Oasis Investors Series: Rupa Popat, Araya Ventures

​Raising early-stage funding can feel like a black box, especially when AI and emerging tech dominate the headlines. This session opens up what VCs are really backing right now, how decisions get made, and what founders should know before stepping into the room.

​Speaker:
Rupa Popat is the Founder & Managing Partner of award-winning venture capital firm Arāya Ventures. Arāya invests in early-stage startups across Health, Fintech, Future of Work and Commerce, with over 50% of investments in AI application companies. Their debut $26m super angel fund, backed by the British Business Bank, has made 17 investments to date, and their latest $30m global fund begins deploying this summer.

​Rupa is also the Founder of Arāya Investment Academy, the fastest growing angel investment academy in the UK, on a mission to democratise access to the venture asset class. It runs one-day courses for individuals, companies, and angel groups interested in learning about investing in startups, now expanding to Dubai, Riyadh, LA, Singapore, Toronto, New York and more. Arāya Ventures was awarded 2025 Best New Fund Manager at the EISA Awards.

​This is for you if:

• ​You’re an international founder in the UK preparing to raise or refine your pitch.

• ​You want a candid view on what today’s VCs are prioritising and passing on.

​Access:

• ​Free for Oasis members

• ​Non-members; small fee - learn more about Oasis membership 

​The Oasis Series is a set of unique, high-quality events open to the Oasis community, giving founders the chance to meet and hear from investors and corporates on fundraising, go-to-market, and building networks.