# Sonali De Rycker

> Sonali De Rycker is a General Partner at Accel's London office, one of the most influential venture capitalists in Europe. Originally from Mumbai, India, she joined Accel in 2008 after stints at Goldman Sachs and Atlas Venture, and has since backed some of the continent's most defining tech companies — Spotify, Monzo, BeReal, Synthesia, and Speak among them. Ranked No. 2 on Forbes Midas List Europe in 2019 and consistently in the top 15, she is known for her founder-first investment philosophy, her global deal-sourcing across 45+ cities, and a sharp conviction that Europe's next chapter will be written in AI.

- **Role:** General Partner at Accel
- **Organizations:** Accel, LSE Council, BeReal (board), Monzo (board observer), KRY (board), Sennder (board), Shift Technology (board), Wallapop (board), Soldo (board)
- **From:** Mumbai, India
- **Nationality:** Indian
- **Education:** B.A. in Economics (magna cum laude, with Honors; full merit scholarship), Bryn Mawr College, MBA (concentration in Entrepreneurship), Harvard Business School
- **Known for:** Ranked No. 2 on Forbes Midas List Europe (2019) — one of the highest rankings ever for a female European VC, Ranked No. 13 on Forbes Midas List Europe (2025) — one of only 3 women on the list, Early backer of Spotify — one of the most successful European tech exits in history

## Career timeline

- **1995-1998** — Investment Banking Analyst at Goldman Sachs, New York — M&A division; co-founded the firm's Business Development Group
- **2000** — Graduated Harvard Business School with MBA
- **2000-2008** — Partner at Atlas Venture (now Accomplice), London — backed Globoforce (first-ever investment, 2004), Moo, Seatwave, and Magicalia
- **2008** — Joined Accel as Partner in London office
- **2008-2015** — Led Accel investments in Spotify, Avito, Letgo, KupiVIP, and other early European internet leaders
- **2015-2020** — Deepened focus on fintech and consumer: Monzo, Soldo, Wallapop, Catawiki, Hopin
- **2019** — Ranked No. 2 on Forbes Midas List Europe
- **2021** — Led Accel investment in BeReal (later acquired by Voodoo)
- **2022** — Ranked No. 14 on Forbes Midas List Europe; invested in Synthesia (AI video)
- **2023** — Appointed Independent Member of LSE Council (Non-Executive Director)
- **2024** — Accel London fund closes at $650M; invested in Speak (AI language learning, $1B valuation)
- **2025** — Ranked No. 13 on Forbes Midas List Europe (one of only 3 women); spoke at TechCrunch StrictlyVC London on Europe's AI future

## Achievements

- Ranked No. 2 on Forbes Midas List Europe (2019) — one of the highest rankings ever for a female European VC
- Ranked No. 13 on Forbes Midas List Europe (2025) — one of only 3 women on the list
- Early backer of Spotify — one of the most successful European tech exits in history
- Early backer of Monzo — UK's leading neobank with millions of customers
- Led Accel's investment in BeReal — social media platform acquired by Voodoo
- Led Accel's investment in Synthesia — AI video generation unicorn
- Invested in Speak — AI language learning platform that reached $1B valuation
- Built a portfolio spanning 45+ cities across Europe, Asia, and beyond
- Appointed Independent Member of the LSE Council in 2023
- Helped close Accel's London fund at $650M in 2024
- Co-founded Business Development Group at Goldman Sachs M&A division
- Won full merit scholarship to Bryn Mawr College from Mumbai

## Latest updates

- **2025-05** — Spoke at TechCrunch StrictlyVC London, advocating for the '28th regime' regulatory framework for EU businesses and warning against overbroad AI Act enforcement.
- **2025-05** — Featured on TechCrunch podcast discussing AI, exits, and European tech.
- **2025-04** — Ranked No. 13 on Forbes Midas List Europe, one of only 3 women on the list.
- **2024-01** — Accel's London fund closed at $650 million.
- **2023-02** — Appointed Independent Member of the LSE Council as Non-Executive Director.

## Links

- Website: https://www.accel.com/team/sonali-de-rycker
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonaliderycker/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/sonalidr

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/sonali-de-rycker
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-05