Mercuri VC

Mercuri VC (formerly GMG Ventures) is a London-based early-stage venture capital fund founded in 2017 by Alan Hudson, former Chief Investment Officer of Guardian Media Group. The firm leads pre-seed and seed funding rounds for UK companies at the intersection of media, entertainment, and technology. Fund I raised 42 million pounds anchored by The Scott Trust, owner of Guardian Media Group. Fund II closed at 50 million pounds in July 2023 with the British Business Bank's Enterprise Capital Funds programme as cornerstone investor, with The Scott Trust remaining an LP alongside unnamed blue-chip strategic investors. Hudson leads a team of three from the firm's Kings Cross, London offices. Across approximately 69 investments in both funds, Mercuri focuses on creation, distribution, consumption, and monetization of content and data, targeting up to eight new investments per year. Notable portfolio companies include Hugging Face (AI model hosting platform), Kickstarter, A Million Ads, Decoded, Founders Factory, Electric Twin, Ergodic AI, Gibran AI, GVT Labs, Geometric AI, Ittybit, Kult, Chatterbox, Amble, Axio, and Literal Labs (most recent investment June 2025, co-led with Northern Gritstone). Two exits have been recorded including Comixify (July 2022). Mercuri is a certified B Corp and co-founder of VentureESG, with active commitments to robust data policies and safe, transparent AI development across its portfolio. The fund's positioning at the intersection of established media and emerging technology reflects Hudson's thesis that durable media technology businesses are built by founders who understand both the craft of content creation and the architecture of digital distribution at scale.