies across the UK and Europe over the next four years.
We are also addressing the investor side of the equation through the Arāya Investment Academy, which trains more women to become angel investors themselves. Diverse investors fund diverse founders, so broadening who writes the cheques is key to shifting the balance.
How are platforms that are addressing underserved groups redefining what inclusive innovation looks like in the fintech sector?
We are seeing a new generation of founders building products from the ground up for groups who have been excluded — freelancers, remote workers, small businesses, and everyday employees seeking financial security.
Our portfolio reflects this shift. Jove provides flexible global insurance for independent workers and businesses, Sync Savings helps employees build long-term financial resilience through automated payroll savings, Brickflow connects property developers and brokers to lenders more efficiently, improving access to finance in a complex and often opaque market.
These companies are proof that inclusive fintech is not about adding diversity as an afterthought. It is about fundamentally expanding who financial systems are built for and, in doing so, unlocking significant new markets and value.
Looking ahead, what sectors or type of founders excite you most, and what kind of legacy do you hope to build in the investment space?
I am most excited by founders who are using technology to solve complex, systemic problems and reshape the way we live and work.
I am particularly inspired by founders who have deep insight into the challenges they are solving and the resilience to build solutions that scale. They are not just chasing product-market fit; they are building ecosystems that grow with their users.
The legacy I hope to build is twofold: backing companies that become category-defining leaders and creating a more inclusive venture ecosystem where diverse founders and investors thrive.
If we can shift who gets funded and who participates, we will have created impact far beyond returns.
