Microtraction
Microtraction is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on investing in African startups at the pre-seed stage. They aim to be the first institutional check for ambitious founders building high-growth, technology-driven businesses targeting billion-dollar markets. Microtraction invests $100,000 for 7% equity in their portfolio companies. The firm is sector agnostic, indicating a willingness to invest across diverse industries. However, they prioritize founders who demonstrate resourcefulness, intelligence, and the potential to build scalable businesses. Microtraction provides not only capital but also mentorship and access to a community of other venture-backed founders, leading investors, and subject matter experts to support portfolio growth. Microtraction's investment philosophy centers around 'Founder Love,' emphasizing a commitment to supporting founders through challenges and successes. They provide an open application process, allowing founders to apply for funding year-round without needing introductions. The firm also helps founders develop a strategy for raising their seed round within 12-18 months, given the fulfillment of certain company metrics. Their limited partners (LPs) include other VCs and angel investors who are actively looking for promising African startups. Microtraction differentiates itself by operating as a team of founders and operators who share the entrepreneurial mindset, providing startups with direct access to capital for scaling. They emphasize the diverse experience of their investors and the ability to unlock access to influential individuals and companies.
Minc
Minc is a startup house located in Malmö, Sweden, that aims to support entrepreneurs in building impactful and scalable businesses. Established in 2002 by the City of Malmö, Minc provides a platform for startups through incubator programs, accelerator programs like Fast Track Malmö, and pre-incubator programs. The organization emphasizes community, mentorship, and access to a global network of business angels, coaches, and industry experts. Minc's model prioritizes the well-being and growth of its entrepreneurs, and it operates without a profit-driven motive, as it is fully owned by the City of Malmö. Minc's strategy centers around providing personalized support tailored to each startup's specific needs. They offer programs such as Sprint for early-stage validation, along with other resources designed to help startups progress from the idea stage to scaling. Minc also emphasizes the importance of diversity and inclusivity, demonstrated through initiatives like the Nordic Fe:male Invest Summit, which aims to connect female and non-binary founders with investors. The firm aims to foster an ecosystem where diverse voices are heard and innovation is driven by equality. Their approach includes creating opportunities for startups to connect with investors through events like Minc Capital Day and providing access to a network of mentors and coaches with real-world experience. By creating a strong community, Minc facilitates knowledge sharing and mutual support among its startups. The firm's investment structure, exemplified by Skåne Ventures, contributes to the startup ecosystem by providing funding opportunities and resources to support growth. Furthermore, Minc actively seeks to support the growth of specific industries within Malmö, such as the gaming industry, through collaborations with organizations like Game Habitat and DevHub. By focusing on creating a vibrant and supportive environment, Minc aims to nurture the next generation of successful startups in the region and beyond.
MiraclePlus
MiraclePlus is an early-stage startup accelerator and investor in China. Their investment thesis centers around providing initial funding and intensive, hands-on support to startups, guiding them from the idea stage (0 to 1) to a point where they are ready to face investors and scale. They focus on companies with unique insights, often in areas that other investors are hesitant to support. MiraclePlus believes in partnering closely with founders, acting as guides and supporters without interfering with their independence. They provide a structured 3-month acceleration program, mentorship, and community resources to help startups achieve product-market fit and prepare for fundraising. The firm invests in exchange for a small equity stake, aiming to align their interests with the founders' success. A key aspect of their strategy is fostering a strong alumni network that offers ongoing support and collaboration among portfolio companies. MiraclePlus aims to identify and nurture early-stage startups with high potential, particularly in deep technology, soft technology, and biotechnology fields. Their program provides not only initial funding but also crucial mentorship, resources, and community support to help startups navigate the challenges of the early stages. They see the startup capital as a supporting role for startups, and many startups MiraclePlus invests in may not even need the funding at all. The firm's value proposition extends beyond monetary investment to include guidance on product development, legal and administrative support, and access to a network of experienced mentors and fellow founders. They actively work with founders to refine their business ideas and help them solve critical problems, ranging from company naming to long-term strategic planning. MiraclePlus's accelerator program culminates in a Demo Day, where startups present their products and services to a curated audience of over 1,000 investors and media representatives, facilitating fundraising opportunities. By providing holistic resources, hands-on mentorship, and a strong community, MiraclePlus aims to accelerate the growth of early-stage startups and help them achieve significant milestones within a short timeframe. Their investment strategy focuses on identifying and supporting founders with the vision and potential to disrupt industries and create impactful businesses. The firm is committed to being the first choice for seed round funding for startups, achieving this goal by setting an example in how they operate.
MoreVC
MoreVC invests in seed and early-stage Israeli technology start-ups across diverse sectors. They partner with entrepreneurs who are building companies that matter. The firm emphasizes its role as a trusted and experienced partner, highlighting its long-term involvement and dedication to its portfolio companies. They prioritize making the world a better place, and this ethos is reflected in their investment decisions and support for their portfolio companies. They are focused on companies that make a difference. Based on the testimonials provided, MoreVC values founder-friendly relationships and providing support beyond just financial investment. This includes advice and introductions to relevant people and resources. Their long-standing presence in the Israeli VC ecosystem allows them to act as reliable partners, demonstrating their commitment to actively assisting their portfolio companies and contributing to their success.
Motivate Ventures
Motivate Ventures empowers ambitious founders to realize their vision of tomorrow. They invest across the earliest stages of a company’s lifecycle, providing experience, connections, and capital to the leaders of tomorrow’s greatest companies. They are early stage specialists, focusing on pre-seed and seed stage companies. They actively work with high-caliber founders to co-create and bring ideas to life. Motivate Ventures also invests in and supports formidable emerging pre-seed and seed stage VC Funds. MVC invests in optimism, ingenuity, and humanity’s insatiable desire to creatively improve. They back incredible founders with strong domain knowledge who are tackling real, durable problems. They seek opportunities with very high growth potential in large and growing markets. Lauren Deluca at Motivate focuses on fintech and B2B software at the earliest stages – from idea through Seed – often supporting founders with incredible domain expertise and a non-consensus industry worldview.
Motive Ventures
Motive Ventures invests in tech-enabled financial and business services companies, spanning from venture to growth & buyout stages across North America and Europe. Their approach is centered around the 'IOI' model: Investing, Operating, and Innovating. They invest in companies across verticalized AI, embedded finance, and platforms within core sectors like banking and payments, capital markets, data and analytics, insurance, and wealth and asset management. They actively partner with founders and management teams to scale proven platforms, leveraging their extensive network and industry expertise to provide access, expertize, and customer connectivity. The firm's value creation strategy involves bringing leading financial services and technology expertize through investors, operators, and innovators, ensuring alignment at every stage, empowering portfolio companies through technology. They focus on building transformative growth engines, aligning product, pricing, marketing, and sales, utilizing data-driven insights to unlock revenue opportunities, and optimizing go-to-market strategies. Create is Motive's value creation engine, embedded across the deal lifecycle from thesis to exit. They partner with leadership teams to turn strategy into measurable results, integrating investment conviction with hands-on execution. Create provides the expertise and tools needed for transformation, building stronger businesses faster through a product-led approach combining modern engineering, scalable architecture, and strong cybersecurity. The firm's operating model optimization focuses on clarifying roles, streamlining tools, and redesigning processes to enhance quality, reduce costs, and create capacity for growth through data-driven visibility and automation. Motive Ventures also emphasizes building scalable operating models and teams that evolve with business needs, aligning organizational design with strategy, defining clear roles and accountabilities, and streamlining decision-making to enhance speed and effectiveness. As companies grow, they strengthen operating structures and attract top talent. The firm seeks to unlock superior returns for investors while forming the future of finance with their portfolio companies and management teams, focusing on democratizing wealth and asset management, transforming commerce with payment technologies, and modernizing risk pricing and distribution in the insurance sector.
NBG Business Seeds
NBG Business Seeds supports innovative entrepreneurship through grants, equity financing, convertible bonds, and specialized loans. It provides tailored banking products, mentorship, bootcamps, and exposure to media for selected participants.
NFX Bio
NFX Bio invests in Scientist-Founders who combine deep biological expertise with technological innovation (e.g., AI/ML, automation, digital biology) to address complex global problems in health and food systems. The firm emphasizes rapid decision-making, scientific-business alignment, and leading investment rounds. Key themes include the shift from analog to digital biology, human design to AI/ML-driven solutions, and manual processes to high-throughput automation.
NP-Hard Ventures
NP-Hard Ventures is a European pre-seed fund focused on investing in ambitious founders tackling the most challenging problems. While a full investment thesis requires further exploration of the linked command, the landing page suggests a focus on technically complex and difficult-to-solve problems.
Nato Innovation Fund (NIF)
The Nato Innovation Fund (NIF) is a venture capital fund backed by 24 NATO allies, deploying over €1 billion in deep tech to address challenges in defence, security, and resilience. NIF empowers deep tech founders, investing independently and supporting portfolio companies with access to 24 nations. The fund aims to secure the future for the alliance's one billion citizens by protecting infrastructure, enabling the climate and energy transition, and ensuring resilient supply chains. NIF serves as a lead investor taking a long-term approach. The fund focuses on cutting-edge science and technology across areas such as novel materials and manufacturing, energy, space, artificial intelligence, autonomy, quantum, biotechnologies, hypersonic systems, and next-generation communications. NIF provides deep tech entrepreneurs in the transatlantic sector with access to 24 allied governments, facilitating access to commercial and government markets. The fund leads initial investments with up to EUR 15 million, with reserves for follow-on rounds. NIF offers unprecedented customer reach across 24 countries and their ecosystems, with access to nearly 90 NATO-affiliated test centers and over 6,000 Allied scientists through extensive networks. By working with startups and scaleups in collaboration with defence primes, NIF bridges the gap for rapid market adoption.
Nesta
Nesta is a research and innovation foundation focused on addressing significant societal challenges. Their core strategy revolves around designing, testing, and scaling solutions to these problems across the innovation lifecycle. They focus on three main missions: ensuring a fairer start for every child, halving obesity rates in the UK, and reducing home carbon emissions in the UK. They apply deep expertise in applied methods to innovate within these mission areas. Nesta extends its impact through specialized units like BIT (Behavioural Insights Team) and Challenge Works. BIT focuses on improving people's lives through empirical problem solving and a deep understanding of human behavior, serving clients across government, nonprofits, and the private sector. Challenge Works designs and runs challenge prizes to stimulate innovation in science, technology, and society. Nesta's approach includes providing resources and guidance to support local authorities, such as in the 'Best Start in Life' initiative, aimed at maximizing impact for children’s development. They are also committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), integrating it into their operations and projects to achieve more equitable outcomes for minoritized and disadvantaged communities. This commitment is reflected in their goals to eliminate pay gaps and achieve representation across various demographic characteristics within their staff. Ultimately, Nesta aims to create a powerful ecosystem for innovation, working with various stakeholders to solve complex problems and achieve ambitious goals in areas of social and environmental impact. They measure their impact using a framework that helps them understand the value of their work and make informed decisions about resource allocation.
Network Venture Partners
Network Venture Partners is a venture capital firm distinguished by its origin and operation: it was founded by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. It blends the operational knowledge acquired from scaling a global business with the resources of entrepreneurial investors and family offices. The firm aims to invest in startups with high potential, playing an active role in helping them scale and achieve significant business growth. They position themselves as co-founders, providing support through their experience and network. They are actively searching for exceptional entrepreneurs to support throughout their entire journey, aiming to accelerate and scale their businesses, offering long-term commitment beyond financial investment, seen through consistent weekly engagement with the founders. Network Venture Partners focuses on product-led tech companies with the potential for global growth, regardless of the industry. They prioritize investments where they can provide substantial added value as co-founders, leveraging their investor network and possessing a deep understanding of scaling businesses internationally. They focus on making a limited number of high-impact investments, concentrating their efforts on these chosen companies. They are open to backing entrepreneurs at the very beginning of their journey, including pre-seed stages, acting as a sounding board for student teams and global scale-ups alike. They emphasize their long-term commitment, supported by entrepreneurial investors and family offices that prioritize the needs of founders. This ensures that they are not driven by the need to deploy capital quickly or constrained by fixed holding periods. Their dedication is to support the growth of their portfolio companies for as long as it takes.
Neveq
NEVEQ is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage and growth-stage companies, primarily in Europe and emerging markets. They aim to generate above-average investor returns through global investments. They look for companies with strong international potential, as evidenced by the statistic that over 90% of their portfolio companies' revenue comes from international clients. Their portfolio spans enterprise software, analytics, vertical marketplaces, fintech, and internet sectors. They seek to partner with companies en route to scaling user base.
NewSchool VC
NewSchool.vc focuses on investing in "new school tech for old school industries." They seek founders with conviction, and prioritize companies operating in the AI, SaaS, Cyber, Robotics, and Compliance+ sectors. Their approach seems to target companies that are modernizing traditionally less technologically advanced industries, likely leading to large improvements in efficiency and productivity.
Nordic Butterfly Ventures
Butterfly Ventures is a leading seed-stage venture capital firm in the Nordics, founded in 2012. They focus on investing early in deep tech, hardware, and hardware-interfacing software companies with a social or environmental impact. They typically invest in companies before they have significant revenue, with 80% of their portfolio companies having little to no revenue at the time of their initial investment. They are very business-driven and aim to have their portfolio companies generate revenue within six months of their initial investment. Butterfly Ventures emphasizes a cooperative approach, working closely with founders and providing them with the full support of all partners. They also value sustainability, claiming to be the first carbon-neutral VC fund in Europe. Their investment strategy centers around identifying and supporting disruptive ideas and supercharging them with capital and expertise. They actively engage with the companies they invest in, providing not only financial support but also strategic guidance and access to their network. They are mindful of their impact on society and prioritize investments that align with their values of social and environmental responsibility. Butterfly Ventures has offices in Oulu, Helsinki, Stockholm, Tallinn, and Copenhagen, allowing them to have a strong presence throughout the Nordic and Baltic regions. They focus their investments particularly in Finland and Sweden but also in the other Nordic countries and Baltics. They aim to lead seed rounds but reserve significant capacity for follow-on funding.
Nordic Makers
Nordic Makers is a venture capital firm comprised of entrepreneurs who have built successful companies and are now investing their own capital. They focus on supporting Nordic startups, leveraging their unique founder experience and capital to help them compete globally. Having experienced the challenges of building companies in a less mature Nordic startup ecosystem, they aim to provide the support and resources they wished they had during their own entrepreneurial journeys. Their approach emphasizes firsthand understanding of the startup process, offering more than just financial backing.
Nordic Science Investments
Nordic Science Investments (NSI) partners with founders to transform groundbreaking university research into successful startups. They are committed to both profit and impact, accelerating the journey from scientific discovery to market, creating meaningful career opportunities, and driving technological advancement. NSI invests in early-stage, science-based startups and university spinouts in the New Nordics, focusing on bridging the gap between academia and commercialization. They derisk teams for further investment and co-invest with others. Their mission is to turn hidden scientific discoveries into groundbreaking innovations that redefine industries and improve lives. They partner with founders and universities who share a vision of promoting global sustainability and well-being. NSI fuels growth in disruptive sectors such as advanced materials, AI-driven technologies, and synthetic biology, empowering innovative solutions that address global challenges. They are dedicated to creating a lasting, positive impact on society by advancing science that truly matters. NSI excels in early-stage investing, supporting ventures from day one. Their value extends beyond capital, offering synergistic deals and a partner network managing similar vehicles in the UK and North America. This access accelerates growth and boosts outcomes. They strengthen Tech Transfer Offices’ commercialization efforts by partnering with universities, generating superb deal flow through their IP screening expertise. They also attract top spinout CEOs who value their specialist approach, helping mitigate early-phase investment risks. NSI focuses on investing in companies with the potential to disrupt, challenge the status quo, and even create entirely new markets. They back startups that tackle problems previously thought unsolvable, especially those originating as university spinouts.
Nordic Science Investments (NSI)
Nordic Science Investments (NSI) partners with founders to transform groundbreaking university research into successful startups. They focus on early-stage, science-based startups and university spinouts in the New Nordics, particularly in deeptech, healthtech, and life sciences. NSI aims to bridge the gap between academia and commercialization, derisking teams for further investment and co-investing with others. Their mission is to turn hidden scientific discoveries into groundbreaking innovations that redefine industries and improve lives. They partner with founders and universities who share a vision of promoting global sustainability and well-being. By fueling growth in disruptive sectors such as advanced materials, AI-driven technologies, and synthetic biology, they empower innovative solutions that address global challenges. NSI's value extends beyond capital, offering synergistic deals and a partner network managing similar vehicles in the UK and North America. They strengthen Tech Transfer Offices’ commercialization efforts by partnering with universities, generating deal flow through their IP screening expertise. They also attract top spinout CEOs who value their specialist approach, helping mitigate early-phase investment risks.
Norrsken Evolve
Norrsken Evolve is a pre-seed fund focused on supporting early-stage founders in Europe who are building resilient and sustainable solutions to address critical global challenges. The firm aims to turn crisis into opportunity by investing in companies redefining industries like energy, manufacturing, transportation, construction, food production, healthcare, information security, and democratic safeguards. They believe Europe has the science, innovation, talent, and investor demand to foster the next wave of global technology leaders. They target founders who understand the severity of current challenges and are determined to create a positive impact on the world. Norrsken Evolve provides capital, a world-class in-person program, and a strong network to accelerate the growth of its portfolio companies. The firm emphasizes that economies, industries, and ways of living must evolve in the face of unprecedented risks, and the founders they back will lead this evolution. They seek visionary entrepreneurs capable of building companies that can positively impact 1 billion lives across the globe and have the potential to grow into impact unicorns. Their investment strategy focuses on pre-seed stage companies with the potential to revolutionize various sectors and address environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns. They are looking for companies that will redefine how we generate energy, rebuild manufacturing, move goods, construct buildings, produce food, treat our sick, secure our information, protect democracy, and safeguard our societies from climate disruption. Norrsken Evolve aims to lead the evolution necessary for Europe to step up and address the challenges the continent is facing. They invest in founders with a focus on building a resilient and sustainable future for Europe, providing them with the necessary resources and support to achieve their goals and make a significant positive impact on the world.
Novalis Biotech
Novalis Biotech is an early-stage venture capital investor focusing on enabling technologies in the life sciences. They aim to support innovative healthcare concepts from the incorporation stage, emphasizing capital-light platform technologies and close customer interaction early in the company's lifecycle. The firm focuses on funding, professional/academic connections, and business strategy to create value for all stakeholders, supporting early-stage startups from pre-seed to Series A stages.
Nuora Capital
Nuora Capital invests in visionary entrepreneurs driving transformative innovations in FoodTech and AgTech to revolutionize food systems, reduce carbon footprints, and tackle critical challenges in sustainability and environmental health. Their hands-on approach includes direct investments, capital-raising support, and co-founding partnerships with research institutions.
Obuda Uni Venture Capital
Obuda Uni Venture Capital (OUVC) is a 10 billion HUF venture capital and venture studio affiliated with Obuda University. They focus on early-stage ventures, aiming to add value by providing both financial investment and go-to-market support. OUVC acts as a gateway and link to the competencies of the university, serving both internal and external startups and partners. They aim to build viable innovative businesses through a combination of capital, technical validation, mentorship, professional collaboration opportunities, and business development support. The firm's investment strategy targets a wide range of opportunities, including innovations originating from the university as well as more mature companies with Hungarian relevance. They aim to foster value creation, recognizing the potential impact of supporting ventures in their initial phases. OUVC prioritizes companies that solve real problems, even outside of their core focus areas. The value-add provided goes beyond just financial resources; the firm also helps portfolio companies through mentorship, opening opportunities for industry collaboration, and assisting in business development. They invest in companies in the pre-seed and seed stages. OUVC's team includes individuals with experience in venture capital and connections to Óbuda University, which gives them access to academic research and resources and access to talented students/recent graduates.
Octopus First Cheque Fund
Octopus Ventures is a large and active venture capital investor in Europe, focusing on investing in people, ideas, and industries that are changing the world for the better. Their mission is to invest in areas where they can make the biggest impact: building a more sustainable planet, empowering people, and revitalizing healthcare. They aim to back entrepreneurs who are reimagining how whole industries behave, specifically those eliminating carbon footprints, creating cancer vaccines, building the next phase of the internet, and charting a greener approach to space travel. They aim to invest £10 billion in industries bringing about positive change by 2030. The firm seeks founders with purpose, building revolutionary solutions to change the world, with clear visions and focused on solving society’s biggest problems. They prioritize businesses that put people, community, and the environment first, investing as early as an idea on a page and supporting every growth stage with funding and hands-on support. Octopus Ventures also runs a mentorship program, matching founders and senior leaders with seasoned professionals from their network for knowledge and experience sharing. Octopus Ventures emphasizes diversity and inclusion, striving to welcome people from the widest range of backgrounds and experience into their team and portfolio companies. They acknowledge their leadership in investing in female leaders but recognize the need to do more to support everyone, regardless of culture, race, gender, orientation, or economic status. The firm invests across seven core areas to build long-lasting relationships with founders.
Onstage
Onstage operates an events ecosystem aimed at simplifying the fundraising journey for startups and VCs. Their primary event, Demo Day, occurs bi-annually and is designed to connect pre-seed to Series A startups with over 300 leading VC funds. The process involves a streamlined application, VC introductions, the announcement of the Onstage Top 100, and a live Demo Day in London where the top 1% of applicants pitch. All applicants get exposure to VCs. Onstage also hosts "Deploy," an in-person summit for emerging and established venture fund managers to pitch their funds to a curated group of LPs. Onstage emphasizes efficiency, meritocracy, transparency, and collaboration in the startup ecosystem, aiming to provide an equal playing field for founders and funders and perfect information to all stakeholders.