BrainsToVentures AG
b2venture is a European venture firm that aims to shape the future by investing in the earliest stages of promising ideas and bright minds. They focus on backing unique, maverick, and outlier founders. The firm leverages a community of angel investors with expertise in both tech and industry, providing portfolio companies with unique expertise, entrepreneurial experience, and hands-on support. b2venture invests primarily in the pre-seed and seed stages, but also has the ability to invest in later stages through their Direct Investments track. They aim to be long-term partners for the entrepreneurs they back.
Buildit Accelerator
Buildit Accelerator, initially established in Estonia in 2013, focuses on accelerating hardware and IoT startups. Over 11 years, the firm has evolved from providing small seed investments to becoming a venture capital fund that can invest up to €1.5 million. They aim to help startups scale faster and smarter, refine prototypes into market-ready products, and secure substantial investments. They aim to empower entrepreneurs to turn bold ideas into tangible realities. Buildit's investment strategy involves providing investment up to 250kEUR for Pre-seed stage startups, particularly focusing on companies incorporated or predominantly running business from Latvia. They focus on companies with MVP, Market-Founders fit. They also invest up to 1.5 MEUR Seed stage/follow up for startups preferably in Baltics, Nordics, possibly any EU country. Buildit aims to develop the IoT and Hardware success stories of the future by nurturing startups from prototype to scalable businesses. Buildit has experience with 18 batches, 3500 applications, and 100+ startups from 18 countries. The fund has gained experience with startups through successes, complex challenges, and occasional setbacks.
Butterfly Ventures
Butterfly Ventures is a leading seed-stage deep tech VC firm operating in the Nordics and Baltics. Founded in 2012, the firm focuses on early-stage companies, often investing before they generate significant revenue. They have a cooperative approach, working closely with founders and providing support across all partners. The firm is committed to sustainability, claiming to be the first carbon-neutral VC fund in Europe. Their investment strategy is centered around identifying and supporting disruptive ideas in deep tech, hardware, and hardware-interfacing software. They are particularly interested in companies that have a positive social or environmental impact. Butterfly Ventures typically makes its first investment at the seed stage but has the capacity for follow-on investments. Butterfly Ventures emphasizes business-driven growth, with portfolio companies typically generating revenue within six months of the initial investment. They aim to support companies from the earliest stages through subsequent funding rounds and growth phases. The firm has offices in Oulu, Helsinki, Stockholm, Tallinn, and Copenhagen, reflecting its commitment to the Nordic and Baltic regions. They also demonstrate a commitment to measuring success beyond financials by considering metrics related to sustainability. Their recent news articles highlight their focus on net impact and integrating sustainability into growth plans, signaling a forward-thinking approach to venture capital that considers environmental and social factors alongside financial returns.
Capricorn Partners
Capricorn Partners is an independent manager of venture capital funds, including Quest for Growth, focusing on innovative companies that utilize technology for competitive advantage. The firm aims to invest in themes that have a positive global impact, concentrating on digital, health, and clean technologies within Europe, particularly the Benelux region. They pursue both quoted and private investments, integrating the two within Quest for Growth. The firm leverages over 30 years of experience in the venture capital space. With a substantial amount of assets under management, Capricorn Partners is comprised of a team of experts. The investment strategy involves identifying and supporting companies that can scale their businesses internationally, as evidenced by their recent investments in companies like Oska Health, Xyall, and Trendtracker. Capricorn Partners actively engages with its portfolio companies, showcasing their stories and highlighting key milestones, such as fundraises and exits. This approach suggests a commitment to building long-term relationships and contributing to the success of their investments. The firm’s emphasis on technology-driven innovation and its regional focus positions it as a key player in the European venture capital landscape.
Connectventures
Connect Ventures is a venture firm designed to work for exceptional founders building outlier product companies. They focus on supporting brilliant minds driving change, providing support every step of the way. They seek founders who are building products they themselves badly want and can't find anywhere, solving problems they personally experience. This resonates with Connect's thesis, indicating a product-centric investment approach. They claim to deeply understand the power of product, showing an obsession with developer experience.
Constructor Capital
Constructor Capital is a Swiss-based early-stage venture capital firm that invests in Deep Tech, Software, and Edtech. They bridge frontier research and scalable venture capital, backing founders who turn scientific breakthroughs and advance software ideas into global businesses. As the venture engine inside of Constructor Group, they leverage a global ecosystem encompassing research, universities, and applied technology to connect frontier research with venture discipline, aiming to help founders transition from lab to market faster and with higher conviction. Their investment approach is deeply rooted in science and aims to identify and support breakthrough innovations that accelerate learning and scientific discovery. Constructor Capital's edge is defined by several key factors: a research network comprising relationships with over 50 universities and 500+ world-class researchers for early sourcing and due diligence of deep science opportunities; access to Constructor Group assets, including Constructor University, Constructor Tech, and Constructor Start, for pilots, talent, and co-development; an operator DNA with partners who have founded and scaled platforms; a global network of VCs, LPs, and corporate partners across Europe, MENA, US, and Asia; and a commitment to ecosystem deal flow through partnerships with TTOs, incubators, and accelerators to commercialize academic IP. The firm is particularly passionate about the future and actively seeks out opportunities in areas like quantum technologies, even before they gain mainstream attention. Their General Partner's acquisition of Constructor University and the development of Constructor Tech reflects their belief that changing the world begins with knowledge and underscores their commitment to building the future. They focus on science-based ventures at the pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages. Constructor Capital provides significant value add by supporting executive hiring, facilitating customer outreach, and connecting academic founders to elite business networks, turning scientific breakthroughs into real growth stories.
Cornerstone VC
Cornerstone VC focuses on investing in early-stage technology businesses led by diverse teams in the UK. They employ a 'people first' investment strategy, believing that the potential in diversity as an asset class is significant. Their approach centers on supporting founders who are intentional about building world-class teams, excel in high-growth environments, and are obsessive about execution. They prioritize the team and the people behind the idea, as much as the product itself. The firm's investments span across three key themes: Live, Work, and Play. Within Live, they invest in Health Tech, Carbon Tech, Supply Chain and Logistics, and PropTech & Infrastructure, focusing on technologies that improve lifestyles and create a sustainable future. In Work, they target Enterprise Software, Machine Learning/AI, Fintech, and Ed Tech & Skills, supporting innovative applications for collaboration, data protection, financial empowerment, and employee wellness. For Play, they invest in Networks & Marketplaces, Online Communities, Web 3.0/Immersion, Social, Adtech, and Martech, redefining how people wind down, socialize, and spend quality time. Cornerstone VC emphasizes being an approachable and supportive partner to founders, particularly during the challenging early stages. They aim to be present during both the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial journey. They actively look to break barriers within the VC landscape and support opportunities for talented founders from diverse backgrounds. They started as angel investors and aim to bring that experience into their fund investing activities. They seek founders who are building world-class teams, can excel in high growth environments and are truly obsessive about execution.
Creative Thinking Ventures
Creative Thinking Ventures focuses on micro-venture capital investments in disruptive, early-stage ventures that leverage social dynamics to drive innovation in e-commerce and online business models. The firm targets startups with scalable social technologies and community-driven business models.
Delta Partners
Delta Partners is an early-stage VC firm based in Ireland that focuses on investing in foundation-stage Irish startups. They emphasize supporting entrepreneurs in building solid company foundations and milestone-focused, capital-optimizing cultures that last a company’s lifetime. They believe getting the foundations right dramatically increases a start-up’s chance of success and unlocks the path to explosive and sustainable growth. They consider the ability to execute an idea as more critical than the idea itself, focusing on how founders think, learn, act, and adapt. They look for evidence that founders have engaged with the market, tested solutions, and made decisions based on feedback, signaling momentum and potential.
Eden Ventures
Eden Ventures is an international venture capital firm focused on pre-seed startups, aiming to help founders realize their full potential. They position themselves as the "garden of Eden" for early-stage companies. Their strategy revolves around leveraging a large network of over 500 angels to provide business connections and fundraising opportunities through club deals and connections to VC partners. They seek to invest in teams with serial entrepreneurs, multidisciplinary skills, and strong commitment. The firm offers initial investments up to 100,000 EUR, with flexible financing options including SAFEs, convertible notes, and equity. They prioritize a "founders friendly" approach, acknowledging the challenges and opportunities of building a new business. Eden Ventures is backed by IAG, the main Italian business angel network, which suggests a strong tie to the Italian startup ecosystem and access to angel investors. Their investment criteria include targeting multibillion-dollar markets in hyper-growth sectors with well-defined target customers. They look for deals with the presence of professional investors, a clear roadmap, and defined KPIs, aiming to complete at least 50% of each round. They also mention synergies with the IAG portfolio of 80+ startups and scaleups as a value add. Their overall approach is network-powered, emphasizing connections, strategic advice, and maximizing next round opportunities for their portfolio companies.
Emblem
Emblem is a venture capital firm that partners with European founders at the pre-seed stage. They aim to provide founders with concrete, pragmatic, stimulating, and unreserved support during the initial phase of their entrepreneurial journey. The firm has raised $100 million to back Europe's earliest-stage founders. Their approach involves direct engagement with decision-makers, a bias towards high-risk/high-reward investments, a commitment to helping startups reach Series A, and a dedication to supporting all their entrepreneurs, regardless of their level of success over time. Emblem emphasizes flexibility in deal-making, including equity stake, board seat, and check size, and prioritizes closing the distance between founders and VCs to foster helpful, honest, challenging, and impactful relationships.
Entrepreneur First (EF)
Entrepreneur First (EF) is a pre-seed investor that focuses on helping individuals find co-founders, develop their ideas, and raise capital. Their primary value proposition is to build unicorn cofounding teams from scratch by providing a structured program that includes matching individuals with complementary skills and behaviors, offering expert advice, and fostering a supportive community. EF supports founders in going from emerging ideas to generating first revenue, with a focus on accelerating their path to building world-class companies. They provide access to advisors, workshops, office space, fundraising support, and Demo Days to help portfolio companies break into top startup ecosystems. EF differentiates itself by investing at the very beginning of the founder journey, often before an idea is fully formed. They provide a curated co-founder matching process which is unique in the venture landscape. The firm also offers extensive support in the U.S. market, including dedicated advisors and a San Francisco Demo Day. Backing from prominent Silicon Valley founders and investors further validates EF's approach and provides credibility to its portfolio companies. The firm's strategy is to identify talented individuals with the potential to become successful founders, regardless of their initial idea or stage. Through their program, EF helps these individuals refine their ideas, build strong teams, and secure funding. By taking a hands-on approach and providing access to a valuable network, EF aims to increase the odds of success for its portfolio companies.
Expedite Ventures
Expedite Ventures is a business angel group of CTOs and CPOs focused on investing in and mentoring tech founders, with a particular emphasis on creating sustainable businesses. They provide both capital and in-depth, hands-on mentorship derived from decades of collective experience in building and scaling technology companies, which they believe is at least as valuable as funding. They prioritize supporting underrepresented groups in tech, including female and immigrant entrepreneurs. They are particularly interested in DevTools that promote cross-functionality, bridging gaps between developers and other creative colleagues. The firm looks for founders who identify and address real problems with innovative solutions. They value teams with industry expertise, unique access to data or resources, and a combination of smart technological implementations. They also invest in companies that combine AI, document management, and payments to tackle inefficiencies in the fintech and legaltech spaces. Their investment strategy involves partnering with founders and teams who demonstrate a clear vision, an innovative use of state-of-the-art technology, and the potential to disrupt their respective industries. They emphasize hands-on support to the companies they invest in and provide mentorship to ensure success.
Export & Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO)
EIFO, the Export & Investment Fund of Denmark, operates as Denmark's business bank and investment fund, aiming to stimulate economic activity and prosperity through investments in Danish companies. Their primary goal is to assist Danish businesses in "setting things in motion," focusing on areas critical to Denmark's future, including security, innovative technologies, green transition, global business, and entrepreneurship. They provide both financial backing and strategic support to companies across various stages of development. The fund's strategy revolves around deploying capital to foster growth and innovation within Denmark, with a specific emphasis on sectors that align with national priorities, like defense, renewable energy, and advanced technologies. They aim to generate returns while simultaneously contributing to the broader societal objectives of increasing Danish wealth and competitiveness. By providing financial resources, EIFO enables companies to pursue opportunities for expansion, technological advancement, and global market penetration. EIFO actively participates in various initiatives and campaigns designed to promote entrepreneurship and business development, illustrating its commitment to being more than just a source of capital. They take a proactive role in identifying promising ventures and supporting their growth trajectories. The organization strives to create an environment conducive to innovation and to empower Danish companies to become leaders in their respective fields. Their focus areas revolve around defense/security, green transition, growth/entrepreneurship, and innovative technologies. They offer various financial instruments to support companies across their lifecycle, ranging from early-stage startups to established enterprises looking to expand their global footprint. The fund acts as a crucial catalyst in driving economic development and securing Denmark's future prosperity by backing promising businesses across strategic sectors.
FIRSTPICK
FIRSTPICK is a first-check VC fund backing Baltic founders at the inception and pre-seed stages. They operate as a generalist early-stage investor but have a strong focus on AI-first software companies. They aim to be the fastest fund in the Baltics, providing quick decisions and support to founders. The firm takes a hands-on approach, acting as coaches supporting founders from the initial idea to the growth stage. FIRSTPICK invests with the long term in mind, building a strong community to support their portfolio.
Faber
Faber invests in teams transforming the world with frontier technology. They combine entrepreneurial DNA, scientific expertise, and investment success to help founders grow and scale globally. They focus on early-stage ventures, from pre-seed to Series A, supporting companies from idea to market to early growth. Faber has dedicated teams supported by an expert advisory network to guide its deep tech investments.
Final Frontier (Space & Defence VC)
Final Frontier is a Nordic VC fund focused on backing visionary founders building critical space and defence tech companies in Europe. The firm aims to support companies that contribute to European sovereignty and leadership in these sectors. They believe that Europe has the potential to regain its leadership in technology and industry, particularly in space and defense, and they are investing in startups that are developing innovative solutions in areas such as satellite systems, propulsion, drones, cybersecurity, and autonomous platforms. They specifically seek teams with working prototypes ready for real-world deployment. The firm starts with a smaller fund and plans to move to a larger one in the future.
First Momentum Ventures
First Momentum Ventures is a pre-seed venture capital firm focused on investing in B2B startups in Europe that address hard problems with complex technology. They aim to be the companion for technology founders at hour zero, providing a strong foundation for sustainable growth. The firm's core belief is in backing highly ambitious teams with scientific or technological breakthroughs, helping them turn these innovations into impactful startups. They emphasize a hands-on, supportive approach, delivering "first momentum" to their portfolio companies. This includes providing resources, a relevant network, and the expertise needed to navigate the complexities of building a successful deep tech startup. Their Pre-Seed DNA means they have deep expertise in guiding companies from zero to one, leveraging their experience since 2015. Their team of engineers and scientists enables them to speak the language of technical founders and understand highly technical products, markets, and commercialization paths. They strive to offer tangible support through high-value connections to talent, customers, and future investors, emphasizing that IQ and EQ are equally important in their relationships with founders. Beyond capital, First Momentum builds ecosystems for technical founders by creating communities, knowledge resources and events tailored to this audience.
Forbion
Forbion is a global venture capital firm with a focus on advancing groundbreaking biotech innovations and other sustainable solutions that improve the health of people and the planet. They invest in innovative biotech companies across all stages of (bio-) pharmaceutical drug development through their Ventures and Growth strategies. In addition, they leverage their biotech expertise to address planetary health challenges through their BioEconomy fund strategy, which invests in companies developing sustainable solutions in food, agriculture, materials, and environmental technologies. They aim to select impactful investments that will positively affect the health and well-being of people and the planet while meeting financial return objectives. Forbion's investment approach is centered on building and scaling companies around compelling science and clear unmet needs. They actively source, build, and guide life sciences companies, resulting in numerous breakthrough therapies and successful exits. They manage investments across multiple fund strategies targeting different stages of company development, from pre-clinical and early clinical companies to clinical-stage drug development. Forbion operates a joint venture with BioGeneration Ventures (BGV), focusing on seed and early-stage investments, particularly in Benelux and Germany. The firm's commitment extends beyond capital commitments. They provide their portfolio companies with a collaborative and experienced investing team and advisory network, which bring expansive and profound insights into the companies and value building process. Forbion targets category-defining therapeutics and sustainable biotech solutions with global impact.
Founders Factory
Founders Factory operates as both a venture builder and investor, focusing on early-stage founders. Their core mission is to empower these founders to go further and faster by providing a unique combination of capital, operational expertise, a global network, and access to industry-leading corporate partners. The firm's strategy involves co-founding companies through their venture studio, where they partner with entrepreneurs to launch new ventures from inception. Additionally, they run sector-focused accelerator programs and venture funds, investing in talented founding teams across multiple continents. Their vision is to be the most impactful co-founder, offering comprehensive support from the initial idea to seed stage and beyond.
HCVC
HCVC is a venture capital firm that backs founders on a mission to industrialize scientific and technological progress. They focus on hard tech, specifically companies applying deep tech solutions to various industries. The firm invests in areas where scientific or engineering theories are translated into real-world applications, even when those applications involve complex and sometimes counter-intuitive implementations. The firm is keen on supporting founders who are building tangible products and scalable platforms, often where traditional venture capital might overlook.
HTGF | High-Tech Gründerfonds
HTGF (High-Tech Gründerfonds) is a pre-seed and seed investor focused on tech startups. They aim to back tech founders who are building the future, particularly in Germany, from the very beginning. Their mission is to strengthen the technological backbone of the German economy and create international market leaders. They achieve this by providing capital, access to a strong network of industry and science experts, experience in scaling startups, and deep tech know-how. They invest in companies across a variety of high-tech sectors, including industrial, climate, deep tech, life sciences, chemistry, and digital tech. They focus on tech startups in Germany and seek to help them to become successful and leading international companies.
Hard2beat
Hard2beat is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in Polish deep tech startups with a clear technological edge. They focus on software-driven and hardware-enabled solutions addressing real, challenging problems. The firm looks for startups with defensible technology, early validation through proof-of-concept, pilot results, or early customers, and resilient founders who are ambitious, resourceful, and relentless. Hard2beat provides strategic support from day one, acting as a 'tough wingman' to their portfolio companies. They explicitly avoid investing in B2C, marketplaces, or generic SaaS businesses. Hard2beat offers more than just capital, providing hands-on advice on global sales, R&D, fundraising, and legal structuring. They leverage their network of over 250 investors, angels, and industry partners to help portfolio companies raise funds, close deals, and hire key roles. The firm's partners combine firsthand founder experience (scaling businesses to €14M+ ARR, multiple exits) with deep VC expertise (100+ investments). Their investment strategy is centered on identifying companies with a strong tech moat in areas ripe for disruption. Hard2beat highlights deep tech areas such as the photonic chip market and robotics as areas of interest. The firm aims to make early investments and support companies to scale. They provide resources for founders, including a Termsheet template, and insights on building a data room. Hard2beat emphasizes a hands-on approach with founders, offering strategic support beyond financial investment. Their focus on deep tech and the Polish market, coupled with the experience of the founding team and a strong network of co-investors, sets them apart in the VC landscape. They actively participate in the Polish VC ecosystem, as demonstrated by interviews with Maciej Frankowicz.
High-Tech Gründerfonds
High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) invests in tech founders with the ambition to shape the future. They focus on early-stage investments (pre-seed and seed) and provide a strong network in business and science, along with experience in scaling startups and deep tech know-how. Their mission extends beyond track record, aiming to strengthen the technological backbone of Germany and create international market leaders. HTGF invests in all major tech sectors, from software to hardware, including AI, Deep Tech, and Biotech. They emphasize supporting companies developing innovative technologies across industrial, climate, deep tech, life sciences, chemistry, and digital tech sectors. HTGF aims to provide not only capital but also expertise and support to navigate the challenges of the early phases of startup development. HTGF focuses on backing tech founders and helping them build the future early on. They are deeply involved in helping companies scale, utilizing their extensive network and tech expertise. Their stated mission is to sustainably strengthen Germany's position as a leading tech hub and facilitate the creation of global market leaders. HTGF's team comprises founders, visionaries, and individuals with experience in business and science, boasting over 300 years of combined investment experience, understanding the dynamics and challenges of early-stage companies. HTGF participates actively in the German startup ecosystem through news, stories, and events. They offer online seminars (FoundersClasses) and podcasts such as 'ZukunftsReady' and 'Founders Faces' to share insights and knowledge with founders. HTGF supports startups not only financially, but also by providing support in communication through press releases and logo downloads. The firm emphasizes the importance of people, recognizing the value of diversity and passion in tech.