AXA Strategic Ventures becomes AXA Venture Partners

AXA Strategic Ventures, a venture capital firm backed by the global insurer, has announced its rebranding and will be known as AXA Venture Partners (AVP).

The firm, which is worth US$450 million, invests in enterprise software and disruptive technology such as digital security, consumer technologies, and fintech/insurtech. Since its launch in 2016, AVP has taken part in 32 deals, making it the most active insurer-backed venture capital fund, according to data from Crunchbase.

According to a statement by AVP, its new branding reflects its approach of establishing strong partnerships with its portfolio companies and other VC investors. Aside from providing capital, AVP acts as a conduit to give high-quality companies access to AXA’s global network, expertise, brand, and scale.

Several of AVP’s recent investments have started bearing fruit, including:

• SecurityScorecard, which AVP invested in in October 2017, has recently signed a global agreement with AXA to support cyber security solutions.
• Neura has developed an AI platform that helps connected devices adapt to individual users while guarding their data. It recently signed an agreement with AXA to develop an app that monitors physical activity, analyses habits, and promotes habit changes in users, encouraged by discounts and other incentives.
• Limelight Health is a tech platform that supports AXA’s US employee benefits business and provides real time quoting, sales, enrolment, and renewal process.

The firm has five offices – in Paris, Hong Kong, London, New York, and San Francisco – that will take up the new brand identity.

“This rebrand marks an important milestone in our development. We have seen growth far exceeding our initial expectations when we launched only two years ago,” commented Francois

Robinet, managing partner of AXA Venture Partners. “We have opened new offices, launched a second strategy in fund of funds, expanded the team and partnered with 32 exciting and innovative businesses. Although we are still a young and dynamic firm we feel the new identity better reflects who we are as a company today and our future ambitions. The new brand draws on our partnership ethos, our investment scope, and our ambitions for AXA Venture Partners.”