GapMinder Venture Partners is a European venture capital firm that backs early-stage B2B software, AI and Deeptech startups, with a focus on Central and Eastern Europe and the SEE region. The firm typically participates in seed rounds and provides follow-on support to help portfolio companies scale internationally, offering hands-on assistance in governance, financing, recruitment, marketing, sales and financial planning. Its portfolio spans sectors such as AI and MLOps, cybersecurity, fintech, AdTech and other IT software and services, including fintech and cyber security companies. The team combines former operators and entrepreneurs who leverage their operational experience to help portfolio companies navigate growth, with an emphasis on long-term impact and building regional and global reach.

BlackPeak Capital is a private equity and growth capital firm focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises in Southeast and Central Europe. Founded in 2014 and based in Sofia, with offices in Bucharest, Ljubljana and Vienna, it targets export-oriented firms or those with distinctive technology and regional leadership. The firm provides growth equity and hybrid capital, including mezzanine, and engages in co-investments alongside other investors on pari-passu terms. It typically makes multi-million euro investments and takes minority or majority stakes to support expansion, acquisitions, and operational improvements. BlackPeak emphasizes long-term value creation, ESG considerations, and economic impact within its portfolio, with activity in Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and broader Southeast Europe within the EU. Investments are financed with the firm’s own capital, and exits are pursued via trade sales or IPOs.

Early Game Ventures is a European venture capital firm focused on early-stage technology companies across Europe, particularly Central and Eastern Europe. The firm makes pre-seed, seed, and Series A investments, typically supporting startups with €0.5 million to €2 million and often taking a hands-on approach that includes strategic guidance and access to a broad network. Founded in 2017, it operates from Bucharest with a presence in the Netherlands, and backs IP-driven ventures across sectors such as enterprise technology, cybersecurity, development tools, consumer tech, AI, gaming, and space technology. The firm emphasizes founder commitment, coachability, and scalable markets, aiming to be a first institutional investor when opportunity exists.

Oktogon Ventures is a Budapest-based venture capital firm focused on Central and Eastern Europe, investing in technology-driven startups across Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Croatia, Romania, Slovenia and Bulgaria. The firm targets early-stage, technology-heavy ventures with global ambition, often supporting teams that retain control of their businesses. It emphasizes scalable products with global appeal from inception and draws on a regional network, mentors, and connections to U.S. and Western European investors to accelerate growth. Oktogon provides hands-on support in areas such as mentoring, sales, hiring, and fundraising, leveraging local operational experience and international reach to help portfolio companies realize rapid growth. The firm backs a broad range of technology-enabled businesses, including software, mobile, security, AI, and other innovation-driven sectors. Based in Budapest, Oktogon combines local market insight with an international network to help startups scale beyond the region.

Fil Rouge Capital is a Zagreb-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage companies across Europe, with a focus on Eastern Europe and Croatia. Founded in 2014, the firm backs startups at pre-seed, seed and Series A rounds, typically deploying euro-denominated checks from about 0.5 to 5 million. It targets information technology, software and services, consumer products and services, e-commerce, IoT, artificial intelligence and other technology-driven sectors. The firm emphasizes founder support beyond capital, drawing on its founders’ technology background and entrepreneurial experience, as well as a network that includes accelerators in Central Europe and Silicon Valley. While Europe-centric, Fil Rouge Capital evaluates opportunities opportunistically across Europe and the United States to back teams whose capabilities complement the founders’ vision and drive growth.

Global Finance is an independent investment firm founded in 1991 in Athens, Greece. It focuses on private equity and venture capital in Southeast Europe and conducts private equity fund management, real estate development, and advisory services. The firm makes equity investments up to €40 million in Greece and up to €15 million in Eastern European ventures. It operates across the region with headquarters in Athens and offices in Sofia, Belgrade and Bucharest, supporting growth through capital, strategic guidance, and sector expertise.

Impetus Capital is a venture capital firm focused on high-growth technology companies in Emerging Europe, with a Bulgarian/Romanian angle and headquarters in Sofia, Bulgaria. The firm backs founder-led businesses from early growth through pre-IPO and IPO stages, providing long-term active investment and operational support. Its investment scope includes areas such as artificial intelligence, biometric security, semantic search, pricing intelligence, digital insurance, healthcare, autonomous delivery, IoT, and supply chain solutions. Impetus Capital emphasizes speed, founder empowerment, and a blue ocean approach to value creation, aiming to help portfolio companies scale in the regional and global markets.

DBH Group provides a comprehensive business infrastructure and professional services in Central and Eastern Europe, offering serviced offices, serviced industrial facilities, and IT infrastructure, supported by consultants in finance, taxation, IT and project management. Operating across Austria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, the group helps companies expand domestically and regionally while optimizing operations. Its services include outfitted offices, customized industrial environments, IT systems, local tax and administrative expertise, and secretarial support, enabling clients to focus on core activities.

ROCA X is a Romanian venture capital firm based in Bucharest and affiliated with Impetum Group, CITR, and ROCA Investments. It specializes in early-stage technology startups, bridging the gap between angel investors and venture capital and offering startups support, expertise, and access to a broad network to validate ideas and accelerate growth. The firm targets technology ventures across sectors including AgriTech, Fintech, and SaaS, and operates with a global reach across multiple countries. It aims to maximize business value at all stages of a company's life, backing ventures from MVP or prototype through scaling and commercial success. It is privately funded and focuses on disruptive technologies with the potential to impact society.

Sparking Capital is a venture capital firm based in Bucharest that backs early-stage startups at pre-seed and seed rounds. It is industry agnostic but shows a preference for consumer internet, marketing technology, supply chain technology, fintech, property technology, and circular economy technology, seeking ventures with differentiating value propositions and potential to scale rapidly—domestically or internationally. Beyond funding, Sparking Capital provides entrepreneurs with access to a business network and mentorship from experienced founders and board members, along with hands-on support to help with product development, go-to-market execution, and international expansion. The firm aims to partner with founders from the initial product stage through to scalable growth, focusing on building long-term competitive advantages and helping portfolio companies navigate European markets.

Gecad Ventures is a Bucharest-based technology venture group that backs ambitious founders in Central and Eastern Europe, focusing on high-tech sectors such as cybersecurity, fintech, AI, software, healthcare, IoT, AR/VR and e-commerce. It provides early-stage capital and hands-on support to portfolio companies, helping them scale internationally through strategic relationships, access to networks, and practical resources. With a history spanning more than two decades as Gecad Group, the firm has backed and exited several ventures, including Axigen Messaging, Avangate, Vector Watch and RAV Antivirus Technology, illustrating a track record of turning technology into globally positioned businesses. The group emphasizes bridging emerging ecosystems with major tech hubs and takes a value-added, active approach to accelerate growth and market presence.

Underline Ventures is a Bucharest-based venture capital firm focused on Eastern Europe, investing at seed and early stages in technology-enabled startups across information technology, big data, e-commerce, the internet of things, SaaS, and related TMT sectors. It typically writes checks around €0.5 million and supports founder-led companies from concept through growth, offering strategic guidance and helping connect them with capital, talent, and networks, with an emphasis on founder control and a long-term, collaborative approach to building globally ambitious businesses.

NESsT is an impact investment organization founded in 1997 and headquartered in Oakland, California, that provides tailored financing and one-on-one business development support to social enterprises. It commits to engagements of two to five years to help ventures move from startup to scaling, with a focus on creating dignified jobs for underserved communities and advancing environmental sustainability. Across its history, NESsT has deployed about $55 million to roughly 510 enterprises, generating tens of thousands of jobs and improving millions of lives. The organization operates through programs and partnerships across Central and Eastern Europe and Central and Latin America, including markets in South America such as Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru, and in Central and Eastern Europe in Poland and Romania. NESsT's approach centers on funding, training, and hands-on guidance to foster inclusive, resilient communities.

Fortech Investments is a Romanian venture capital firm and strategic partner based in Cluj-Napoca that backs early-stage startups across energy, healthcare, manufacturing, automotive, fintech, and PropTech. It provides seed capital and active support, leveraging its enterprise network and industry expertise to guide startups from concept to growth, with a focus on pre-seed and seed rounds in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly Romania. Typical investments range up to several hundred thousand euros (approximately €100,000 to €500,000), and the firm emphasizes transparency, proactive guidance, and the development of long-term partnerships.

BCR Seed Starter is the corporate venture capital arm of Banca Comercială Română, based in Bucharest, Romania. It provides funding and strategic support to early-stage startups, aiming to foster collaboration with portfolio companies and help them scale.

Neogen Capital is a private equity firm based in Targu Mures, Romania, founded in 2000, that incubates and invests in marketplaces spanning human resources, ecommerce, and mobility, provides entrepreneurs with operational support, and targets investments in internet retail, ecommerce, and fintech.

The European Innovation Council is a Brussels-based European Union organization established in 2018 to support deep‑tech innovation by helping startups, researchers and technology transfer activities move ideas toward market. It operates a portfolio of programs including Pathfinder, Accelerator, Transition, STEP Scale Up and Pre-Accelerator, and collaborates with partners to provide funding, mentorship and resources across the innovation lifecycle. The council emphasizes high-impact, science‑driven technologies with broad societal benefit and promotes inclusion, with initiatives to involve women‑led projects. It engages the wider ecosystem through awards, events and community initiatives and monitors impact through data platforms. By coordinating with private investors and other stakeholders, it aims to accelerate the scale-up of European deep‑tech firms and strengthen Europe’s position in global technology leadership.

Hoxton Ventures is a London-based European venture capital firm that backs early-stage technology startups across Europe, including internet, mobile, software, artificial intelligence, fintech and cloud-based businesses. It focuses on seed, pre-seed and Series A rounds, typically making minority investments with ticket sizes ranging from about 0.25 to 5 million. The firm adopts an anti-thematic approach, prioritizing disruptive market opportunities with high scale potential rather than following predefined sectors. It supports portfolio companies with strategic guidance and operational input, and encourages rapid expansion to the United States where beneficial, leveraging its partners' extensive Silicon Valley experience. Hoxton emphasizes long-term value creation and positions its partners as hands-on, trusted co-founders who provide frank advice, particularly through challenging periods. Based in London, Hoxton Ventures maintains a Europe-wide focus and seeks technically strong founders who are building ambitious growth-stage technology businesses.

Karma Ventures is a European venture capital firm based in Tallinn, Estonia, focused on early-stage investments in deep-tech software startups at the late seed and Series A rounds across Europe. The firm typically backs opportunities with substantial funding up to about €5 million, with potential for follow-on rounds. It combines financial backing with hands-on operational support to help founders scale, and aims to act as a hub within Europe’s deep-tech ecosystem by fostering connections and sharing expertise across portfolio companies.

3TS Capital Partners is a Helsinki-based European technology-focused private equity and venture capital firm that provides expansion capital and buyout funding to small and mid-sized growth companies across Europe. It targets sectors such as technology and internet, media and communications, technology-enabled services, artificial intelligence, fintech, cybersecurity, ad tech, information technology and related areas, and often takes minority or majority stakes while seeking board representation. The firm emphasizes active value-added through strategic support, sector expertise, cross-border expansion guidance, and access to international networks, augmented by sector partners and co-investors when needed. With over 25 years of operation and multiple fund generations, it has completed more than 70 investments, managing hundreds of millions in assets, and supports portfolio companies from Europe to the US and Asia. Its regional focus includes DACH, CEE and Nordic markets, and it pursues growth opportunities through partnerships and occasional syndication to accelerate scale.

Vitosha Venture Partners is a venture capital firm based in Sofia, Bulgaria, focused on early-stage and growth-stage investments in startups located in or related to Bulgaria. The firm typically writes checks from roughly 25,000 to 1,000,000 euros and operates with a fund size of about 20 million euros supporting acceleration, seed, and post-seed rounds. Founded in 2020, it leverages a team with experience in venture investing and accelerator programs, plus international network connections to assist entrepreneurs. Vitosha also shares industry insights through its blog, Vitosha Stories, highlighting portfolio milestones and Bulgarian startup ecosystem trends.

Innovation Capital is a Sofia-based Bulgarian venture capital firm that provides equity and quasi-equity funding to high-potential startups and scale-ups. It concentrates on sectors including enterprise software, e-commerce, healthcare, financial services, education, automotive, transport, logistics, cybersecurity, entertainment, and travel, seeking disruptive, scalable business models. The firm aims to help portfolio companies grow and to establish connections with international partners and innovation leaders, supporting their development through professional management and strategic collaboration. By focusing on local startups with global potential, Innovation Capital seeks to foster growth in the Bulgarian tech ecosystem and facilitate integration with international markets.

TQ Ventures is a New York City and San Francisco based venture capital firm founded in 2018 by Schuster Tanger and Andrew Marks, with Scooter Braun among its early backers. It backs early-stage and growth-stage companies across industries, emphasizing founder partnerships, first-principles decision making, and long-term relationships. The firm operates with a sector-agnostic approach, leveraging an extensive network to help portfolio companies scale, including enterprise customer introductions. It has reported assets over $1 billion and a track record of more than 80 investments globally across blockchain, consumer tech, fintech, healthcare, food, and software-as-a-service. TQ Ventures aims to be deeply involved with its ventures, supporting them through strategic guidance and resources as they pursue category-defining growth.

HOF Capital is a New York-based venture capital firm that partners with ambitious technology entrepreneurs from idea to IPO. It pursues multi-stage investments across enterprise software, artificial intelligence, frontier technologies, consumer and fintech, focusing on B2B and B2B2C business models. The firm backs companies in the United States, Canada, Western Europe and Israel and is described as being backed by influential families and organizations. Founded in 2016, HOF Capital emphasizes a proactive, long-term approach to supporting portfolio companies as they scale. The company maintains a track record of funding and guiding innovative ventures and positions itself as a partner that helps founders build leading technology companies.

AlpVent is a Swiss investment company based in Zug that specializes in supporting promising start-ups. Founded in 2016, the firm leverages 25 years of entrepreneurial experience to understand and address the needs of entrepreneurs. AlpVent provides not only investment capital but also management consulting services, offering what is often referred to as "smart money" support. Recognizing that many founders excel in product development but struggle with promotion, AlpVent has created a dedicated sales department. This team offers sales analyses and consulting services, and can even act as an agent or distributor for start-ups. Their services are tailored for the competitive German-speaking markets and South-Eastern Europe, including Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia. The firm focuses on investments in sectors such as transportation, commercial products, software, and manufacturing.

Sofia Angels Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2020 and based in Sofia, Bulgaria, that focuses on technology startups at pre-seed and seed stages. It targets opportunities across Bulgaria and the Southeastern and Central/Eastern European regions, providing early-stage capital and operational guidance to help portfolio companies scale. The firm supports a diverse range of tech sectors, including fintech, AI, healthtech, agritech/greentech, e-commerce, HRtech, and solutions for circular economy and digital transformation.

EMMA Capital is a private equity investment firm with a focus on growth opportunities in Central and Eastern Europe and beyond. Founded in 2012, the firm maintains offices in Prague, Nicosia, and London, reflecting an international footprint. It pursues investments across diverse sectors, including gaming, energy, logistics, healthcare, and consumer-oriented areas such as retail, aiming to create value through active portfolio management and disciplined governance. The firm emphasizes transparency and investor relations, providing access to financial results and disclosures. By combining sector breadth with hands-on involvement, EMMA Capital seeks to support the development and growth of portfolio companies, leveraging its experience and network to drive innovation and long-term performance.

Trind Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm based in Tallinn, Estonia, that invests in Europe-based startups across consumer-focused segments, marketplaces, and business-to-business software and ICT. The firm supports early-stage and community-driven ventures, helping them through initial investments and subsequent funding rounds to achieve sustainable growth. It emphasizes partnerships with founders and provides resources through its Trind Toolbox, including a matching test to assess investment viability. Trind engages with the startup ecosystem through events and regular updates, reflecting a hands-on approach to supporting portfolio companies and fostering long-term growth.

E8 Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Sofia, Bulgaria, founded in 2021, investing in early-stage climate technology and information technology companies with an emphasis on impact and sustainable innovation.

Webit Investment Network is a venture capital firm based in Sofia, Bulgaria, founded in 2022, focused on technology startups. It backs early-stage opportunities selected through the Founders Games program and invests in finalists of that competition. The firm maintains a portfolio including BeeHero, InHeart, Elephant in a Box, VUZ, CH4 Global and iSchool, all recognized for innovation by Time Magazine, Fast Company and others, and collaborates with global investors to accelerate growth and exits over multi-year horizons. Through its ecosystem, it seeks to provide access to high-potential deals and co-investment opportunities for Bulgarian participants.

Rosslyn Capital Partners is a private equity and investment management firm founded in 2002 and based in Sofia, Bulgaria. It specializes in acquisitions, buyouts, PIPES, growth capital, and mature stage investments, with a focus on Bulgaria. The firm targets opportunities across manufacturing, food and beverage, telecommunications, information technologies, consumer services, renewable energy, agriculture, and real estate development. Leveraging strong local knowledge and collaboration with foreign investors, it structures investment programs aimed at delivering superior returns through industry-specific vehicles and well-governed processes.

Empower Capital is a EUR 21 million fund established to provide equity and quasi-equity funding to growing Bulgarian companies. Financed by the European Investment Fund - JEREMIE Initiative Bulgaria, the team offers extensive international operating experience, expertise, and industrial knowledge to support SMEs. With a successful track record in investing and managing companies in Bulgaria, they specialize in raising funds from various investors and facilitating exits to international buyers. Empower Capital plays a crucial role in helping companies reach their potential by identifying valuable organizations and providing growth capital, strategic guidance, and operational support to strong management teams.

Fifth Quarter Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm based in Novi Sad, Serbia, supporting technology startups across the Adriatic region. It focuses on AI, developer tools, open-source software, Industry 5.0, and cryptocurrency/Web3, and takes a hands-on approach to help founders achieve product-market fit and rapid growth. The firm highlights regional strengths in STEM talent and seeks to build world-class technology companies in the Adriatic, with a track record of regional successes. It also shares insights through its publication and participates in regional events to illustrate scalable startup growth.

HBM Healthcare Investments is a Swiss investment company that concentrates on the global healthcare sector, seeking to capitalize on innovation across private and public healthcare companies. Founded in 2001 and based in Switzerland, it maintains a diversified portfolio spanning human medicine, biotechnology, medical technology and diagnostics, with investments across private companies, public equities, and funds. The firm emphasizes high-value creation potential through its portfolio and positions itself to benefit from demographic trends, medical advancements and rising demand for new therapies.

New Vision 3 is a Sofia, Bulgaria-based venture capital firm that concentrates on early-stage technology investments. The firm backs startups with innovative business models and scalable solutions across sectors including fintech, blockchain, artificial intelligence, IoT, cybersecurity, 3D printing, robotics, nanotech and biotech, augmented and virtual reality, and cleantech. Typical investment sizes range from €0.1 million to €1 million, with a focus on seed and early-stage opportunities. It pursues a global outlook, supporting founders with strategic guidance and leveraging industry connections to help companies scale domestically and internationally. The firm's approach emphasizes backing ventures with validated value propositions and the potential to reach larger markets, with attention to fintech, AI, and emerging platforms.

StartLabs is a US-based accelerator and seed investor supporting startups from Southeast Europe, particularly the Western Balkans. It offers up to 50,000 in seed investment and a six-month mentor-led program with ongoing hands-on support, including daily in-office assistance. The program provides office spaces in Belgrade and San Francisco, access to Silicon Valley mentors, and connections to a network of boosters, angels, and venture capitalists to help startups gain traction and raise subsequent funding. StartLabs also assists with incorporation, legal and accounting needs and partners with local and regional organizations to foster a thriving startup ecosystem through events and collaboration.

Jet Investment is a Czech private equity firm based in Brno that focuses on mid-market, late-stage and distressed opportunities across Central Europe. It manages multiple platforms, including Jet Private Equity, Jet Real Estate and Jet Venture Capital, and pursues majority stakes often with management control, investing its own capital alongside investors. The firm targets industrial and manufacturing companies in sectors such as engineering, railways, automotive, petrochemicals, chemicals, natural gas, wood processing and technical textiles, with the aim of creating long-term value through strategic consolidation and operational improvements. Since its founding in 1997, Jet Investment has supported the growth of more than 40 companies and maintains a diversified presence in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Austria and Poland, with assets under management reported in excess of €700 million and notable projects such as the Jet Industrial Park in Gdańsk (up to €50 million).

Simpact Ventures is a Warsaw-based impact investing venture capital firm that funds early-stage technology startups addressing social and environmental challenges in Central and Eastern Europe. It backs scalable companies with investments up to €2 million, across sectors including software, med-tech, ed-tech, ag-tech and the circular economy, seeking both financial returns and measurable positive impact. As Poland’s first impact investing VC, it partners with institutions such as the European Investment Fund and has expanded its reach to the EU and US to support ambitious teams and portfolio companies focused on health, education and sustainability.

Shrug Capital is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm focused on early-stage investments in consumer technology, digital platforms, and direct-to-consumer businesses. The firm emphasizes a hands-on, collaborative approach, providing strategic guidance and operational support in addition to capital. It partners with founders on product development, market entry, growth strategy, and user acquisition, leveraging its network to help startups navigate early-stage traction and scale. Shrug Capital's emphasis on identifying emerging consumer trends and backing customer-focused ventures underpins its practice of active mentorship and practical support for portfolio companies.

Lux Capital is a venture capital firm focused on investing in companies at the intersection of science, technology, and industry. The firm backs ventures applying research across sectors including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, advanced materials, space, and energy, with an emphasis on translating complex innovations into scalable businesses. Lux provides capital together with strategic input on product development, company building, and long-term positioning, and takes an active role to help founders navigate technical and market challenges. The firm evaluates opportunities based on the underlying science, potential industry impact, and feasibility of execution over extended horizons. With offices in New York and Silicon Valley, Lux collaborates with technical founders, researchers, and teams to build durable market leaders and accelerate scientific breakthroughs into real-world applications.

HPS Investment Partners is a global investment firm focused on non-investment grade and alternative credit, delivering risk-adjusted returns for institutional clients through tailored solutions across the capital structure. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in New York, it operates a worldwide platform with offices across multiple regions and manages a range of strategies from syndicated leveraged loans and high-yield debt to privately negotiated senior secured debt, mezzanine, asset-based lending, and select private equity opportunities. The firm serves pension funds, insurance companies, endowments, and financial advisors, emphasizing long-term relationships, rigorous credit analysis, and a diversified sourcing network to identify opportunities across various industries, including insurance, healthcare, media, retail, logistics, and marine.

Global Environment Fund is a Bethesda-based asset management firm established in 1990 that invests in environmental and energy solutions worldwide. The firm engages in private equity and venture investments focused on clean technology, energy, utilities, agriculture, and sustainable forestry, with approximately $1 billion in aggregate capital under management. It serves a diverse group of investors, including endowments, foundations, family offices, and pension funds.

Zühlke Group is a Swiss technology company that provides digital transformation and engineering services to help clients turn ideas into market-ready products and optimize operations. It combines digital strategy, software and hardware engineering, cloud, artificial intelligence, data solutions, cybersecurity and sustainability expertise to support product development across healthcare, finance, energy, manufacturing and other sectors. The group covers the entire innovation lifecycle from concept through implementation to operation, offering delivery capabilities and managed services. With teams in Austria, Germany, Serbia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, Zühlke operates across Europe and Asia and maintains a venture arm that invests in early-stage healthtech, technology and medical devices ventures.

Shasta Ventures is a California-based venture capital firm founded in 2004 that concentrates on early-stage software investments. Based in Portola Valley (with offices in Menlo Park), it backs seed to Series B rounds for United States software companies, including software as a service, cybersecurity, infrastructure, data intelligence, and consumer subscription sectors. The firm emphasizes active partnership, offering more than capital through implementation and growth support to help portfolio companies scale from early traction to sustainable growth. Its activity spans consumer internet, mobile, and software verticals, with diverse check sizes across multiple funds aimed at helping entrepreneurs build long-term value.

Pario Ventures is a venture capital firm that partners with founders to identify and implement exit strategies for founders or shareholders while also investing in startups across seed, Series A and Series B stages. Founded in 2010 and based in Cowes, United Kingdom, it maintains offices in London, New York, and Brussels, and targets early‑stage opportunities across sectors such as automotive and mobility, hospitality, fintech, payments, blockchain, software, technology, and communications. The firm emphasizes practical, long‑term partnerships, prioritizing real, sustainable outcomes over hype and rapid growth. It provides hands‑on support, drawing on a track record of guiding companies through challenges from sales strategy to exits, and seeks to be more than capital by acting as advisors and advocates for founders through successes and setbacks. Pario concentrates on seed and Series A investments, with ongoing involvement through scale, pre‑IPO, and other growth phases.

Lunar Ventures is a Berlin-based venture capital firm focused on deep-tech startups at the seed and early stages, investing across Europe in founders building high-potential technologies. The firm maintains a team of three deep-tech expert partners with backgrounds in science and business and provides substantial technical guidance to portfolio companies. It backs ventures in artificial intelligence and machine learning, blockchain, cybersecurity, big data and analytics, and other deep-tech domains, including privacy-enhancing technologies, cryptography, cloud computing, data infrastructure, semiconductors, robotics, and related areas. The organization has a track record of supporting technically driven founders and has invested in pioneering technologies such as fully homomorphic encryption, transformer architectures, and Local-First systems, with portfolio companies including Zama, Deepset, Otera, Electric-SQL, and Molecule. Based in Berlin, Lunar Ventures positions itself as a leading European deep-tech investor with a focus on Europe-based technology companies.

PostScriptum Ventures is a Luxembourg-based venture capital firm focused on sustainable investments across energy and technology. It backs seed to growth-stage companies in renewable energy, energy efficiency, information technology, and resource efficiency, aiming to leverage its experience to drive growth and deliver environmental and societal impact. The firm emphasizes active value creation and seeks to support portfolio companies through strategic guidance and financings during the energy transition and related technologies.

Launch Africa Ventures is a Pan-African venture capital firm founded in 2020 and based in Ebene, Mauritius. It addresses the funding gap for seed and pre-Series A startups across Africa by investing across diverse sectors, including fintech, healthtech, climate tech, agritech, edtech, transportation and logistics, e-commerce, software as a service, artificial intelligence and big data. The firm emphasizes strong relationships, democratization of VC access, and a high-touch, high-scale approach to support portfolio companies and drive growth and returns. Since inception, it has invested in 133 companies across 22 countries, reflecting broad regional reach and a commitment to nurturing innovative startups that contribute to Africa’s economic growth.

Founders Fund is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm that invests in science and technology companies across all stages, with a focus on transformational technologies and long-term impact. It backs startups addressing difficult problems in sectors such as aerospace, artificial intelligence, energy, information technology, software, advanced manufacturing and defense-related tech, and it emphasizes a founder-friendly approach that provides support with minimal interference. The firm has backed prominent companies including SpaceX, Palantir, Facebook and Airbnb, reflecting a history of early backing for high-growth ventures. Founders Fund seeks global opportunities and partners with entrepreneurs to navigate rapid technological change, from seed to growth investments.

Day One Capital is a Budapest-based venture capital firm that backs early-stage technology startups in Central and Eastern Europe, with a focus on B2B software. It invests in pre-seed and seed companies across the region, typically committing from €300,000 to €2 million, and provides strategic, regulatory, and operational support to help founders scale globally. The firm draws on experience from telecommunications and tech industries to assist portfolio companies, with interests in robotics, Earth observation and AI, and supports founders in navigating regulatory, financial and market challenges.