Pi Campus
Pi Campus is a venture capital firm that invests in AI-applied startups worldwide, with a particular focus on Italy. They look for entrepreneurs who are defining new patterns and do not fit the stereotypes of successful people. Pi Campus seeks to fund companies that apply AI to solve big problems in slow-moving industries, taking on these industries with state-of-the-art technologies. They aim to provide startups with the best possible international work environment to grow, offering workspace and mentorship. The firm was established with profits from the founders' previous businesses, including Translated, a translation service that pioneered AI use for translators. Pi Campus has a close relationship with Y Combinator, with Michael Seibel (YC CEO) providing initial guidance. They actively seek input from experienced venture capitalists and angel investors to refine their investment approach. Pi Campus invests primarily in early-stage startups, typically providing seed funding up to €500k. They emphasize the importance of design and emotion in tech products and maintain a lean team supported by a network of innovators, entrepreneurs, and creatives. Pi Campus also runs a School of AI, training engineers to work on real-world problems provided by tech companies and startups.
Pitango Venture Capital
Pitango Venture Capital focuses on building bold companies by backing founders who are turning ambition into real-world change. They emphasize technology-driven businesses and prioritize the human element in their investments. Their approach includes spotting category-defining architectures early on and supporting companies from seed to IPO. The firm leverages its experience and network to connect portfolio companies to customers, partners, and seasoned leaders. Pitango aims to form enduring partnerships with entrepreneurs who are shaping industries and redefining possibilities, offering strategic advice and support throughout their journey.
Playfair Capital
Playfair Capital invests exclusively at the pre-seed stage in the UK and Europe. They aim to provide an 'unfair advantage' to founders, supporting them from the earliest stages to Series A and beyond. Their investment strategy is sector-agnostic but leans towards contrarian approaches. They seek visionary founders with 'hustle, heart, and humility' who are building durable foundations for growth. Playfair prides itself on offering more than just capital, providing significant support and emotional intelligence to their portfolio companies. They also have a strong focus on addressing the gender imbalance in venture capital through initiatives like their female founder network.
Possible Ventures
Possible Ventures invests in early-stage companies focused on solving the world's most pressing challenges. Their investment strategy centers around backing founders working on solutions across climate, energy, health, and society. They seek sustainable initiatives like carbon capture, energy transition, food & agriculture, and new materials, as well as circular economy and space exploration for alternative resources. In health, they target new tools and models for drug discovery and precision medicine, aiming to improve health and longevity. For society, they invest in AI-supported software tools, financial inclusion, and upskilling initiatives to boost productivity and create a more equitable future. The firm looks for frontier technologies in deep tech, life sciences, and software platforms that are unlocking unprecedented innovation. They emphasize the convergence of diverse disciplines, such as science, engineering, and entrepreneurship, believing that interdisciplinary teams drive breakthrough ideas and solutions. This can happen anywhere, and they are open to exploring new regions and building relationships with entrepreneurs and investors globally. Possible Ventures focuses on pre-seed and seed rounds, providing support to startups at the early stages of their development. They may also consider later-stage companies demonstrating strong growth potential and alignment with their investment strategy. They are relentlessly optimistic, choosing to focus on possibilities rather than risks, with a commitment to harnessing technology as a force for good to improve the lives of future generations.
Ragnarson
Ragnarson invests in pre-seed and seed-stage climate tech startups, aiming to partner with entrepreneurs who are striving to improve sustainability, fight climate change, or reduce socio-economic inequalities. They provide not only capital but also software development services, leveraging their expertise in strategic consulting and high-quality code development to help startups build and polish their MVPs. Ragnarson aims to be a technological and financial partner, deeply understanding the business and assisting with conscious software decisions to fulfill customers' visions of a better future. They look for startups solving significant problems in the economy and society, offering cash, know-how, and software services to those they believe. Their investments reflect a focus on circular economy and sustainability-related ventures, targeting companies addressing challenges from decarbonizing buildings to reducing fashion waste and promoting re-commerce. This suggests a thesis around supporting companies that create positive environmental and social impact through innovative business models and technologies. Ragnarson's approach combines venture investing with software development services, providing a unique value proposition to early-stage startups. This hands-on approach enables them to support their portfolio companies not only financially but also operationally, helping them build and scale their software solutions effectively.
SEED Capital Denmark
SEED Capital Denmark is a venture capital firm that focuses on backing exceptional Nordic-based founders from the seed stage all the way to exit. They aim to be a long-term partner, providing support beyond just capital. They highlight their strong conversion rate from seed to Series A as a key differentiator, positioning themselves as one of the best-performing funds in Europe. They emphasize building strong relationships with their portfolio companies, acting as a family or extended team that offers strategic guidance, fundraising assistance, legal support, and even informal mentorship.
SFINE - Société de Financement de l Innovation Numérique en Essonne
SFINE - Société de Financement de l Innovation Numérique en Essonne, focuses on funding the economy of the future by investing in innovative companies in France. Their strategy involves supporting startups through various stages, from incubation and early-stage financing to growth capital. Recognizing the limitations of traditional bank financing for startups, SFINE aims to provide tailored financial solutions that address the specific needs of early-stage companies, particularly those in the digital and technology sectors. They emphasize the importance of securing early-stage funding through sources like love money, public funding, and competitions before pursuing larger venture capital investments. SFINE distinguishes between the financing needs at different stages of a startup's lifecycle. They recognize the critical role of "love money" (friends, family, and fools) during the incubation phase (0-300K€), along with public aid and innovation-related competitions. In the seed phase (50-500K€), they seek business angels, public financing, seed funds, and crowdfunding options. The firm then looks at providing venture capital (500-2000K€) during the startup's launch and growth stages (+2000K€). SFINE acknowledges the increasing role of banks in financing innovation and adaptation of banking products suitable for startups. The firm's success is attributed to its team of entrepreneurs who guide innovative companies and the performance of its investors. SFINE's approach involves active participation during the incubation and seed stages, highlighting their commitment to providing resources for startups to overcome early challenges. While the emphasis is on digital and technological sectors, they remain open to exploring other sectors, contingent on a significant level of commercial maturity. SFINE aims to be a financing partner through each startup growth stage.
SIDE Angels
SIDE Angels is a French early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2016. They focus on supporting ambitious founders of tech and digital startups in their early stages. Their approach involves being the sole investor in seed rounds, providing financing between €300K to €600K. SIDE emphasizes a fair and agile deal-making process, prioritizing speed and equity for founders. Beyond capital, SIDE commits to actively supporting founders through coaching from experienced entrepreneurs, assistance with team structuring, process and governance development, strategy definition for marketing acquisition, defining relevant KPIs and reporting metrics, and preparing companies for subsequent funding rounds. They aim to be a benevolent partner in the growth journey of the startups they invest. SIDE seeks to be an active participant in the French innovation ecosystem by validating its model and solidifying its presence. The firm prides itself on a "SIDE by SIDE" approach, indicating a close working relationship with its portfolio companies. This approach goes beyond just providing capital; it actively involves entrepreneurs and experienced individuals who join the board to provide guidance and support. The firm was founded by Renaud Guillerm, who has extensive experience as an entrepreneur and investor. Guillerm co-founded Videdressing.com and has invested in numerous startups since 1999. SIDE was created with the involvement of about thirty experienced entrepreneurs. This background gives them a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by early-stage companies, allowing them to offer relevant and impactful support. Their investment strategy since inception has been focused on backing start-ups with capital and relevant mentorship. The firm states that as of 2023 they have invested in over 37 companies with a total of 35M€ invested.
SURFnCODE
SURFnCODE is a startup studio in Portugal that co-founds ventures with exceptional founders. They offer more than just advice or investment; they provide hands-on delivery, working as co-founders with a proven team and playbook to help startups reach their goals quicker, cheaper, and faster. They focus on building long-lasting businesses and products with a positive impact, co-creating with founders to ensure success. Their approach aims to de-risk innovation and increase the chances of success compared to traditional venture systems. They support founders through pre-seed and seed stages, validating concepts and providing ongoing support throughout the journey. SURFnCODE invests significant time in its startups, working closely with founders to validate ideas, reach market fit, and produce MVPs. They apply their strength in product guidance, drawing on the experience of successful and failed founders to identify what works and what doesn't. Their process is product-focused, saving time and money for founders by de-risking innovation. They help founders develop a go-to-market plan, track metrics, accelerate product development, and identify growth opportunities. Their team comprises founder-quality technology, product, and investment professionals from companies like Skype, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon, holding over 100 patents. They aim to provide founders with the support and validation needed to succeed through a multidisciplinary approach. The firm emphasizes work-life harmony, incorporating surfing values like patience, resilience, embracing change, and community into their work culture.
ScaleGood Fund
ScaleGood Fund is a Social Impact Investment Venture Capital Fund focused on delivering both top-notch financial results and measurable social impact performance. Their mission is to "scale good" by maximizing profits while measurably improving communities, bridging the gap between traditional VC and impact investing. The fund seeks to prove that financial success and social progress can be perfectly aligned. They aim to invest in ventures with the promise of a strong financial return coupled with measurable social impact goals. They are looking for entrepreneurs whose exceptional solutions can create systemic change, positive impact, and healthy returns. They believe in pairing mission and value oriented limited partners with entrepreneurs who share similar values and goals to achieve magical impact.
Seed Capital
Seed Capital is a venture capital firm that focuses on backing exceptional Nordic-based founders from the seed stage through Series A and beyond, all the way to exit. They aim to be a proven partner throughout the entire journey. Their core strategy is to identify and support companies with high growth potential, demonstrated by their high conversion rate from seed to Series A. The firm emphasizes a close and supportive relationship with founders, acting as more than just investors by providing strategic guidance, fundraising support, legal assistance, and general mentorship. They invest across several key sectors, including Consumer, Deep tech, Enterprise, Fintech, and SaaS, demonstrating a broad interest within the technology landscape. They highlight their experience with companies like Vivino, Trustpilot, Templafy and Coinify (Lunar, Dixa), suggesting a preference for businesses with disruptive potential and clear paths to market leadership. Seed Capital differentiates itself through its deep involvement with portfolio companies. Their approach focuses on actively assisting companies in navigating the challenges of scaling and achieving sustainable growth. This involves providing a supportive ecosystem, leveraging their network, and offering operational expertise to their portfolio companies. This hands-on approach and the strong relationships built with founders are key to their investment strategy. They offer comprehensive support beyond financial capital, creating a collaborative and mutually beneficial relationship.
Seed Starter
Seed Starter, backed by Slovenská sporiteľňa (Erste Group), focuses on providing funding, experience, and opportunities for collaboration to help Slovak startups grow faster. They distinguish themselves from traditional VC funds by actively developing the Slovak startup ecosystem and organizing their own Startup Bootcamp. They prioritize long-term growth over quick returns and consider themselves 'smart money' in a practical sense, offering hands-on support and access to the Erste Group network, extending beyond Slovakia. Seed Starter invests in startups with a strong vision, team, and plan, aiming to support ventures that will endure. They seek startups bringing innovative products and services to customers, including but not limited to the financial services sector.
Shilling VC
Shilling VC aims to partner with ambitious founders who possess the idea, team, and drive to build global businesses. They focus on getting in early and providing support through every stage of the company's journey, emphasizing a shared success model where the fund's profits are shared with portfolio founders. Their investment strategy revolves around backing companies in the Portuguese ecosystem and beyond, aiming to identify and support game-changers. A key component of their approach involves leveraging a network of founder LPs who contribute their experience and expertise to help portfolio companies grow. Shilling emphasizes a "founders fund" approach, demonstrating a commitment to aligning incentives with their portfolio companies. They appear to be stage agnostic within the early stage, showing a willingness to invest from pre-seed to Series A. They mention providing constant support and contact to portfolio companies, indicating a hands-on approach. They leverage a wide network to provide portfolio companies with support, mentorship, and connections. Their "Go fast. Go far. Grow with us." motto reflects their belief in rapid growth and long-term partnerships. The quotes from founder LPs highlight the value of entrepreneurial experience and dedication. They actively cultivate a community-driven approach, connecting portfolio founders with a wider network of partners, investors, and advisors. They appear to invest in companies with a global ambition. They invest in companies at various stages, offering between €100K and €1M. They aim for 60x multiple in follow-on investments, aiming to maximize returns. The website content suggests a collaborative and founder-friendly approach to venture capital.
Simsan Ventures
Simsan Ventures aims to democratize opportunities and knowledge in entrepreneurship and innovation. They firmly believe in revolutionizing the venture community and disrupting the market by offering unbiased opportunities and support to founders. The firm wants to ignite the global VC community by fostering the next generation of diverse emerging VCs in Europe and beyond to disrupt the status quo, making fundraising more accessible for overlooked innovators and underrepresented entrepreneurs who have a strong commitment to technology. They invest in 'misprized' markets, meaning those where the value of opportunities have been overlooked. The firm believes in founders who can demonstrate significant achievements with minimal capital and those with positive energy and sales techniques. They focus on diversity as a key driver of performance and hidden returns. Simsan Ventures leverages its global network connections and relationships in academia, industry, large corporations, and government to unlock access to cross-border investment opportunities in the segments of the VC market where there is a capital gap.
Sofia Angels Ventures
Sofia Angels Ventures (SAV) is a €13 million venture capital fund that co-invests alongside angels, family offices, and other private investors and funds. They target scalable technology startups at the pre-seed and seed stages. While their primary focus is on companies from Bulgaria, SEE (South Eastern Europe) & CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) countries, they also have a vision to operate around Europe and globally. SAV's management team comprises angel investors, entrepreneurs, and executives that transitioned into venture capital, bringing a blend of operational and investment experience. SAV's co-investment model allows them to leverage the expertise and due diligence of angel investors and other early-stage backers. This collaborative approach mitigates risk and provides access to a wider network of resources and potential follow-on investors. By focusing on pre-seed and seed-stage companies, SAV aims to capture opportunities at an early stage of growth and contribute to building successful and scalable businesses. They aim to add value beyond capital through their experience as angel investors, entrepreneurs, and executives. While the specific details of their value-add (platform, network, operational support) aren't detailed in the provided text, the background of the management team suggests a hands-on approach and a focus on helping portfolio companies navigate the challenges of early-stage growth. The fund is backed by the European Investment Fund (EIF), providing it with a level of credibility and access to a wider network of European investors and resources. This backing signals a commitment to supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in the SEE and CEE regions.
Startup Factory
Startup Factory is a Brussels-based venture studio focused on building and incubating new ventures. They aim to create an ecosystem for founders and entrepreneurs to transform their ideas into concrete action plans, providing resources and support to fast-track the startup cycle. They partner with talented entrepreneurs, offering studio agency services to overcome challenges and break down barriers. They position themselves as responders to market needs with actionable steps, providing a team to support ventures. They provide business operations, design, marketing and development roadmap until the first funding round.
Tangent Line
Tangent Line positions itself as a contact point for startups and investors, acting as a co-investor with private investors. Their strategy centers around providing capital and business partnerships to breakthrough industrial technology startups, with a long-term investment horizon. They aim to back startups with global ambitions and unique, defensible technologies, supporting them from the seed to expansion stage. The firm emphasizes a commitment to growing alongside their investments, building on foundations of clear, transparent rules, and stability, while partnering at a fast pace to enable freedom of action and new opportunities. Tangent Line aims to foster innovation by connecting industry leaders with breakthrough technologies and emerging companies, creating a platform where corporate needs are met by startups, and talented entrepreneurs are supported in their development. They emphasize building an innovation platform by connecting industry leaders with breakthrough technologies and emerging companies. This fosters an ecosystem where corporate needs match startup solutions, and talented entrepreneurs receive support for their growth. As a lead investor, they offer expert support for investments, while co-investors benefit from Tangent Line's experience and established venture capital presence. Tangent Line invests in companies that develop sound B2B businesses, particularly those that are hard technology-based, and aligned with their co-investors' interests. The team's experience in finance, investment banking, entrepreneurship, and management, combined with their own business ventures, allows them to better understand and support their portfolio companies' needs.
TechOne
TechOne Venture Capital is an Istanbul-based Smart Capital Fund investing in seed and early-stage technology startups. They seek companies with aspirations of becoming global players, focusing on competitive advantages through technology and disruptive business models. The firm provides more than just capital, offering strategic expertise, connections, mentoring, and operational excellence. TechOne leverages a global financial and strategic network, operating capabilities, and partnerships with academia to be the best partner for founders. TechOne's core belief is that extraordinary teams with passion and a global vision are the key to building leading companies. They aim to partner with entrepreneurs who are shifting market dynamics through innovation, providing the necessary capital, network, and expertise. With over 30 full-time professionals and 100+ strategic partners, TechOne strives to deliver what founders need to succeed. The firm invests in innovative tech startups founded by visionary entrepreneurs addressing global problems, aiming to generate superior returns for investors. They offer capital, network, strategic, financial, and operational expertise, providing hands-on support. TechOne works as a partner to shape the future alongside the entrepreneurs they invest.
Technofounders
Technofounders is a Startup Studio focused on investing in technology to build impactful ventures, specifically in the DeepTech ecosystem. They aim to multiply the impact of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs by funding and orienting technological innovation towards practical solutions that address major global challenges. Their strategy involves identifying disruptive technologies, primarily stemming from research institutions, and structuring investment vehicles to fund and develop innovative projects into successful industrial companies. They have a comprehensive team-based approach, ensuring startups have access to the right expertise at the right time, from pre-seed to exit, including Venture Partners for initial evaluation and interim CEO roles, Operating Partners for operational and strategic support, and Managing Partners for strategic guidance and board participation. Technofounders aims to drive positive impact through deeptech innovation across various sectors. Their investment approach is stage-specific. In the feasibility phase, Venture Partners assess technologies and commercialization paths. During the pre-seed phase, Venture Partners act as interim CEOs, building initial products and teams. Seed acceleration involves Operating Partners providing operational support and Support Services handling administrative tasks. Finally, in the growth phase, Managing Partners offer strategic guidance through board participation, focusing on strategic priorities, funding strategies, and exit planning. Technofounders emphasizes collaboration with academic institutions and industry partners to transform research projects into viable businesses. They actively engage with major research institutions in France, such as CEA and CNRS, to identify and commercialize innovative technologies. Their team structure is designed to provide comprehensive support throughout the startup lifecycle, from initial technology assessment to successful market entry and growth. They prioritize investments with the potential to address pressing societal challenges and create sustainable solutions.
Techshop
Techshop is a Venture Capital-focused asset management company investing in early-stage companies, primarily at the seed stage, in the B2B software space. They aim to actively support founders on both strategic and operational matters, encouraging OKR-driven management models and contributing to the portfolio. Their approach emphasizes a hands-on partnership, providing strategic know-how and leveraging their experience, network, and mindset to assist startups in all phases of product development, from design to go-to-market and internationalization. Techshop seeks to involve other investors in subsequent fundraising rounds. The firm believes that early-stage investing in Italy presents a unique opportunity to compete in the global market. They prioritize companies that see Italy as the starting point for global expansion. Techshop leverages their expertise in both business and investing to offer a competitive advantage to talented and ambitious founders. They emphasize the importance of technological progress as the primary driver of growth, productivity, and societal well-being. Techshop believes that the engine of global technological innovation is no longer restricted to specific geographical areas but can be set in motion anywhere, including Italy. They recognize Italy's human capital, driven by curiosity and adaptability, as a significant asset. They believe in ambition, persistence, resilience, and courage as essential values for founders. They also prioritize environmental responsibility and strive to minimize any potential negative impact from the companies they engage with. Their investment strategy is agnostic in terms of industry and vertical within the B2B software space. They invest in both defendable technology products and digital disruptors. Techshop aims to provide patient and active capital to early-stage ventures, fostering long-term growth and success.
Techstart Ventures
Techstart Ventures focuses on investing in companies with "unique insights, global ambition, obsessive iteration." They aim to provide first cheques up to £750k, plus follow-on capacity, primarily at the inception to pre-seed stage. They are active in leading, co-leading, and selectively co-investing in rounds. The firm concentrates its investments in Scotland & Northern Ireland, suggesting a geographically focused strategy to support local entrepreneurial ecosystems. Their investment approach seems to be highly selective, looking for companies with the potential to scale globally while deeply rooted in iterative development and possessing unique insights. Techstart Ventures' portfolio exhibits a range of companies spanning various sectors, reflecting an opportunistic approach to early-stage investing within their geographic and stage focus. The fund actively participates in follow-on rounds, indicating a commitment to supporting its portfolio companies as they grow and scale. Recent follow-on rounds in companies like Cloudsmith, Neurolabs, and Valla indicate a focus on supporting companies through multiple stages of growth and leveraging their network to bring in later-stage investors. Their investment philosophy highlights the importance of disruptive thinking and a rapid development cycle.
The Family Venture Capital
The Family is a fellowship of founders that selects 50 startups twice a year from around the world. In exchange for 5% equity, they provide advice, mindset, network and access to a world-class investor demo day. They believe in building ambitious startups by mixing the best of different worlds, including international entrepreneur know-how and local talent. They focus on providing education, tools, and access to capital to courageous founders. They aim to address key players, from corporates to public decision makers, in a startup-unfriendly context. They believe ambition can be taught and is a social construct and that being surrounded by highly motivated and skilled founders is key. They believe in the power of a community with a pay-it-forward culture.
Tony Bolland
Most Excellent Ventures focuses on seed-stage investments in AI-driven B2B SaaS companies. They aim to partner with mission-driven, street-smart founders who are building radically innovative solutions in large, attractive markets. The firm's investment philosophy centers on providing more than just capital; they strive to be true partners by leveraging their experience as former CEOs who have successfully scaled and exited software companies. This operational expertise allows them to help founders navigate the challenges of building and scaling their businesses, providing guidance on sales team development, marketing engine creation, and overall strategic execution. Their ultimate goal is to help their portfolio companies achieve significant outcomes, including unicorn status and substantial returns for both founders and investors.
Ukrainian Startup Fund
The Ukrainian Startup Fund (USF) is a state-backed institution established in 2018 to support innovative projects and tech startups in Ukraine at the early stages. It aims to be a key driver of the startup ecosystem, foster growth in the tech sector, enhance Ukraine's investment image abroad, and showcase Ukrainian innovations globally. The fund provides financial support through various grant programs, acceleration programs, and innovation vouchers. USF's strategy involves identifying and funding promising early-stage startups and providing them with resources to develop their ideas, participate in international events, and access corporate partnerships. Since 2023, the fund has been managed by the Ministry of Digital Transformation, aligning its efforts with the broader digitization goals of the Ukrainian government. The fund also supports dual-use projects enhancing the country's defence capability and post-war reconstruction, demonstrating its adaptability to national priorities.