Luminescence from Earth-abundant metal ions in solution at room temperature is a very challenging objective due to the intrinsically weak ligand field splitting of first row transition metal ions, which leads to efficient non-radiative deactivation via metal-centered states. Only a handful of 3d n metal complexes (n ≠ 10) show sizeable luminescence at room temperature. Luminescence in the near-infrared spectral region is even more difficult to achieve as further non-radiative pathways come into play. No Earth-abundant first-row transition metal complexes display emission > 1000 nm at room temperature in solution up to now. Here we report the vanadium(III) complex mer-[V(ddpd) 2 ][PF 6 ] 3 yielding phosphorescence around 1100 nm in valeronitrile glass at 77 K as well as at room temperature in acetonitrile with 1.810 -4 % quantum yield (ddpd = N,N '-dimethyl-N,N'-dipyridine-2-ylpyridine-2,6-diamine). In addition, mer-[V(ddpd) 2 ][PF 6 ] 3 shows very strong blue fluorescence with 2 % quantum yield in acetonitrile at room temperature. Our comprehensive study demonstrates that vanadium(III) complexes with d 2 electron configuration constitute a new class of blue and NIR-II luminophores, which complement the classical established complexes of expensive precious metals and rare-earth elements.