Founded in 2020, the European Innovation Council is a Brussels-based venture capital initiative that supports top innovators, entrepreneurs, small companies, and researchers with bright ideas. It co-invests with private investors in early-stage startups, prioritizes deep technology ventures, and pursues ESG-positive impacts to accelerate commercialization and scale-up.

Advantage Capital Partners is a private equity and venture capital firm founded in 1992 and headquartered in New Orleans, with offices across the United States. It specializes in equity and debt investments, including growth equity, senior debt, mezzanine debt, and subordinated loans, focusing on small businesses and underserved communities to drive local economic development. The firm targets companies at various growth stages in sectors such as manufacturing, technology, business services, energy, agriculture, and renewables, and also participates in rural and minority-led ventures. Its strategy combines debt and equity financing, often supporting ventures with capital needs from roughly half a million up to several million dollars, and it collaborates with state and federal programs to extend financing. Known for impact investing, Advantage Capital aims to create jobs and broad-based economic growth by investing in communities with limited access to traditional risk capital.

SOSV is a global venture capital firm founded in 1995 and headquartered in New Jersey. The firm focuses on seed-to-growth investments in deep tech sectors, including biotech and life sciences, hardware and robotics, and cross-border software with emphasis on markets in Asia. It supports startups from early stages with investment capital as well as resources such as laboratories, collaborative spaces, and expert mentorship to accelerate product development and market traction. SOSV operates purpose-built programs to help portfolio companies raise follow-on funding, scale operations, and reach customers, often through structured matchmaking and access to a global network of investors. With a broad portfolio spanning hundreds of companies worldwide, SOSV aims to foster innovation, build vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems, and contribute to sustainable technological advancement.

Alumni Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2014 and based in Manchester, New Hampshire. It connects accredited individual investors with startup deals and co-invests alongside established venture capital firms across multiple stages, from seed to growth. The firm provides access to diversified portfolios through funds, syndicates, and investing clubs, supported by a large network of community members and individual investors. It invests across sectors and geographies, with a focus on transparency and due diligence in collaborative investments with leading firms such as Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia, and Y Combinator. Alumni Ventures operates internationally with offices in New York, Boston, Menlo Park, Chicago, London, and Tokyo and has raised substantial capital to back founders with strategic capital and resources.

Founders Fund is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm that backs science and technology companies across multiple stages. It focuses on ambitious projects in aerospace, artificial intelligence, advanced computing, energy, health, software, and consumer Internet, among others. The firm has been an early backer of SpaceX, Palantir, Facebook and Airbnb, illustrating a track record of supporting transformative technologies. It pursues a founder-friendly approach that provides substantial support with minimal interference, helping portfolio companies scale while maintaining strategic flexibility.

Hiway Capital is a venture capital firm based in Guangzhou, China. Established in 2007, it focuses on investments across manufacturing, healthcare, new materials and energy, agriculture, and enterprise services.

Samsung Electronics is a global technology company headquartered in South Korea that designs, manufactures, and sells a wide range of electronics and components. Its products include mobile devices, consumer electronics, home appliances, displays, memory and storage, and computing devices, and it is a leading producer of semiconductor chips. The company operates worldwide across consumer, enterprise, and telecommunications markets and engages in research and development, manufacturing, logistics, and repair services. It maintains activities in areas such as information technology, mobile communications, device solutions, and chip fabrication, supported by extensive capabilities in advanced materials, display tech, and AI-powered services. Samsung is known as a major global supplier and innovator in mobile, television, and semiconductor sectors, with a diversified portfolio and global reach that underpins its position in the technology industry.

Addor Capital is a Chinese venture capital firm headquartered in Nanjing, founded in 2014. It provides growth capital across seed-, early-, later-, and growth-stage companies operating in clean technology, health, new materials, advanced manufacturing, consumer services, cultural industries, and TMT, with a broader focus on green industries, technology, and life sciences. The firm finances early-stage ventures and holds securities of other companies, and it manages over 100 billion yuan in assets, pursuing ecological empowerment and long-term value creation.

Mitsubishi UFJ Capital is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm founded in 1974 that focuses on seed to development-stage investments in information technology, life sciences, electronics, biotech, fintech, and related high-technology sectors. The firm seeks opportunities in the Japanese market and often participates in investment syndicates to support startups. It supports companies pursuing technologies such as AI, SaaS, and healthcare innovations, and operates with offices in Osaka and Nagoya in addition to its Tokyo headquarters.

Lockheed Martin Corporation is a global aerospace and defense company that develops, manufactures, integrates, and sustains advanced technology systems and services for military, government, and international customers. It operates through four segments: Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems, and Space Systems. The Aeronautics segment provides combat and air mobility aircraft, unmanned systems, and related technologies; Missiles and Fire Control covers air and missile defense systems, missiles and precision strike weapons, logistics, fire control, and mission support; Rotary and Mission Systems offers helicopters, ship and submarine systems, sensors, radar, unmanned systems, and command and control capabilities; Space Systems delivers satellites, space transportation, missile systems, and national security space services. The company is involved in cybersecurity, data analytics, and digital transformation through mission solutions, and serves government clients globally with research and development investments and long-term sustainment of complex platforms. Lockheed Martin is headquartered in the United States and has a significant international presence, with ongoing development in AI, autonomy, and other advanced technologies.

Fortune Venture Capital is a Shenzhen-based venture capital firm established in 2000. It invests in information technology, advanced manufacturing, energy conservation and environmental technologies, healthcare, enterprise services, consumer goods and services, cultural media, and military sectors, with additional focus on TMT, modern agriculture and clean tech. The firm supports its portfolio companies with strategic guidance and access to its Shenzhen-based network in China’s technology and industrial markets.

Shenzhen Capital Group is a government-backed venture capital and private equity firm based in Shenzhen, established in 1999. It concentrates on early-stage and growth investments in information technology, internet, new media, biopharma, new energy, environmental protection, advanced materials, high-end equipment manufacturing, and consumer sectors, with a focus on SMEs and enterprises in emerging industries. The firm seeks long-term value creation through active portfolio development, including post-investment services that support growth and commercialization. Beyond direct investments, it manages broader capitalization activities such as mutual funds, real estate funds, and asset securitization. Shenzhen Capital Group has built a large, diversified portfolio and has supported numerous companies through to initial public offerings in domestic and international markets.

Turkey Development Fund is an economic development agency based in Istanbul, established in 2019. It aims to advance Turkey’s sustainable development by investing in companies and funds that support strategic sectors and cultivate the early-stage venture capital ecosystem, including through sub-funds. The organization seeks to develop the enterprise landscape by backing new generation startups. Assets are managed by a board of directors.

Sunsino Venture Group is a Taipei-based venture capital firm established in the early 1990s that invests in healthcare, technology and software companies. It has backed more than 200 companies in Taiwan and the United States, and reports assets under management of about US$150 million.

High-Tech Gründerfonds is a Germany-based venture capital firm established in 2005 that funds early-stage technology startups in Germany. Based in Bonn with an office in Berlin, it supports companies across software, information technology, digital and industrial tech, life sciences, chemistry, IoT, energy, and related fields by providing initial capital and subsequent funding, complemented by active guidance from investment managers. The firm typically acts as a lead investor and cooperates with other investors to help portfolio companies advance from concept to market, with a focus on startups that have begun commercial operations. By combining financing with hands-on support, HTGF aims to help high-potential founders develop their technology, validate products, and scale within the German market.

Founded in 2010, EIT InnoEnergy is a Europe-based innovation engine and investor focused on sustainable energy. It makes equity minority investments in early-stage climate tech and energy companies and provides value-added services to accelerate business cases, de-risk ventures, and scale technologies across Europe and the United States. Beyond financing, it supports workforce education and the development of resilient clean-tech value chains to advance a global net-zero economy.

MassVentures is a Massachusetts-based venture capital firm that provides seed and early-stage funding to high-growth startups in the Massachusetts innovation economy, helping concepts move from idea to commercialization. Founded in 1978 as a quasi-public corporation by the Legislature of the Commonwealth, it is governed by an independent board and managed by experienced venture investors. The firm focuses on information technology, healthcare, cybersecurity, e-commerce, mobile, manufacturing, and robotics sectors in Massachusetts and operates accelerator programs to support portfolio companies. MassVentures leverages the state's entrepreneurial ecosystem, educated workforce, and centers of innovation to back early-stage ventures.

Balerion Space Ventures is a venture capital investment firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Founded in 2021, the firm invests in early to mid-stage private space companies and focuses on space, defense, connectivity, infrastructure, industrials, energy, consumer, and transport sectors.

Par Equity is a venture capital and private equity firm backed by Scottish Enterprise, based in Edinburgh with an office in San Francisco. It specializes in early‑stage and growth investments in technology companies, including software, deep tech and digital health, targeting opportunities in Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland, with cross‑border expansion between the United Kingdom and the United States. The firm funds proprietary technology and proven products poised for international growth, supporting UK companies expanding to the United States and US entrants seeking a UK presence. Typical investments range from £0.25 million to £2.5 million, with enterprise values up to about £10 million. It also provides angel capital to investee companies and focuses on cross‑border deals to accelerate scale.

Lenovo Capital and Incubator Group is Lenovo’s accelerator and venture capital unit that backs core technology and internet-related ventures worldwide. It focuses on areas such as cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence, and robotics, aligning investments with Lenovo’s business research and development and strategic initiatives. By integrating Lenovo’s global resources and expertise, LCIG incubates startup ideas, funds early-stage innovations, and pursues new business directions to promote Lenovo’s future innovation and development.

Xiaomiao Langcheng is a venture capital investment platform that connects early‑stage companies with investors, offering funding, mentorship, and strategic support to accelerate growth.

Qiming Venture Partners is a China-based venture capital firm founded in 2006, with offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Suzhou, Hong Kong and Singapore. It backs early and growth-stage technology, consumer and healthcare companies, applying deep industry knowledge and hands-on support to help portfolio companies scale. The firm manages US-dollar and RMB funds and maintains a global footprint, including a dedicated US arm, Qiming Venture Partners USA, to pursue cross-border opportunities in healthcare, therapeutics and digital health. Since inception, it has invested in more than 530 companies and achieved more than 200 exits via IPOs, M&A or other means, with over 70 portfolio companies reaching unicorn or super unicorn status. Qiming emphasizes long-term partnerships with entrepreneurs, aligning resources and networks to drive innovation and societal progress across its portfolio.

Lowercarbon Capital is a venture capital firm focused on accelerating the transition to a clean economy by investing in companies developing technologies to reduce carbon emissions and deploy carbon removal solutions. The firm backs startups across energy, transportation, industrial materials, and agriculture, and provides strategic guidance, networking opportunities, and hands-on support to portfolio companies throughout their lifecycle, aiming to advance practical, science-based approaches to climate impact.

Prosperity7 Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Aramco Ventures, based in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. It invests in early- and growth-stage startups across geo-energy, enterprise technology, fintech, industrial technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, medical technology, biotechnology, mobility, and other deep-tech sectors. The firm seeks scalable companies with strong leadership and aims to form long-term partnerships that enable global growth, with a focus on the Middle East, China, and other developing markets. It leverages Aramco Ventures’ global network and domain expertise to support portfolio companies at the intersection of energy, technology, and sustainability.

AM Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on industrial 3D printing and additive manufacturing. Based in Starnberg, Germany, it invests in companies developing novel materials, software, and hardware for additive manufacturing and supports startups from seed to growth stages. The firm provides capital, mentorship, and access to a global network of industry experts to help portfolio companies scale, refine business models, and pursue sustainable applications in climate change, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing. With a track record of successful exits and a broad international footprint, AM Ventures aims to accelerate innovation in the AM ecosystem.

Almi Invest is a Swedish early-stage venture capital firm and part of the Almi Group. It funds startups across sustainability, industry, technology, and life sciences, from pre-seed to Series A, and typically co-invests with independent private investors to accelerate growth. The firm provides strategic guidance, active board participation, and access to a broad investor network to help portfolio companies scale. As part of Almi Group, Almi Invest collaborates with public funds and regional partners to support entrepreneurs and promote sustainable economic development in Sweden.

SAIC Capital is the corporate venture capital arm of SAIC Motor, investing in direct and fund-of-funds opportunities with a focus on early and growth-stage mobility and automotive technology. It targets areas such as new energy vehicles, intelligent connected vehicles, automotive electronics, lightweight materials, and related information technologies, pursuing strategic investments and value creation for SAIC and partner investors. The firm generally concentrates its activity in China while maintaining a global footprint that includes the Silicon Valley, enabling collaboration with startups and technology partners to advance SAIC's vehicle platforms and industrial operations.

Draper Associates is a venture capital firm founded in 1985 and based in San Mateo, California. It focuses on seed-stage to Series A investments in North America, backing early-stage companies developing transformational technologies in artificial intelligence, robotics, biotech, crypto, space, and related deep-tech fields. The firm emphasizes a founders-first approach, supporting visionary entrepreneurs building disruptive platforms and aiming for substantial growth and impact.

Desjardins Group is a cooperative financial group headquartered in Montreal, Canada, founded in 1900. It offers a broad range of financial services to individuals and businesses, including personal banking products such as credit and prepaid cards, loans, fixed-rate investments, and insurance, as well as business financing, cash management, trade finance, payroll and HR solutions, and group retirement plans. The group also operates asset management, wealth management, venture capital, and securities businesses, providing institutional and corporate investment management, debt and equity capital markets, and research. Through its cooperative model and regional network, Desjardins supports development and growth across sectors in Quebec and across Canada while focusing on member and community prosperity.

State Development & Investment Corporation is a state-owned investment holding company based in Beijing, China, with a diversified portfolio spanning infrastructure investments, financial services, and international business; it engages in electric power, coal development, ports and shipping, urban environmental protection, biomass energy, health, and related sectors, and provides financial services, asset management, consulting, engineering design, property management, and project services, while pursuing direct investments and international trade and cooperation; the company aligns its development activities with national strategies, integrating industrial investment with financial services and global operations to support economic growth and optimize its asset mix through strategic planning and government-market collaboration.

SFC Capital is a United Kingdom-based venture capital firm, founded in 2012, that backs early-stage startups across sectors such as software, technology, e-commerce, consumer, enterprise, fintech, healthcare, and digital health. It provides capital and strategic support to seed and pre-seed companies and operates primarily in the UK, with activity centered in London and Northwich.

Seas Capital is a venture capital firm founded in 2019. It concentrates on structural innovation opportunities and operates around three investment theses: Globalization, Sustainable Development, and Interdisciplinary Application. The firm emphasizes rigorous in-depth research to generate unique insights and seeks long-term value through its portfolio companies.

Incubate Fund is a venture capital firm founded in 2010 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It focuses on seed and early-stage investments in technology startups across sectors including media, entertainment, gaming, online commerce, logistics, healthcare, financial services, real estate, and housing, with a geographic reach that includes North America, Japan, and Asia. The firm typically makes equity investments from $200,000 to $3 million and has built a portfolio of more than 300 companies, achieving multiple exits through public listings and M&A since its inception.

Merck is a German science and technology company based in Darmstadt. Founded in 1668, it operates three main business areas: Life Science, which provides laboratory consumables and instruments for researchers; Electronics, which offers specialty materials for manufacturing semiconductors and displays; and Healthcare, which develops and sells branded pharmaceuticals with significant concentrations in oncology, neurology and fertility, supported by patient devices and digital health solutions. The company serves customers worldwide across Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and Latin America. Historically, the business is distinct from Merck & Co. in the United States and Canada, which operates under a different name in those markets. Merck is one of the oldest operating chemical and pharmaceutical companies.

Cantos Ventures is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm founded in 2016 that backs early-stage technology companies across climate, biotechnology, aerospace, computing, and related sectors. The firm focuses on pre-seed and seed investments, supporting founders pursuing near-frontier deep-tech solutions tackling global challenges in decarbonization, AI-driven discovery, biomanufacturing, and autonomous systems. Its investments span renewable energy, defense tech, space, and advanced materials, aiming to back founders who can transform industries, steward the planet, and address pressing global needs.

In-Q-Tel, also known as IQT, is a not-for-profit venture capital firm based in Tysons, Virginia. It identifies and supports venture-backed startups developing technologies that address mission needs of U.S. government agencies, with a focus on enhancing national security and public safety. IQT accelerates the development and deployment of innovations in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, communications, data analytics, and related advanced technologies, translating early-stage breakthroughs into practical applications for defense, intelligence, and federal missions. The firm collaborates with portfolio companies and government partners to align technology capabilities with mission requirements, facilitating rapid transfer from innovation to government use. Over its multi-decade history, IQT has built a global network and a portfolio of dozens of companies valued at more than a billion dollars, reflecting its role as a specialized investor that bridges commercial innovation and government needs.

Parkwalk Advisors is a London-based venture capital firm focused on investing in UK university spinouts and other research-intensive technology companies across sectors such as artificial intelligence, big data, life sciences, cleantech, materials, medical technology, quantum computing and the future of mobility. The firm targets early- to growth-stage opportunities and typically engages in seed to growth capital rounds, prioritizing UK-based companies originating from university research. Parkwalk leverages academic networks, technology transfer offices and venture ecosystems to access high-quality deal-flow and supports portfolio companies through development toward scale. Founded in 2009, Parkwalk operates in connection with IP Group, a university IP commercialisation company.

UP Partners is an early‑stage venture capital firm that concentrates on mobility and infrastructure technologies that fuse artificial intelligence with physical systems. The firm backs startups aiming to transform transportation, robotics, energy, engineering, and aerospace, partnering with visionary founders to accelerate innovations with broad societal impact. Its team comprises engineers, pilots, and industrialists who collaborate with portfolio companies to advance development, deployment, and scale while addressing global challenges. Based in Santa Monica, California, UP Partners focuses on opportunities in the moving world and seeks to support companies that enable more efficient, safer, and smarter mobility solutions.

Mercia Asset Management is a UK-based asset management firm focused on equity and debt investments, offering a Complete Capital Solution across venture, private equity and debt. It combines managed funds with proprietary capital to back growth-oriented companies and seeks to deliver value for business owners, shareholders and fund investors. The firm invests across sectors including digital and digital entertainment, electronics, materials, manufacturing, engineering, life sciences and biosciences, software and e-commerce, and internet services.

Playground Global is a Palo Alto-based venture capital firm founded in 2015 that backs early-stage deep-tech startups. It focuses on next-generation computing, automation, energy transition, engineered biology, AI, and materials science, supporting scientists and engineers through interdisciplinary collaboration to transform ambitious ideas into impactful technologies. The firm often serves as a first investor, aiming to accelerate breakthroughs with a hands-on, technically driven approach.

Lux Capital is a New York-based venture capital firm founded in 2000 that funds seed- and early-stage companies, with occasional growth investments, in science- and engineering-driven sectors. It backs ventures applying scientific research to commercial applications across artificial intelligence, biotechnology, advanced materials, electronics, aerospace and space technology, satellites, drones, robotics, synthetic biology, genomics, 3D printing, and related infrastructure. The firm provides capital alongside strategic input on product development, team building and long-term positioning, taking an active role to help translate complex innovations into scalable businesses. With offices in New York and Silicon Valley, Lux has helped launch more than 20 companies and manages several billion dollars in assets. It emphasizes deep scientific insight, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and an early-stage focus, aiming to connect portfolio companies with markets and industry leadership.

Matterwave Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Munich, Germany, that backs early-stage hardware and software companies across Europe. It focuses on Deep Tech, Climate Tech and Industrial Tech, and takes seed and Series A stakes in firms developing ground‑breaking hardware, software, and materials, components, or systems. The firm is sector-neutral and leverages its industry knowledge and connections to help portfolio companies scale and transform industrial value chains, promoting a sustainable, digitalized, and globally competitive manufacturing landscape. Its investments span areas such as additive manufacturing, quantum computing, geospatial data, space technology, supply chain visibility, data privacy, and decarbonization, and it supports digital transformation and upskilling to create high-value exports. Matterwave operates across 12 countries and manages approximately €250 million in assets, with a team that brings more than 65 years of combined investment experience.

Cowin Capital is an investment firm based in Shenzhen, China, founded in 2000, specializing in private placement equity investments in small and medium-sized enterprises with a long-term horizon. It funds pioneering ventures across a range of sectors, including health, technology, telecommunications, energy, electronics and environmental protection, and supports growth from early stage through expansion. The firm has invested in hundreds of companies and has facilitated numerous exits or public listings, reflecting a track record of helping portfolio companies scale and reach new markets.

Global Brain is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm established in 1998 that invests in technology companies from seed to pre-IPO stages and operates across Europe, North America, Africa and Asia-Pacific. The firm backs startups in sectors such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud and software-as-a-service, cybersecurity, advertisement, agritech, foodtech, climate technology, and commerce, among others, and emphasizes hands-on support and resources to portfolio companies. It manages pure investment funds as well as corporate venture funds formed with leading public companies, enabling strategic collaboration and broader networks. Over its history, Global Brain has invested in hundreds of startups and facilitated numerous exits including IPOs and mergers and acquisitions, underscoring its active role in building early-stage technology companies.

Fifth Wall is a venture capital firm founded in 2016 that concentrates on technology for the global real estate industry. It focuses on real estate technology, property technology, climate and energy solutions, and manages multiple funds that target both early and later stages. The firm partners with large owners and operators of real estate and maintains a broad network of strategic partners worldwide to accelerate portfolio companies. With a substantial capital base, it has reported commitments around three billion and leverages its network to enable partnerships, deployments, and collaborations across the Built World. Investments span across sectors such as retail, industrial, hospitality, multi-family, homebuilding, office, and brokerage, aiming to scale breakthrough technologies that address industry challenges like obsolescence and climate impact. Fifth Wall emphasizes connecting corporate investors seeking innovation with portfolio companies, fostering strategic opportunities and resilience in real estate and related infrastructure.

Winreal Investment is a venture capital firm headquartered in Shanghai, China. Founded in 2015, the firm concentrates on technology-oriented investments in sectors such as advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, and information technology.

Inflexor Ventures is a Hyderabad, India-based venture capital firm that backs early-stage startups from seed to Series A+, focusing on technology-driven businesses and IP-enabled innovation across sectors such as healthtech, fintech, consumertech, cleantech, edutech, agritech, robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, cybersecurity, drones, and virtual reality and augmented reality.

Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania is a nonprofit organization founded in 1982 that strengthens the Philadelphia region's technology ecosystem by providing capital, strategic guidance, and professional connections to technology startups and growth companies across Philadelphia, Bucks, Delaware, Chester, and Montgomery counties. It serves as a seed-stage capital provider and investor across information technology, health, and physical sciences, advancing technology commercialization through university–industry partnerships and regional initiatives. The organization aims to accelerate innovation, create jobs, and build a robust entrepreneurial community by offering funding, mentorship, and access to a broad network of resources.

Energy Impact Partners is a New York-based investment firm founded in 2015 that focuses on the energy transition and sustainable technologies. It invests globally across venture, growth, credit, and infrastructure, aiming to accelerate innovation by partnering with entrepreneurs and energy and industrial companies. The firm manages more than $2.5 billion in assets under management and operates funds that include a European Fund based in London to invest in Europe, reflecting its global reach. Its focus spans energy efficiency, clean energy generation and storage, smart grids, distributed generation, mobility, and related software and services that support decarbonization.

European Investment Fund is the EU's financing arm for small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-caps, providing financial instruments to improve access to affordable financing for businesses across their lifecycle, with a focus on innovation, growth, competitiveness, social impact and sustainability. The EIF leverages its capital base to foster public-private partnerships and allocates guarantees and equity funding to catalyze lending and investment for startups and small businesses throughout Europe, including EU member states, candidate countries and EFTA countries. It collaborates with partners to close funding gaps and support entrepreneurship and economic resilience.