Luke Hakes

Luke Hakes is a Partner at Howden Ventures based in London, UK, where he co-leads the firm's investment portfolio alongside Tom Hoad. Prior to joining Howden in March 2025, he spent over 13 years at Octopus Ventures as a General Partner, helping scale the firm from four employees and £15 million in assets under management to over 90 personnel and £1.4 billion in AUM. During his tenure, he participated in more than 100 investments that resulted in numerous acquisitions and initial public offerings, while also serving as Chairman of UMI3, the technology transfer office for the University of Manchester. He began his career as a scientist and management consultant, earning a PhD in Computational Genetics from the University of Manchester. Hakes currently focuses on growth-stage ventures developing data-enriched underwriting models and digitally enhanced technologies for the insurance sector.