Lucile Cornet has been named a partner at Eight Roads Ventures Europe, a venture capital firm that concentrates on supporting early-stage companies located in Europe and Israel. This appointment makes her the firm’s first female partner. Eight Roads Ventures Europe is financially supported by Fidelity and currently manages assets totaling over $6 billion worldwide.

Cornet will concentrate her efforts on companies operating within the software and financial technology industries. She has a proven track record with the firm, having progressed from an associate position to partner in just five years. This advancement is noteworthy, given the venture capital industry’s reputation for lacking established career progression paths outside of partners investing directly into funds.

Cornet stated: “I am very encouraged by the future prospects for technology entrepreneurs throughout Europe. We are witnessing an increasing number of exceptional founders and groundbreaking businesses across the continent, all with the ambition and capability to become leaders on a global scale, and I am eager to assist them in their growth.”

In a conversation with TechCrunch, Cornet further explained: “I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work during a period of unprecedented change within the technology sector, and specifically in Europe. Contributing to the development of these companies and being a part of this dynamic ecosystem has been truly rewarding. I anticipate even more exciting developments in the coming years.”

Previously, Cornet spearheaded investments in Spendesk, a spend management platform based in Paris; Thinksurance, a B2B insurtech company located in Frankfurt; and Compte-Nickel, a pioneering European neobank that was successfully acquired by BNP Paribas in 2017. Currently, she serves on the boards of directors for VIU Eyewear, OTA Insight, and Fuse Universal.

Cornet, who was born in France, previously worked in investment banking and at Summit Partners before joining Eight Roads Ventures in 2015. She was recognized as a “rising star” at the GP Bullhound Investor of the Year Awards in 2020.

Davor Hebel, managing partner at Eight Roads Ventures Europe, commented: “We are extremely pleased with Lucile’s achievements at Eight Roads. Since joining the firm, she has had a significant impact both in Europe and internationally. She possesses a strong work ethic and determination, consistently identifying promising European companies and supporting their expansion into global successes. Her promotion reflects our commitment to nurturing and advancing our top investment professionals from within.”

Hebel added in an interview: “We have always embraced a different approach, and from the outset, when we recruit individuals, we prioritize judgment and the ability to connect with entrepreneurs. Our model has always been to hire fewer people, but to ensure they possess the potential for growth, long-term commitment, and a clear path for advancement within the firm.”

In 2020, Eight Roads Ventures Europe made investments in Cazoo, Otrium, Spendesk, Odaseva, and most recently, Tibber. The firm also completed eight follow-on investments and successfully exited Rimilia. Additionally, one of its portfolio companies, AppsFlyer, achieved a valuation of $2 billion.