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.
The Family Venture Capital
The Family supports ambitious founders globally by providing a 6-week intensive program that offers mentorship, networking, and access to investors. The program focuses on helping startups refine their business models, build trust with investors, and prepare for fundraising through office hours, masterclasses, and a high-profile Demo Day. The fellowship emphasizes accessibility, community, and pay-it-forward principles, aiming to democratize entrepreneurial resources for founders from any background.
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.
Venista Ventures
Venista Ventures is a seed capital fund that invests in ambitious founders with visionary ideas addressing current and future challenges. They aim to be among the first investors in the startups they support, with a broad investment approach across various verticals. The firm positions itself as more than a traditional VC, leveraging the founders' experience in scaling companies, including both successes and failures. This experience allows them to serve as engaged sparring partners, particularly in online marketing, B2B sales, and recruiting. Furthermore, the Venista Ventures group includes two fully-owned and operating agencies, providing additional resources and expertise to portfolio companies. They are looking for tech-driven enterprise and consumer internet startups.
Zest Investments
Zest Group, formed by the merger of Digital Magics and LVenture Group, positions itself as the market leader in Italy for early-stage investments, startup acceleration, scale-up support, and Open Innovation Programs. They aim to be a key player in the European innovation ecosystem. Their investment strategy revolves around identifying and nurturing ambitious founders with disruptive ideas, providing them with capital, expertise, and a robust network. They aim to transform startups into successful businesses and deliver innovation to both established corporations and the broader market. Zest's approach involves a 360-degree perspective, focusing on the entire lifecycle of a startup. They go beyond mere capital infusion, offering a wide range of high-tech and entrepreneurial value services. This includes strategic mentorship, access to resources, and integration into their unique ecosystem of investors, founders, and corporates. This holistic support system helps startups navigate challenges and accelerate their growth. Furthermore, Zest actively drives technological transformation and innovation for businesses and institutions through dedicated programs. They act as a strategic partner for enabling Italian companies and institutions to transition to the 5.0 era via Open Innovation and Corporate Venturing projects. By fostering synergies between startups and established corporations, they aim to translate innovative ideas into actionable business models and contribute to the modernization of various industries. Their investment strategy is industry-agnostic, focusing on cutting-edge technologies that are reshaping markets and society. They are guided by industry-specific expertise and committed to harnessing technology to improve society and lives. This specialized team identifies global trends propelling innovation and change, demonstrating deep knowledge in the sectors they operate within.
daFUND
daFUND invests in amazing early-stage B2B start-ups propelled by software, primarily across Europe, with potential for global investments in exceptional cases. The firm is industry agnostic but has a strong focus on B2B companies solving challenges with software. daFUND aims to provide not only capital, but also tangible and useful advice, leveraging the extensive entrepreneurial and operational experience of its partners and LPs. They have experience supporting companies from founding to successful exit and help them to develop, grow and scale up their companies. Their investment strategy is tailored to early-stage ventures, providing initial investments ranging from a few 10k EUR to 100k EUR, with potential for follow-on investments up to a couple 100k EUR, co-investing with their LPs. daFUND is operated by experienced entrepreneurs, executives, and investors, backed by Business Angels of Slovenia and a network of experienced founders and entrepreneurs from across Europe (28 LPs). daFUND is particularly interested in companies that are based in Europe, have their first (paying/pilot) customers, operate primarily in the B2B space, and are propelled by software, having at least a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). They look for founders to share their pitch deck, planned activities with milestones for the next period, and a financial plan.
ffVC Tech & Gaming
ff Venture Capital (ffVC) is a global family of funds with a successful track record of identifying and investing in high-potential seed-stage companies over 15 years. The firm adheres to due diligence rigor and a proven set of well-defined investment criteria. Their investment strategy is designed to deliver strong performance to investors, enhanced by access to significant and proprietary deal flow. ffVC takes a highly engaged approach, helping founders build real companies with real business models, leading to higher survivorship. Their founder-friendly approach, providing deep operational expertise and support, has resulted in a 15-year track record of ffVC portfolio companies graduating to Series B at a rate 5x the industry average. They invest at the earliest stage of company formation, often as the lead investor with active Board participation. Significant co-investment opportunities are available for their LPs. The firm's investment conviction comes through exhaustive due diligence, investing in only 5% of the 3,000 deals reviewed annually. Post-investment, ffVC devotes extensive resources beyond capital to help companies grow from Seed through Series A and B, including access to their exclusive accounting firm, a 35,000+ founder and investor ecosystem, and an investment team that advises on product development, sales & marketing, and revenue generation. This has resulted in top-decile performing fund portfolios with 26 exits and more than a half dozen pre-IPO unicorns driving over $100 million in annual recurring revenue. ffVC also has a European fund based in Warsaw, Poland, primarily funding Tech + Gaming innovations from Series Seed through Series B. This initiative is part of a wider partnership with Totalizator Sportowy, PFR Ventures, and the Polish National Center for Research and Development to invest and nurture companies in the Central European region. ffVC Europe is particularly focused on empowering founders with a Polish footprint that are deploying their products globally in e‑commerce, fintech, gaming, cybersecurity, enterprise software, and AI / big-data.
idacapital
idacapital Investment Fund is a pioneering impact fund in Türkiye, focused on fostering transformational enterprises with high growth potential while addressing societal and environmental challenges. The fund aims to align profit with purpose, contributing to a more sustainable and equitable future by investing in technology-driven sectors such as FinTech & Digital Inclusion, LogTech, HealthTech, EdTech, ClimateTech, and AgroTech in Türkiye and beyond. They seek companies with disruptive ideas poised for rapid growth, targeting untapped niches or challenging established industries, investing in ventures that generate strong returns while driving positive social and environmental impact. idacapital looks for high-growth, scalable, and disruptive innovative companies that can achieve substantial growth and profitability. They back ventures primed to capitalize on significant market opportunities. The fund runs the Innovate21st Acceleration & Investment program. This program includes a two-phased approach, with a careful two-stage evaluation system for applications. Startups chosen for investment are included in a 24-week acceleration program designed to develop their businesses, increase market share, and expand their network. The firm has a sector-agnostic approach but maintains a distinct focus on financial inclusion. They emphasize that net financial returns are the core driver of their investments, aligning with their mission to discover and invest in startups founded by the brightest minds to create the next gazelles emerging from Türkiye and beyond.
Adiv
ADIV - Aerospace & Defense Impact Ventures is dedicated to pioneering and empowering next-generation aerospace and defense technologies through strategic investments and global partnerships. The firm aims to enable a resilient and sustainable future, working alongside visionary founders and investor-partners. They are focused on deep tech companies at the cutting edge of scientific or engineering innovation, offering complex and novel solutions to significant problems.
Commercialization Reactor
Commercialization Reactor focuses on transforming scientific research and applied innovations into scalable deep-tech startups by combining scientific talent with entrepreneurial expertise. Their full-cycle methodology emphasizes co-creation, talent training, and ecosystem facilitation to build investment-ready ventures.
Crane Venture Partners
Crane Venture Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm that focuses on backing ambitious founders building foundational technology companies. They invest at the earliest stages, from inception through seed, and provide strategic guidance and go-to-market expertise throughout the company's journey. They are 'First to believe. Last to leave,' indicating a high-conviction, long-term investment approach. They aim to be deeply involved as trusted partners.
Hoxton Ventures
Hoxton Ventures is a European venture capital firm with a Silicon Valley mindset, focused on finding and building Europe's best early-stage tech startups into large, category-defining companies. They prioritize backing brilliant people and products, particularly young or first-time founders who are technical or domain experts with a mission to address fundamental problems. Hoxton Ventures believes great companies are built by great teams, not VCs, and replicates successful strategies from Silicon Valley in the European market. They invest at fair terms, reserve capital for follow-on investments, and aim for a 10-20% ownership position. They have a deliberately anti-thematic approach, recognizing that future winners often emerge from new and initially non-obvious market categories. Hoxton Ventures actively encourages portfolio companies to tackle the US market early, leveraging their extensive Silicon Valley network to facilitate access to senior relationships. They are comfortable with the inherent imperfections of startups, prioritizing massive scale potential over minimizing early-stage risk. Hoxton Ventures emphasizes a hands-on, value-add approach, providing introductions, assisting with key hires, offering market intelligence, forging strategic partnerships, and resolving operational challenges. They aim to offer sage perspective gained from navigating multiple market cycles and provide honest feedback. They seek to maximize upside potential for their investments. Hoxton believes diversity is achieved through actions not words. They are a work in progress.
LUMO Labs
LUMO Labs focuses on creating opportunities for impact-driven ventures in emerging technologies. They invest in startups using digital deep tech, including AI, Data, Blockchain, IoT, AR/VR, and Digital Security, to solve social and environmental challenges. Their investment targets align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Health & Wellbeing, Quality Education, Sustainable City, and Climate Action. LUMO Labs aims to improve the quality of life and wellbeing while addressing strains on healthcare, social welfare, and the planet. The firm's investment strategy is centered around supporting founders through their bespoke LUMO Program, leveraging experience as both entrepreneurs and investors. They prioritize building meaningful relationships within relevant ecosystems, staying current in their investment areas, and leveraging their network, which they consider a strategic differentiator. LUMO Labs acts as active players and contributors to the relevant ecosystems. The firm builds meaningful relationships and ensures that they are up to date and top of mind in its investment areas. The network and how well it uses it is a strategic and distinctive differentiator for LUMO Labs. As entrepreneurs turned investors, LUMO Labs creates opportunities for people and emerging technologies by connecting impact-driven groundbreaking start-ups to funds, expertise, network and each other.
Octopus Ventures
Octopus Ventures is a large and active venture capital investor in Europe focused on investing in people, ideas, and industries that will change the world for the better. They prioritize investments in areas where they can make the biggest impact: building a more sustainable planet, empowering people, and revitalizing healthcare. They aim to invest £10 billion by 2030 in industries bringing about positive change and seek to back founders with purpose who are building revolutionary solutions. They look for companies tackling significant global problems, such as eliminating carbon footprints, creating cancer vaccines, building the next phase of the internet, and charting a greener approach to space travel. They focus on companies with strong values and contribute to a more equitable landscape. They focus on building long-lasting relationships with founders, investing as early as an idea on a page and supporting at every stage of growth. They invest across B2B Software, Bio, Climate, Consumer, Deep Tech, Fintech, and Health, offering hands-on support. Octopus Ventures is looking for founders who are great storytellers with a clear vision, focused on solving society’s biggest problems, not just building products, they also value diversity in founding teams. Octopus Ventures is also a B Corp certified company. They also run a mentorship program to match the founders and senior leaders from their portfolio companies with executives and operators in their network.
Otium Capital
Otium Capital is a private investment holding company founded in 2009 by Pierre-Édouard Stérin. The firm focuses on supporting entrepreneurs and their projects to unlock their potential for value creation, emphasizing people, boldness, and innovation. Otium acts as a Private Equity investor, active across all stages of company development, from seed to growth capital, up to LBO transactions on mature companies. They take both majority and minority stakes without constraints on holding periods. Otium's mission is to create and invest alongside bold entrepreneurs to develop tomorrow’s leaders. They believe entrepreneurs are the driving force behind progress and invest alongside them for the long term. They aim to select projects that provide attractive returns, contribute to collective well-being, encourage innovation, and address social, economic, and environmental issues. In addition to traditional private equity investments, Otium operates Otium Studio, an incubator that creates and launches startups in partnership with ambitious entrepreneurs. This dual approach allows Otium to both identify and cultivate innovative businesses from the ground up. Otium favors close and personalized collaboration with each entrepreneur. The firm values freedom to innovate within a supportive framework to allow each project to grow under the best conditions. Otium has a 'BBB' Investment Grade by rating agency EthiFinance Ratings, with a 'Stable' Outlook.
Paua Ventures
Paua Ventures invests in B2B tech entrepreneurs who are obsessed with solving complex problems in vast markets at the pre-seed & seed stage. The firm aims to invest, build, assist, hustle, connect, and facilitate the growth of their portfolio companies. They provide access to industry experts, product advisors, tech advisors, veteran mentors, and customers to help their portfolio companies succeed. Paua Ventures focuses on backing founders who are tackling complex challenges in large markets, demonstrating a clear focus on early-stage companies with high growth potential.
Pioneer Group Life Science Accelerator
Pioneer Group operates as a vertically integrated platform focused on curating innovation-focused ecosystems, specifically within the life sciences sector. Their strategy encompasses three core components: Real Estate (owning, developing, and operating innovation-focused campuses), Ecosystem Building (creating environments conducive to scientific innovation and business success), and Venture Building (running accelerator programs and an internal VC fund to translate ideas into commercial realities). They aim to increase the likelihood of success for businesses operating within these ecosystems by providing them with the necessary infrastructure, resources, and connections. The firm's core value proposition revolves around offering a comprehensive suite of services to life science companies. This includes access to specialized lab spaces, support networks, and funding opportunities. Their accelerator programs are designed to nurture early-stage companies, providing them with mentorship, resources, and investment to accelerate their growth. The internal VC fund plays a critical role in providing seed and early-stage funding to promising startups within the Pioneer Group ecosystem. By controlling the real estate, they can tailor facilities to the specific needs of life science companies, ensuring access to specialized equipment and infrastructure. The ecosystem building component fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing among companies within their network. The venture building arm provides early-stage funding and support, helping to de-risk and accelerate the growth of promising companies. They aim to create a synergistic environment where companies can thrive and drive innovation in the life sciences sector. Pioneer Group positions itself as a key enabler for life science innovation in Europe. By providing a vertically integrated platform that encompasses real estate, ecosystem building, and venture building, they offer a unique value proposition to companies operating in this sector. Their integrated approach reduces barriers to entry, fosters collaboration, and increases the likelihood of success for their portfolio companies.
Rosberg Ventures
Rosberg Ventures is a fund of funds specializing in top-tier venture capital and seed-stage investments. The firm aims to generate outsized returns by backing the greatest startup innovations, leveraging its network to connect German multinationals with cutting-edge startups. It emphasizes sustainability and responsible investing while focusing on predominantly US-based venture capital managers.