Final Frontier
Final Frontier is a Nordic VC fund focused on backing visionary founders building critical space and defence tech to help Europe regain control of its future. They believe Europe has the potential to lead again in these sectors, and their investments reflect this ambition. They aim to support startups across the space and defence technology value chain, from satellite systems and propulsion to drones, cybersecurity, and autonomous platforms. The fund focuses on pre-seed and seed stage companies, preferring teams with working prototypes ready for real-world deployment. They are particularly interested in companies that contribute to European sovereignty and address critical needs in the space and defence sectors. Their long-term strategy involves scaling up fund sizes over time to continue supporting companies as they grow.
Firgun Ventures
Firgun Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on investing in Series A/B quantum computing companies. They aim to address the funding gap that often occurs at the Series A/B stage in the quantum technology sector, where most capital is directed towards early seed rounds. The firm seeks to partner with exceptional quantum entrepreneurs and help them scale their companies into category leaders, delivering significant economic impact. Firgun brings years of quantum investing experience and a network of world-class advisors to identify and support promising companies. Firgun's investment approach is underpinned by conviction, expertise, and strong values, with a commitment to fostering a culture of inclusion and advancing access to capital for female entrepreneurs.
First Check Africa
FirstCheck Africa is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on backing exceptional female-led startups in Africa. They address the gender funding gap by providing high-conviction "first checks" to diverse teams building for scale and sustainability. Their mission is to empower female founders with the financial, social, and belief capital needed to build category-defining companies. The firm is sector-agnostic, welcoming applications from founders in any high-growth industry. FirstCheck Africa aims to be an early believer in a generation of African women in tech, investing in companies across various sectors. They are committed to helping female entrepreneurial talent in Africa build great companies and play a meaningful role in shaping the continent's tech landscape. They recognize that the early-stage funding ecosystem often disadvantages women and are working to correct this imbalance. The firm's investment approach focuses on economics, rather than solely on social impact, recognizing that women-led startups tend to perform better. They are creating a community of millennial and mid-career women to become angel investors themselves, further supporting female founders in the African tech ecosystem. FirstCheck Africa acknowledges the biases female founders face and aims to address them by providing early-stage capital and support. They understand that female founders often have to work harder to achieve the same level of success and are committed to being a part of their journey, recognizing that the next generation of visionaries will stand on their shoulders.
Flat6Labs
Flat6Labs is an entrepreneurship platform focused on accelerating the future in emerging markets. They empower entrepreneurs by providing the resources to build, launch, and grow transformative ideas through acceleration programs, ecosystem development, and innovation services. Flat6Labs has established a regional presence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with a strong focus on fostering entrepreneurial ecosystems and offering support to startups in various countries. Their strategy involves offering programs, such as seed programs and accelerators, tailored to the specific needs of each region while also connecting founders with a wider network of investors and mentors. Flat6Labs also prioritizes contributing to local economies and fulfilling national visions by providing access to opportunities and enabling startups to reach regional and global markets. Flat6Labs focuses on creating ideal business environments for startups through resources such as lowering startup costs and providing tax incentives. The organization's expansion throughout the MENA region, with presences in countries such as Egypt, KSA, Bahrain, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Lebanon, Iraq, UAE, Palestine and Pakistan, reflects their commitment to supporting the growth of the startup ecosystem within each region. They have various programs tailored to the needs of each specific location.
Flori Ventures
Flori Ventures is a seed-stage fund investing in entrepreneurs building the future financial system and climate crisis solutions. They aim to back founders and leaders who tap into financial and climate innovation to solve real-world problems at scale. The firm believes in supporting founders from pre-seed to pre-series A stages. They have backed 80+ startups with $30M+ to help founders solve impactful problems in big markets.
Forbion Capital Partners
Forbion is a global venture capital firm focused on building and scaling innovative biotech companies and sustainable solutions to improve human and planetary health. They invest across multiple fund strategies, covering all stages of (bio-)pharmaceutical drug development. They leverage their biotech expertise beyond human health to address planetary health challenges through their BioEconomy fund strategy, which invests in companies developing sustainable solutions in food, agriculture, materials, and environmental technologies. Forbion aims to select impactful investments that will positively affect the health and well-being of people and the planet, as well as meet its financial return objectives. Their human health investment strategy includes Ventures, Growth, and Formation (spin-outs/company creation). The Ventures strategy builds and supports pre-clinical and early clinical companies. The Growth strategy focuses on providing capital for clinical stage drug development, primarily as private growth capital, and selectively as crossover and public investments. The Formation strategy runs a joint venture with BioGeneration Ventures (BGV) for early-stage investments, particularly in Benelux and Germany. Forbion's Planetary Health strategy focuses on innovative companies that leverage biotechnology to clean and feed the planet across four sectors: Food, Agriculture, Materials, and Environmental Technologies. The BioEconomy fund enables and grows companies in Series A+ rounds. Forbion seeks to identify companies with strong science, experienced teams, and clear paths to meaningful impact. They aim to shape category-defining therapeutics with global impact.
Founder Lake
FounderLake is a 'talent investing' firm focused on helping founders find the right co-founders to build successful companies, primarily in Germany. They aim to address the difficulties and inefficiencies of the co-founder search process, offering an alternative to traditional company builders and accelerators that often require mandatory bootcamps, offer low valuations, and have large, potentially dilutive intakes. They source co-founders through their network and active search, handling initial interviews and supporting candidates and founders throughout the process. Their model prioritizes quality over quantity, working with founders who have proven professional experience. FounderLake differentiates itself by offering co-founder matching in exchange for equity. If the co-founder search is successful, they become a shareholder in the company. They charge EUR 60,000 for the successful search, which is then invested into the company through a convertible note with a cap of EUR 2 million. If the company has already raised a round, they are open to investing at the terms of that round. Founded by individuals with experience at McKinsey, BCG, Barclays Capital, TUM, LSE, INSEAD, and the Studienstiftung, FounderLake aims to support exceptional talent in building companies in Germany. In addition to their co-founder matching services, they also work with leading scaleups, growth companies, and DAX 30 companies on their digital hiring needs, bringing valuable expertise to the talent ecosystem.
Founders AS
Founders AS focuses on early-stage investing and company building, particularly in the healthtech and fintech sectors. Their approach is highly specialized, focusing on pre-product and pre-market stages. They prioritize working with a limited number of companies at a time to provide concentrated support. They emphasize identifying market opportunities, investing early in exceptional founders, and actively helping them achieve initial traction. They aim to invest like founders, rather than simply providing capital. They believe that early-stage investing has become too focused on broad access and exposure, lacking the deliberate approach needed to build category-defining companies. Founders AS believes the best way to invest is to identify great founders and get involved early, building from zero to traction.
Founders Forum Group
Founders Forum Group (FFG) operates as a global community and a group of businesses aimed at empowering entrepreneurs across all stages of their journey. Their core strategy revolves around building and leveraging a peer-to-peer network of inspiring founders, pioneering investors, inventive CEOs, and impactful leaders. FFG facilitates connections, knowledge sharing, and deal-making through invitation-only forums held in iconic locations worldwide, addressing critical questions facing the tech industry. They are not solely an investment firm but provide investment opportunities, educational programs, professional services, and philanthropic initiatives. They aim to be key drivers of the startup ecosystem and provide opportunities for making friends, doing deals, and celebrating life, according to testimonials on their website. The group focuses on creating an environment where founders can openly discuss challenges and build relationships that can lead to business transactions. They support entrepreneurs from pre-seed to post-exit, evidenced by the range of services and businesses within the Founders Forum Group ecosystem, including venture studios, seed programs, and accelerator programs through Founders Factory. Their geographical footprint spans across Europe, Asia, North America, and the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA). They also highlight specific locations such as London, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, Tel Aviv, Mumbai, Paris, and Hong Kong. FFG also operates London Tech Week through a joint venture and spearheaded the relaunch of Tech Nation. They operate multiple sub-businesses and events and support entrepreneurs with a variety of needs. Their approach combines networking events, early-stage investment (through Founders Factory and firstminute capital), and community building to create a comprehensive platform for entrepreneurial success. The quotes from founders in various stages and industries emphasize the impact of the network on their journey and how it acts as a place where business relationships and deals are fostered. They aim to be more than just investors, as they also prioritize building relationships and supporting the personal and professional growth of their members.
Future Planet Capital (Ventures) Ltd
Future Planet Capital is an impact-led VC firm founded in the UK with a global outlook. Their investment strategy is to back high-growth companies that are benchmarked against top universities and innovation centers globally. The firm's mission is to invest in companies solving global challenges in a profitable way, mapping their investments against the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which include climate change, education, health, security, and sustainable growth. They manage over $460M in assets for public and private investors and have deployed an additional $200M through co-investment initiatives. Future Planet Capital has a track record of managing deep tech funds for entities like the UK government, British Business Bank, sovereign wealth funds, and local government pension funds. They leverage a proprietary algorithm that tracks over 500,000 inputs to systematically score and benchmark innovative companies worldwide. The firm emphasizes originating and benchmarking deals from founders and scientists emerging from leading universities and innovation centers. They provide seed, venture, and growth investment, sharing their experience, global reach, and network to help these companies realize their full commercial and impact potential. Future Planet Capital also focuses on creating innovative routes for pension investment into high-growth UK businesses, exemplified by the British Co-Investment Fund (BCF) in partnership with Mobius Life. This fund aims to channel pension investment into the UK's most innovative and impactful businesses, unlocking pension capital to invest in UK private markets and support significant fast-growing companies.
Future Planet Capital Regional
Future Planet Capital is an impact-led venture capital firm founded in the UK with a global outlook. Their investment thesis centers around backing high-growth companies that are addressing global challenges aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, such as climate change, education, health, security, and sustainable growth, with the expectation of generating profitable returns. They focus on companies emerging from top universities and innovation centers, providing seed, venture, and growth investments to help them scale. The firm aims to connect the biggest investors with the brightest minds by offering pension scheme managers access to UK venture investment across the whole of the UK, with the potential for higher long-term returns for savers.
Futuristic.vc
Futuristic.vc, led by Christian Jantzen, operates as an early-stage angel investor primarily focused on European tech startups. The firm distinguishes itself by providing backing from the very first round, often participating with initial checks of $50,000 to $100,000. Christian Jantzen's investment approach is generalist, meaning he doesn't limit himself to specific themes or industries. This allows him to invest in a diverse range of companies, from payroll automation software to mixed-reality games. The firm's strategy centers around collaborating closely with founders at the earliest stages of their ventures. Christian aims to serve as a supportive and knowledgeable sounding board, offering strategic advice and assistance, particularly in securing follow-on funding from larger venture capital firms. He leverages his experience and network to help founders navigate the challenges of early-stage growth. Futuristic.vc emphasizes a strategic and honest approach to investing. While not offering extensive operational support like hiring large teams or securing numerous customers, Christian focuses on providing valuable insights and guidance to help founders make informed decisions and build sustainable businesses. The firm's portfolio includes a variety of companies operating in diverse sectors, showcasing its commitment to supporting innovative startups across Europe. The key value proposition of Futuristic.vc lies in its early-stage involvement, generalist approach, and dedication to providing strategic support to founders during critical stages of growth. By offering flexible funding and experienced guidance, the firm aims to contribute to the success of its portfolio companies and help them attract top-tier investors for future rounds.
GF BRYCK Ventures Fund
GF BRYCK Ventures Fund, formerly known as Gründerfonds Ruhr, is an early-stage venture capital firm empowering founders and driving innovation with a focus on the Ruhr region and beyond. They invest in B2B-tech seed stage companies that solve relevant customer problems and have the potential to become market leaders. The firm provides not only financial capital but also entrepreneurial expertise and access to an international network of corporations. Founded in 2017 as an initiative of Initiativkreis Ruhr and NRW.BANK, the initial fund was established to address the capital gap for early-stage startups in the Ruhr region, a technology hub with significant entrepreneurial and industrial potential. The first fund, Gründerfonds Ruhr I, had a volume of €34M. After successfully completing its investment cycle, the firm reorganized and operates as an independent venture capital fund. Their strategy involves partnering with startups by providing financial resources and offering support through expertise, access to industry connections, and hands-on guidance. They aim to be a trustworthy partner, assisting startups with the resources needed for success. The firm's second fund, Gründerfonds Ruhr II, closed in October 2024 with an initial fund volume of €31M and invests across Germany with a focus on the Ruhr region. The firm leverages its location in the Ruhr region to access a rich ecosystem of 22 universities and colleges, research institutions, and international corporations. The team of experienced investment professionals is passionate about empowering innovations and providing hands-on support.
Garage Capital
Garage Capital is a venture capital firm built by founders, for founders, with a focus on helping best-in-class Canadian and YC startups jump from garage to growth. The firm appears to invest broadly, with a particular emphasis on companies pushing boundaries and tackling ambitious problems, as evidenced by their "Moonshots" portfolio. The firm's website prominently displays a large portfolio across a multitude of verticals. The investment philosophy appears to prioritize supporting founders early in their journey, providing them with the resources and network necessary to scale their businesses. The "built by founders, for founders" motto suggests a commitment to understanding the unique challenges faced by early-stage companies and providing tailored support.
Graduate Entrepreneur
Graduate Ventures is a venture capital firm based in the Netherlands that partners with founders from day zero, from the first idea to scalable growth. They focus on backing ambitious founders who are turning breakthrough ideas into globally scalable companies. The firm combines early-stage capital with hands-on support and a powerful alumni network to accelerate the entrepreneurial journey. They aim to unlock the full potential of founders by providing not only funding but also access to experienced entrepreneurs, experts, and peers, fostering a collaborative environment for growth and shared insights. Their investment strategy centers on providing Pre-Seed and Seed stage funding to startups in the Netherlands. Beyond capital, Graduate Ventures emphasizes the value of its extensive network, comprising over 200 alumni. This network facilitates connections, knowledge sharing, and access to trusted discussions on critical topics like talent acquisition, funding strategies, and go-to-market approaches. The firm actively connects portfolio companies with high-profile individuals and ensures consistent access to the right resources and relationships, driving their businesses forward. Graduate Ventures' approach is community-driven, leveraging a unique combination of alumni, students, and professionals to support the fund's operations. Alumni serve as the backbone, bringing capital, knowledge, and network to the next generation of founders. The firm also involves a student investment team to provide a fresh perspective and support pre-seed fund operations. The firm highlights its experienced professionals with startup and investing expertise who manage the organization and seed fund.
Greiner Innoventures
Greiner Innoventures operates on the conviction that innovation thrives where there are no limitations on thinking. As a strategic investor, they focus on future-oriented themes and proactively implement them entrepreneurially, supporting start-ups in elevating their business ideas to the next level. They aim to bridge the gap between innovative start-ups and established industry, fostering opportunities where complementary ideas can generate new prospects. Operating independently from traditional corporate R&D, they provide a platform and foundation for individuals with ideas to develop them according to start-up principles. They are tasked with addressing challenges within and beyond Greiner's core business areas. Their investment strategy centers on fostering sustainable business ideas and innovative solutions within the Circular Economy, promoting a closed-loop system based on Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle principles. They seek to transform participations and spin-offs into new components of the Greiner portfolio. By investing in circular economy start-ups, they aim to rethink products and their usage, shifting from single-use to reusable, and from linear to circular models. Greiner Innoventures' overarching goal is to identify and nurture innovations that will be 'game-changers' in their respective industries. They believe in the importance of fundamentally rethinking products and their utilization to create more sustainable and circular business models.
Greylock Israel Partners
Greylock Partners focuses on partnering with founders at the earliest stages, with over 80% of their investments being the first check into a company at the Pre-Seed, Seed, or Series A stage. They emphasize building partnerships with founders from the very beginning, often even before a formal idea or business plan is fully realized. They are particularly focused on AI-first companies and prioritize selective partnerships, deep engagement, and a commitment to excellence. Greylock's investment approach is centered on identifying opportunities where software can reshape existing industries and create entirely new ones. They achieve this through a deeply focused strategy concentrated on key domains. They provide bespoke support to founders through the Greylock Edge program, a 3-month company-building initiative that helps pre-idea, pre-seed, and seed-stage founders refine their foundational decisions from inception to product-market fit, including flexible financing options. They focus on founders and companies that are disrupting or creating markets. The firm also demonstrates a long-term perspective, often investing in companies that go on to become industry leaders. They emphasize the importance of a strong partnership between the firm and the founders, aiming to be more than just a source of capital.
GuruDev Capital
GuruDev Capital is a network-powered venture capital firm that co-invests in startups founded by alumni of major technology companies. They focus on leveraging their extensive tech alumni network to provide support from seed to scale. They aim to unlock the potential of tech talents who are solving difficult problems. GuruDev's core strategy revolves around providing 'warm' access to potential customers, strategic partnerships, and a hiring advantage through their network. They focus on facilitating low-friction co-investments, offering expertise and support to founders only when asked.
HAX
HAX is a hands-on venture capital firm that focuses on pre-seed startups solving hard problems with hard tech. They operate at the intersection of science and engineering, addressing real-world, industrial-scale problems that require more than just software. HAX seeks founders tackling significant physical challenges in areas such as plasma, critical minerals, climate infrastructure, chemistry, robotics, and advanced manufacturing. They provide more than just capital, building an entire engineering organization around the startups they invest. HAX offers a six-month residency at their 35,000 square-foot facility in Newark, NJ, providing access to space, tools, and technical expertise to help founders turn research into prototypes and prototypes into real products. Complementing the Newark operation are design, engineering and manufacturing experts in Pune and Shenzhen. They believe in investing not just in startups, but in the infrastructure, expertise, and ecosystems that support them. HAX also developed the HAX Plasma Forge in Princeton, NJ, to give founders access to world-class plasma physics expertise, supporting innovations in manufacturing, materials, semiconductors, and energy. As part of SOSV, the world’s most active pre-seed deep-tech venture capital firm, HAX leverages SOSV's global network and resources. Their approach is to provide hands-on support for hard-tech founders through rapid prototyping, de-risking technology, and achieving traction. HAX aims to bridge the gap with experience and infrastructure, bringing together engineers, designers, and entrepreneurs to support early-stage hard tech startups. HAX supports early stage startups working on hard tech. They have brought together the people, resources, and investment capital with the goal of enabling the next generation of hard tech startups. HAX startups include Verdex Technologies, 3DK Tech, ACiiST Smart Networks Ltd., and Aeromutable.
HAX (SOSV)
HAX, a part of SOSV, is a venture capital firm focused on pre-seed startups solving challenging real-world problems with hard technology. The firm emphasizes bridging the gap between scientific research and industrial-scale application, providing hands-on support for founders working at the intersection of science and engineering. HAX aims to tackle significant physical challenges in areas like plasma, critical minerals, climate infrastructure, chemistry, robotics, and advanced manufacturing, recognizing that these areas demand more than just software solutions. Their strategy involves de-risking technologies through rapid prototyping, access to specialized resources, and technical expertise, and assisting founders in achieving market traction. HAX offers more than just capital; they build an entire engineering organization around their portfolio companies. This support includes a six-month residency at their 35,000 square-foot facility in Newark, NJ, providing access to tools, space, and technical depth necessary for turning research into prototypes and prototypes into viable products. Complementing the Newark operation are HAX's design, engineering, and manufacturing experts located in Pune and Shenzhen, offering a global reach for their support infrastructure. The firm's unique approach involves a hands-on approach, addressing the specific needs of hard tech startups, differentiating it from traditional venture capital firms. HAX's focus extends to building ecosystems that support deep tech innovation. An example of this is the development of the HAX Plasma Forge in Princeton, NJ, in partnership with the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. This initiative aims to provide founders with access to world-class plasma physics expertise, facilitating advancements in manufacturing, materials, semiconductors, and energy. By creating dedicated infrastructure and access to experts, HAX aims to accelerate the development and commercialization of plasma-based technologies and other hard tech ventures. HAX seems to invest in companies that have a focus on the future of industry and global challenges such as decarbonization and energy transition. They look for female founders and companies based in specific locations that they are working to build up as hubs.
HBAN Medtech Syndicate
HBAN (Halo Business Angel Network) connects angel investors and syndicates to startups across the island of Ireland, focusing on fostering a thriving angel investment ecosystem. Their strategy centers on providing curated deal flow, best-in-class education, and a strong network to both investors and startups. They aim to create value by offering access to early-stage investment opportunities, supporting policy advocacy for angel investors, and providing educational resources to enhance investment decision-making. HBAN's impact is demonstrated through significant investments to date, a large membership of angel investors, and backing notable exits and promising ventures. HBAN operates across multiple hubs in Ireland, ensuring deep integration within local startup ecosystems. Their team has strong connections with accelerators, universities, VCs, and incubators, which allows them to provide premium deal flow to their members. The network also focuses on inclusivity and diversity, demonstrated by the portion of companies receiving investment being led or co-led by women. Furthermore, HBAN acts as a bridge between startups and a broad range of resources. They help startups get pitch-ready and guide them through the investment process. The network actively promotes government policies that support angel investors by working with ScaleIreland and other organizations. HBAN also facilitates events, networking opportunities, and fireside chats to connect investors and startups. Their investment strategy often includes participation in pre-seed to Series A rounds, targeting ventures with large and growing market opportunities. HBAN emphasizes the importance of early-stage angel support, focusing on insight, belief, and creating an advantage for the next generation of founders, as exemplified by their investment in Jarvio. They also support follow-on rounds and portfolio companies.
HEARTFELT_/APX
APX is an earliest-stage venture capital firm based in Berlin, backed by Axel Springer and Porsche. The firm focuses on supporting and partnering with ambitious pre-seed startups from Europe and beyond, often acting as their first investor. APX invests in exceptional founder teams building startups with digital business models. They emphasize being a long-term partner to their portfolio companies, providing support beyond just capital. The firm aims to be one of Europe's leading earliest-stage VCs, cultivating a growing family of startups and founders. Their investment strategy focuses on identifying promising digital business models and providing the resources and network necessary to help these startups succeed from their earliest stages. They operate as a pre-seed investor, helping startups at the very beginning of their journey.
HSG
HSG, formerly known as Sequoia Capital China, is a global venture capital and private equity firm investing in technology, healthcare, and consumer sectors. They focus on nurturing entrepreneurship and innovation, backing companies with transformative technologies, disruptive business models, and high-growth potential. HSG aims to help founders and companies build enduring companies while generating superior returns for their limited partners. HSG operates as a fully integrated investment platform, spanning seed, venture, growth, buyout, infrastructure, and public equities investment. This comprehensive approach enables them to partner with companies at all stages of their growth. Their investment strategy also involves leveraging an unparalleled network and ecosystem, allowing portfolio companies to benefit from their vast network of entrepreneurs and partners, along with deep industry expertise. They actively seek to identify and partner with outstanding entrepreneurs and companies to help them achieve lasting success.
HTGF | High-Tech Gruenderfonds
HTGF invests in tech founders who have the courage to shape the future. They focus on pre-seed and seed stages, providing a strong network in business and science, experience in scaling startups, and in-depth tech know-how. Their mission extends beyond their track record, aiming to sustainably strengthen the technological backbone of Germany as a business location and create international market leaders. They invest across all major tech fields from software to hardware: From AI, deep tech to biotech. They have over 300 years of investment experience. They believe that long-term success is only possible if the impact of technologies and business models are considered from the start and managed responsibly, integrating ESG measures into their processes since 2019. HTGF contributes at the fund level, including active risk management, measuring and offsetting carbon footprint, vegetarian catering, and environmentally friendly travel policies. They also provide a healthy work environment for their employees, with flexible working hours, company bicycle leasing, subsidized sports memberships, and the maximum employer subsidy for the Deutschlandticket. They actively advocate for practical requirements for founding teams in relevant areas within their network, ensuring standardization and transparency in ESG reporting. They offer ESG Due Diligence before investing and provide ESG Support for Impact after the investment, supporting companies to set up sustainably from the very beginning. They help startups to collect relevant data for annual ESG reporting, helping them present themselves transparently and convincingly to customers and investors.