Katalista Ventures

Hybrid accelerator / fund. Looking at triple top line benefit: people, planet, profit.

Prefer B2B and software. Others are possible in especially strong cases.

Active investor. Putting time into each company. Comfortable with minority stakes. Prefer to co-invest.

 

bValue

Focus on B2B, especially light-touch sales model SaaS for SMEs. B2C, B2B to large enterprises and B2G are also possible in strong cases.

Geographically focus is on CEE, but elsewhere in EU is also possible. Non-EU companies are investable if they establish an office in EU.

Focus on software and valuations below €20M, but occasionally invests in hardware, or especially strong cases with higher valuations.

Active investor. Normally doesn’t take a board seat.

Presto Ventures

Presto Ventures is a Czech family office. They prefer B2B companies, but can also invest in B2C with good unit economics.

Family office of Skoda transportation company’s ex-owner. Heavy machinery is a special expertise area. Fund preference is for not too capital-intensive companies.

Karma Ventures

Karma Ventures invest into early-stage deep tech software in Baltics, Nordics, and in especially strong cases also elsewhere in Europe.

They’re looking for companies with technological advantage. Doesn’t have to be IPR, but something valuable and very hard to imitate. They look for companies with traction, first clients validating the demand, but in exceptional cases pre-revenue can also be considered.

In terms of sectors, life sciences are not their focus, but deep tech B2B health software can be interesting.

They prefer to lead, co-lead or invest solo.

Contrarian Ventures

Contrarian Ventures is a European fund investing into companies transforming the energy sector, including where and how it is used, with an emphasis on sustainability. They are also interested all energy tech, e-mobility, automation, AI, hydrogen, energy grids, and energy storage. They have an especial liking for software and hardware-enabled software.

They focus on B2B, but are interested in especially strong B2C and B2G cases as well.

The partners have extensive expertise and networks in energy and its associated sectors in addition to startups and venture capital. They have a singular focus on helping the best energy-related startups succeed.

They prefer to lead or co-lead in deals. They’re an active investor, seeking to add value through their network, expertise and services for all portfolio companies. They often look for a place on the board, at least as an observer. Their HQ is in Vilnius with partners based in London and other key European cities.

Helen Ventures

Helen Ventures is the €50M energy CVC fund of Helsinki energy company Helen. Their investments are connected to energy: production, storage, transmission, usage, saving, carbon neutrality, digital and other operational solutions for a large energy company, and related solution areas like mobility and circular economy.