Candice du Fretay, a former investor at Accel, has launched Outlier Grove, a $20 million solo venture fund aimed at supporting up to 25 high-potential European startups. With a sharp focus on early-stage B2B ventures, du Fretay is betting on the next wave of global tech companies to emerge from Europe—starting at the seed and angel stages.
Armed with nearly 10 years of cross-Atlantic investment and tech experience, she’s building a bold new path with Outlier Grove, blending a solo GP model with a powerful network of global operators.
Targeting B2B Innovators with Global Ambition
Outlier Grove will invest between $200,000 and $500,000 in each startup, focusing on early-stage founders looking to scale beyond European borders. The fund’s strategy is clear: help European startups engage with the U.S. market earlier in their growth journey and shape them into global B2B category leaders from day one.
In a landscape shaped by political uncertainty—such as concerns about a second Trump presidency and a growing “America-first” mindset—du Fretay believes that early U.S. exposure is more crucial than ever for European founders hoping to compete on a global scale.
Backed by the Best in U.S. Tech
Outlier Grove has already raised half of its target, thanks to backing from institutional investors, family offices, and a powerhouse list of LPs. These include C-level leaders from U.S. tech giants such as OpenAI, Stripe, Google, Anthropic, CrowdStrike, MongoDB, and Datadog.
But these aren’t just passive investors. According to du Fretay, they serve as strategic allies, offering introductions, feedback, and hands-on support to founders in the Outlier Grove portfolio. That access to U.S. operator networks is a core differentiator for the fund and a key resource for startups looking to expand across the Atlantic.
Outlier Grove also plans to co-invest alongside other early-stage funds and angels, bringing in additional expertise while acting as an active, high-conviction partner in company-building.
From Accel to Outlier Grove: A Transatlantic Journey
Candice du Fretay spent four years as an investor at Accel in London, one of Europe’s most respected venture firms. During her time there, she was involved in investments in companies like Sorare—a fantasy football unicorn—and H Company, an emerging name in AI.
Before joining Accel, du Fretay spent close to a decade in the U.S., starting her career at Lazard and later earning her MBA at Harvard Business School. Her cross-border career has deeply shaped Outlier Grove’s investment approach, with a firm belief that European founders should build global-first companies from the outset.
She’s also optimistic about Europe’s ability to produce world-class B2B companies. The region’s top universities, research hubs like DeepMind and Meta’s FAIR, and the growing density of AI and engineering talent are all signs that Europe is primed for global tech leadership.
Building the Next Global B2B Champions from Europe
With Outlier Grove, du Fretay is carving out a unique space in the European VC landscape: a solo general partner model combined with international reach and deep founder support. The fund is deliberately small, designed to offer hands-on, high-involvement backing to a carefully selected group of ambitious startups.
Beyond capital, du Fretay offers mentorship, product strategy, and access to a unique network of U.S. founders and executives. Her aim is to help Europe’s most promising B2B startups scale confidently—and globally.
As she puts it:
“Europe is home to world-class tech talent and groundbreaking innovation. The U.S., on the other hand, remains a massive, budget-rich market eager for new technologies. With Outlier Grove, I want to connect these two worlds so that European outliers can build globally from the beginning. Through my U.S. network and the support of leading tech operators, we’ll accelerate their path to becoming global leaders.”
Outlier Grove is not just another early-stage fund—it’s a bridge between Europe’s rising tech talent and the global markets that await them.
