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* Article updated August 29, 2022, with new insights.
Venture capital (VC) firms are on the rise, and the growth of venture capital in Europe is no exception.
If you’re searching for an avenue to bring your business to market or to scale and develop your company, European VC firms offer many opportunities.
But where to begin? Begin with this list! In this article, you will find the top 100 European venture capitalists, the VC firm they are part of, their specifications for investment (industry-wise), and the companies they’ve funded. Below the list, you'll find in-depth information on the European VC market.
Setting the scene for VC Europe
It’s a tricky time for finances - there’s inflation, an energy crisis, a lingering pandemic, and a war to deal with - but money still changes hands. A prime example of this is venture capital in Europe. The first half of 2022 has been off to a strong start, with about €54.4 billion (approximately $55.53 billion) invested in over 6,033 deals. European venture capitalists continue to successfully “recruit” non-traditional investors at a pace that’s dipped only slightly since 2021, and the lion’s share of the venture capital in Europe has gone to late-stage companies.
VC Europe is perhaps different from regular Europe, as even in troubled times, money continues to circulate uninterrupted.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the folks behind the numbers: the top 100 European venture capitalists. Their industries may differ, but their impact is the same: supporting global development and innovation for the future of business.
The Top Venture Capitalists in Europe
360 Capital
360 Capital is a venture capital company investing in deep-tech ad digital businesses around Europe. They mainly invest in early-stage startups. Companies they invested in include Otherwise, Euroffice and Invendo Medical.
Location: Milan, Italy
FAUSTO BONI
Boni is a Founder and General Partner at 360 Capital. During his career, he was a manager at McKinsey & Company for four years. Since then, he founded 360 Capital where he has been working for 22 years. Notable investments include Yoox, Mutuionline, EPS (Electro Power System), Exotec Solutions and Bemyeye.
Twitter: @fboni
FRANCOIS TISON
Francois Tison has been a Partner at 360 Capital for 14 years. Prior to this, he was a Partner at Net Partners and an Associate Director at Nomura. He has also worked as a Director in Strategy Planning at France Telecom.
Twitter: @360ft
ALEXANDRE MORDACQ
Alexandre Mordacq is a Partner of 360 Capital. He has completed his Master's in Management and New Technologies from HEC Paris and since then he has worked as a Board Member of many companies such as Exotrail, Alsid, and Earthcube.
Twitter: @AlexMordac
EMANUELE LEVI
Emanuele Levi has been a General Partner at 360 Capital for 13 years. His career included positions as a Board Member for several companies such as Tiller Systems, Tediber, and Bergamotte.
Twitter: @emanuele_paris
AAC Capital Partners
AAC Capital is a private equity company investing in sector-leading companies in Benelux. The firm is a part of UN PRI. Some companies they invested in are Desotec, Orangefield Group, and Salad Signature.
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
BERT-JAN ROZESTRATEN
Bert-Jan Rozestraten is a Partner and the CFO of AAC Capital Partners. AAC Capital Partners is a private equity firm that invests in sector-leading companies and partners with management to support businesses in their long-term autonomous growth.
Accel
Accel Partners was founded in 1983 in Palo Alto, California and have an office in London. It is an early and growth-stage VC firm investing mainly in technology areas such as consumer, mobile, security technology. Their investments include Facebook, Slack, BlaBlaCar, Spotify, and Jet.com.
Location: London, United Kingdom
HARRY NELIS
Harry Nelis is a partner at Accel and part of the Board of Directors at Funding Circle UK. He has also worked with KAYAK and Goldman Sachs.
Twitter: @hnelis
SONALI DE RYCKER
Sonali De Rycker is a partner at Accel. She is also currently a Board Member at Shift Technology, KRY, and Wallapop. Furthermore, she is an investor in companies such as Spotify and Lyst.
Twitter: @sonalidr
KEVIN COMOLLI
Kevin Comolli has been a Managing General Partner at Accel venture capital company for almost 20 years. Before this, he was a Partner at Doughty Hanson and Executive Director at Goldman Sachs.
Twitter: @KevinComolli
Active Venture Partners
Active Venture is a venture capital company investing in digital startups. They established Venturepreneur's Organisation to promote the relationships between entrepreneurs investing in early-stage companies. They have offices in Spain, Germany, and Scandinavia.
Location: Barcelona, Spain
PHILIPP SCHROEDER
Philipp Schroeder is a founding partner of Active Venture Partners. Moreover, he is also a partner at Endeit Capital. Besides his many roles, he also founded Venturepreneurs' Organisation and worked as a Mentor in Microsoft Accelerator and Techstars.
Twitter: @HAMBCN
Acton Capital Partners
Acton Capital is Europe's leading late-stage venture capital company. Since 1999 they invested in more than 70 companies worldwide. They have a strong focus in the European and North American markets. They funded companies such as Etsy, HomeToGo, and Momox.
Location: Munich, Germany
CHRISTOPH BRAUN
Dr. Christoph Braun is a founding partner at Acton Capital Partners. Prior to this, he was the Managing Director at Hubert Burda Media and was the Engagement Manager for McKinsey & Company as well. He received his MBA degree from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and his PhD at Ludwig-Maximilians Universitat Munchen.
Adara Venture Partners
Adara Ventures invested in seed-stage startups with a high potential to create lasting value. They funded companies such as LoopUp, Stratio, and CBNL (Cambridge Broadband Networks).
Location: Madrid, Spain
NICOLAS GOULET
Nicolas Goulet is a Managing Partner at Adara Venture Partners. He holds a Master of Science Degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusets Institute of Technology (MIT) and his MBA in Business Administration from INSEAD.
Twitter: @nrgoulet
Atlantic Labs
Atlantic Labs was established in 2008 by Christophe Maire in Berlin. They back mission-driven founders working on transformative technology ventures.
Location: Berlin, Germany
CHRISTOPHE MAIRE
With over 18 years of experience in technology ventures, Christophe founded Atlantic Labs where he is currently the CEO. He also founded gate5 and sold it to Nokia in 2006. Christophe was also involved in Brands4Friends (eBay), Readmill (Dropbox) as an angel investor.
Atomico
Atomico invests in game-changing startups and future leaders. Its team of investors and advisors includes operational leaders who were responsible for global expansion, hiring, user growth, and marketing at Skype, Google, Uber, Facebook, and Spotify.
Location: London, United Kingdom
NIKLAS ZENNSTROM
Niklas Zennström is the Founding Partner and CEO of Atomico. Besides working with Atomico, he also fights against climate change through Zennström Philanthropies.
Twitter: @niklaszennstrom
Axon Partners Group
Axon Partners Group is a group of entrepreneurs investing in early and growth-stage startups. Some of the investments include Pangea, Neumarket, Turismoi, and Enmedio.
Location: Madrid, Spain
FRANCISCO VELÁZQUEZ
Francisco Velázquez is a Founder and President at the company Axon Partners Group established in 2006. Besides that, he is a Member of the Board at the company Le Pain Quotidien and a Vice President at Club Deportivo Numancia. He studied Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.
DIMITRI KALLINIS
Dimitri Kallinis is a Managing Partner at Axon Partners Grou. He has more than 15 years of hands-on experience in operations and consulting in the technology sector. He was also a Co-Founder and Residential Marketing Director of Greek triple-play fixed-line telecom operators.
Twitter: @DKallinis
Balderton Capital
Balderton Capital supports the leading technology companies based in Europe and belongs to one of Europe's leading early-stage venture capital investors. They are the largest VC firm in the UK and have invested in companies like Big Fish Games, Circle, HouseTrip, and Vivino.
Location: London, United Kingdom
LAURA CONNELL
Laura Connell is the current Principal at Balderton Capital. She has previously worked in the Department of Medicine in Neuroscience Research at Imperial College London. She also worked in Investment Banking & Management at Goldman Sachs. She studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Oxford.
DANIEL WATERHOUSE
Daniel Waterhouse is a General Partner at Balderton Capital. He used to be a General Partner in Wellington Partners. He also used to be a Board Member of companies like EyeEm, LiveBookings, and Readmill. He was also an Investor in the companies SumAll and BonusBox GmbH.
BERNARD LIAUTAUD
Bernard Liautaud is a Managing Partner at Balderton Capital. Besides this, he is a Co-Founder of Dashlane - a software company that provides digital identity to the small businesses and customers.
Twitter: @Bliautaud
LARS FJELDSOE-NIELSEN
Lars Fjeldsoe-Nielsen is a General Partner at Balderton Capital. He worked as an Advisor to the business team at WhatsApp, Head of Mobile at Dropbox and as an Advisor and VP Mobile at Uber. He is also a Member of the Board to companies including Hiya Inc., Tempow and VOI Technology.
Twitter: @LarsFNielsen
BGF (Business Growth Fund)
BGF invests in growing businesses, helping them to develop their mission and vision. They invest in the first part of agreements and afterwards with the follow-on investments. Some of the funded firms: ACRO, BARBURRITO, and LoopMe.
Location: London, United Kingdom
MATTHEW REED
Matthew Reed is the current COO at Business Growth Fund. He worked in Financial Control for J. P. Morgan. Business Growth Fund is an active investor in entrepreneurs and growing companies in the UK and Ireland.
Bonsai Venture Capital
Bonsai Venture Capital is a company supporting startups in the early and growth-stags. They support mobile-focused startup based on e-health, games, and security. Companies they support include CitiBox, Cornerjob, and SaluPro.
Location: Madrid, Spain
JAVIER CEBRIÁN MONEREO
Javier Cebrián Monereo is a General Partner at the company Bonsai Partners for over two years, however, he is the CEO and a shareholder of the company Bonsai Venture Capital SCR. Furthermore, he is a Board Member of the firm Gigas in Madrid.
LUIS GONZÁLEZ BUENDÍA
Luis Gonzáles Buendía is a Director of Finance and Legal at Bonsai Venture Capital. He has a wide experience in finance working in private equity and venture capital firms. His skills include angel investing, entrepreneurship, and corporate development.
Cabiedes and Partners
Cabiedes & Partners is an angel investing company which invests in early-stage startups in the Internet and TIC Ventures across Spain.
Location: Madrid, Spain
LUIS MARTIN CABIEDES
Luis Martin Cabiedes used to be CEO of Europa Press until 2011. Later on, he became a private investor and currently continues as a partner in the company Cabiedes & Partners, which is an early-stage investment company. Besides that, he is a lecturer at IESE Business School in entrepreneurship.
Twitter: @luismcabiedes
Catagonia Capital
Catagonia Capital invests in startups and already established businesses. They support companies with potentially successful strategies for digital transformation. Companies they invested in include Lanes&Planes, Tandem, and Firmen-KFZ.de.
Location: Berlin, Germany
RALPH ERIC KUNZ
Ralph Eric Kunz is a founding partner of Catagonia Capital and also a Managing Partner at Co-Investor Group. He has a background in the field of high-tech, telecom and venture industries around Europe and the US.
Twitter: @RalphEKunz
Eight Roads Ventures
Eight Roads Ventures is an investment company in Europe, Asia and North America. They supported a global leader in communications MCI - Continental Cablevision, one of the first cable networks in the world and video game manufacturer- ATARI.
Location: London, United Kingdom
VYTAUTAS BALSYS
Vytautas Balsysworked his way to the principal position at Eight Road Ventures. Prior to this, he used to work at McKinsey & Partners as an Associate and later an Engagement Manager between the years 2012-2014.
Twitter: @vbalsys
DAVOR HEBEL
Davor Hebel is the Managing Partner and Head of Eight Roads Ventures Europe. Davor joined Eight Roads in 2005 and is currently investing a $375m scale-up fund. Earlier in his career, Davor spent several years at McKinsey & Company, where he advised companies on issues of strategy and technology. He was also an entrepreneur in his native Croatia.
MICHAEL TRESKOW
Michael Treskow is a Partner at Eight Roads Ventures, focusing on venture and growth investments in technology companies across Europe. Previously, Michael was at Accel in London, where he was involved with companies such as Celonis, Funding Circle, GoCardless, Packlink, Qubit, Semmle, Shift Technology, SpaceApe, WeaveWorks, and WorldRemit. Originally from Russia, Michael lived for 10 years in Berlin, before spending another 10+ years in the US. He received a BA from Yale University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
LUCILE CORNET
Lucile Cornet is a principal at Eight Roads Ventures. During her career, she worked as an analyst for Merrill Lynch and Moelis & company. She invested in many firms including Compte-Nickel, OTA Insight, and Fuse Universal.
Twitter: @LucileCornet
Elysian Capital
Elysian Capital is a venture capital firm helping management teams and investors with their operational skills. They have developed their experience and skill for over 25 years. Some of the companies they funded include Wellbeing, Sambro, and Axis.
Location: London, United Kingdom
KEN TERRY
Ken Terry is the CEO at Elysian Capital LLP. Prior to this, he worked in Doughty Hanson as a partner for 19 years. He studied Economics at the University of Leads, and History at the University of Essex.
DAVID COLCLOUGH
David Colclough is a partner at Elysian Capital LLP. He worked as an Investment Director for Business Growth Fund and a Corporate Finance Manager for PwC prior to Elysian Capital LLP. They acquire majority stakes in growth businesses that are valued between 20-100 million euros.
Encomenda VC
Encomenda is a VC firm investing in seed startups in Spain. In the last 10 years, they invested in more than 100 startups. For example Etoshi, Nemuru, and Refruiting. They created a Super Angel Fund where they could invest more resources.
Location: Barcelona, Spain
CARLOS BLANCO
Current Managing Partner and Co-Founder at Encomeda Smart Capital, Carlos Blanco is a Serial Entrepreneur and VC Investor. He was an angel investor in over 85 startups and even coached football.
Twitter: @carlosblanco
Estonian Business Angel Network
EstBAN is an angel company that is seeking investors and startups with potential in Estonia and neighbouring countries. It is a member of the European Trade Association for Business Angels, Seed Funds and Estonian Venture Capital Association (EstVCA).
Location: Tallinn, Estonia
IVAR SIIMAR
Ivar Siimar is a Founder of Estonian Business Angel Network (EstBAN) and a member of Nordic Business Angel Network. On top of this, he is also a Co-founder and Partner of Trind Ventures.
Twitter: @ivarsiimar
Experior Venture Fund
Experior Venture Fund is an investor in Poland. They invest in high-growth innovative companies with the potential of generating cash. The project is co-financed by Switzerland. The funding that EVF offers financial and know-how support from the experienced team.
Location: Warsaw, Poland
KINGA STANISŁAWSKA
Kinga Stanislawska is a Co-Founder of Experior Venture Fund. She is a VC investor, senior finance professional, and the Founder of European Women in VC. Experior Venture Fund invests in Central and Eastern European (CEE) data-driven startups with the ambition to expand internationally.
Twitter: @KingaStan1
FinLab
FinLab is one of the largest investor companies situated in Germany. Their focus is mostly on the financial services of the technology sector. Companies they invested in include Iconic Holding, Nextmarkets, and Deposit Solutions.
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
STEFAN SCHÜTZE
Stefan Schutze has been a member of the board of FinLab for more than 15 years. Apart from this, he is a member of the supervisory board at Kapilendo AG as well as Artec Technologies AG.
Twitter: @stefan_schuetze
Forbion
Forbion invests in technology and life sciences startups. They choose to invest in startups that have a positive impact on people's health and well-being, like Northsea Therapeutics and Escalier Biosciences.
Location: Naarden, Netherlands
SANDER SLOOTWEG
Sander Slootweg is a Co-Owner and a Managing Partner at the venture capital company Forbion. In the past, he worked as a director at ABN AMRO Bank in Amsterdam for more than 13 years.
MARTIEN VAN OSCH
Martien van Osch is a Managing Partner at Forbion. He has worked as a senior quantitative analyst, later on as the director at ABN AMRO for seven years. For five years he has been the Director of Circulite.
Twitter: @MartinevOsch
GEERT-JAN MULDER
Geert-Jan Mulder is a Co-Founder and a Managing Partner at Forbion. He is a Board Member on Forbios investments Promedior Inc., Sanifit, and AM-Pharma. In 2004 he successfully raised investment in Bluebird Bio where he supported clinical development as a chairman on the board for seven years.
HOLGER REITHINGER
Holger Reithinger is a Partner at Forbion. He has worked as a Board Director and later as a member of the board at Cellnovo Group SA. Currently, he is a Board Director of Gotham Therapeutics in Munich and a Board Member of OMEICOS Therapeutics GmbH in Berlin.
Twitter: @Nicothing
MARCO BOORSMA
Marco Boorsma is working at Forbion venture capital company where he started as a senior analyst, later principal, until he was partner, and in the end general partner. He has also been a board director at Prexton Therapeutics and at RSPR Pharma AB. Right now he is a board director at Inflazome, Escalier Biosciences, and NorthSea Therapeutics.
Go Beyond Early Stage Investing
Go Beyond Investing is a fin-tech investment fund currently interested in Swiss and European markets with experience in the US. They are a unique VC firm, as they give startups the option to determine their funds needed, and where to invest the investment.
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
BRIGITTE BAUMANN GERVAIS
Brigitte is the founder and CEO at Go Beyond - a FinTech investment company. In 2015, she was awarded European Business Angel of the year.
Twitter: @GoBeyondBA
HV Holtzbrinck Ventures
HV Holzbrinck Ventures belongs to one the largest and most experienced independent venture funds in Europe. They invested in more than 160 companies including Flixbus, Zalando, HelloFresh, and Delivery Hero.
Location: Munich, Germany
CHRISTOPH JUNG
Christoph Jung has been General Partner, as well as Senior Investment Manager at HV Holzbrinck Ventures Adviser for more than nine years. Before this, he worked as a consultant for Bossard Consultants and Gemini Consulting.
IDInvest Partners
IDInvest Partners is a private equity company investing in small and middle-sized companies. They invest in companies with a high potential to succeed. Some of the notable companies they invested in include Burger King, Scandic, Secret Escapes, and Securitas.
Location: Paris, France
CHRISTOPHE M. BAVIERE
Christophe Bavier is the CEO and a managing partner at Idinvest Partners. He has over 15 years of experience in Private Debt Strategies and Private Equity. He used to work for Allianz Global as a European board member and CEO for the French market.
BENOIST GROSSMANN
Benoist Grossmann has been a managing partner at Idinvest for 17 years now. In the past, he was a Partner to Viventures and as a researcher for NASA Langley Research Center.
Index Ventures
Index Ventures is a venture capital company investing in tech startups. Since 1996 they have partnered with some exceptional entrepreneurs in today's technology-shaping world. Some of the companies include Deliveroo, Dropbox, Slack, Adyen, and Supercell.
Location: London, United Kingdom
NEIL RIMER
Since 1992, Neil has actively invested in technology companies around Europe, the US, and Israel. He is a current Partner at Index Ventures and received his MBA at Harvard Business School.
Twitter: @narimer
JAN HAMMER
Jan Hammer focuses on venture and growth-stage investments in technology sub-sectors, particularly in financial services and information services. He is currently working with companies such as Adyen, Robinhood, Capitolis, Alan, and more. He is also a current General Partner at Index Ventures.
INKEF Capital
INKEF Capital is an early-stage investment company that is investing in startups that are solving various problems in the technological and healthcare industries. They invested in, for example, PolarSteps, Corporis Medical and Blendle.
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
ROEL BULTHUIS
Roel Bulthuis is a new managing director for INKEF Capital since January 2019. Before, he used to be a senior vice president and managing director at M Ventures for 9 years. He also has worked as a director in biotechnology investment banking at the company Fortis Bank and as the associate director at Serono International.
ROBERT JAN GALEMA
Robert Jan Galema has been a managing director at INKEF Capital for over five years. Before this, he was the CEO of the Lifestyle Incubator at Phillips and also a Senior Vice President for the product and brand at Electrolux Major Appliances.
Innogest Capital
Innogest Capital focuses on seed and early-stage ventures. They have over 100 years of professional experience in the digital and healthcare fields. They have three main offices in Milan, Turin, and San Francisco.
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
GIOVANNI LEO
Giovanni Leo is the Venture Partner for Innogest Capital. He used to work for Acrostak Corp. and co-founded Isotopes and Metals Ltd. He has an Executive MBA in Management and Corporate Finance from HEC of Lusanne and a degree in Management Engineering from Politecnico in Milan, Italy.
Innovacom
Innovacom invests in companies with a technological impact, because their general belief is that technology is going to rule the future. Companies they invested in include Dimelo, Cozy.io, and CAILabs.
Location: Paris, France
VINCENT DELTRIEU
Vincent Deltrieu is currently a partner and member of the board at the company Innovacom. He has experience in digital and high potential technology growth ventures and has been a board member of companies Exagan, RobArt, and MicroEJ.
Iona Capital
Iona Capital is a company that is managing funds for the investors including the equity and subordinated debt. They mostly support projects focusing on BioEnergy.
Location: London, United Kingdom
NICK ROSS
Nick Ross has been director of Iona Capital, a venture capital company for the last eight years. His previous position included a fund manager position at Electra Partners and managing partner at Acuity Capital LLP.
Italian Angels for Growth
IAG is a venture capital firm investing in early-stage startups focusing mostly on fintech, life sciences, Internet and technology in Italy. They have invested in AppQuality, BigProfiles, and GenomeUp.
Location: Milan, Italy
GIACOMO VALENTINI
Giacomo Valentini is a managing director of Italian Angels for Growth. He became an analyst for TT Venture company and later Quadrivio SGR. Since then he was part of Fondo Italiano d'Investimento as a Senior Manager and later on an Investment Manager.
Twitter: @GIVI86
LEONARDO GIAGNONI
Leonardo Giagnoni is currently an investment manager for IAG. He was a senior associate at PwC where he focused on M&A transactions in different industries.
JamJar Investments
JamJar Investments is a venture capital company that has invested in Deliveroo, Bulb, Papier, and Babylon. Important to mention is that they were an angel/VC investor to Innocent Drinks.
Location: London, United Kingdom
RICHARD REED
Richard Reed is British entrepreneur and investor. His biggest success was co-founding Innocent Drinks. Besides this, he is a founder of Art Everywhere and co-founder of JamJar Investments. He also presented in a series called "Be your own boss".
Kernel Capital
Kernel Capital is one of the biggest investing firm focused on technology in Ireland. They are in alliance with The Bank of Ireland. Companies they invested in include Automated Intelligence, ChipSensors, DisplayNote, and Pilot Photonics.
Location: Cork, Ireland
ORLA RIMMINGTON
Orla Rimmington has been a partner in the company Kerner Capital for 12 years. Prior to her partner role, she was a Project and an Accountant Manager.
GER GOOLD
Ger Goold is a Partner and COO at the company Kernel Capital. He has completed a two-year program specialized in venture capital, high-growth, and cultivation of high-technology at Society of Kauffman Fellows in Palo Alto. He worked as a Non-Executive Director at MPSTOR Limited and BioAtlantis Limited.
Twitter: @GGoold
NIALL OLDEN
Niall Olden is a Managing Partner at Kernel Capital. He is a Member of the Cork Education & Training Board, the Audit Committee at University College Cork. He has been a member of the Kauffman Fellows Program at the Society of Kauffman Fellows in Palo Alto.
JAYNE BRADY
Jayne Brady has broad experience in the ICT industry and executive positions within startups and blue-chip companies. She has mentored and managed many technology startups in the UK, India, and China. In 2019 she received an honorary doctorate from Queen's University Belfast for her service to business and commerce.
ALLEN MARTIN
Allen Martin is a senior investment executive, as well as a Partner at Kernel Capital. He has a background of working in corporate finance (Ulster Bank) and as an Executive within Invest NI's Corporate Finance Division.
DENISE SIDHU
Denise Sidhu is a Finance Director and Partner at the Investment Company Kernel Capital. She has broad experience working in finance. She has been a Financial Controller (Bank of Nova Scotia), Head of Finance (Standard Bank Trust Jersey Limited), and Head of Finance at Ulster Bank Commercial Services Ltd.
Twitter: @SidhuDenise
Kibo Ventures
Kibo Ventures is a venture capital company focusing on digital technology startups. They have global-minded teams in Europe, US, and Asia. Some of the notable companies they funded include BlueLiv., Vilynx, and PromoFarma.
Location: Madrid, Spain
AQUILINO PEÑA
Aquilino Peña is the Founder of Kibo Ventures. He played an important role as an entrepreneur, operator, and business angel in the digital industry in the late '90s. He graduated from Harvard Business School where he also finished his MBA.
Twitter: @Aquilino
JAVIER TORREMOCHA
Javier Torremocha is a Founding Partner at Kibo Ventures. He has a great deal of experience in venture capital from his involvement with Kibo Ventures and Netjuice capital, and top-tier financial institutions like Lehman Brothers and USB.
Twitter: @torremochaj
Kreos Capital
Kreos Capital is an investment company helping high-growth companies with a deep understanding of the requirements of high-growth companies and therefore provides them with the debt-funding facilities in order to grow.
Location: London, United Kingdom
ROSS AHLGREN
Ross Ahlgren is a General Partner at Kreos Capital and received his MBA from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University. Kreos Capital is Europe’s leading provider of debt facilities for high growth companies. Kreos Capital has invested more than 2.4 billion Euros in over 540 companies across sectors and in 15 countries.
Langholm Capital
Langholm Capital combines private equity skills with sector expertise and local market presence. They analyze the market to see how customer behaviour is changing and therefore how and where to position their invested businesses to gain profit.
Location: London, United Kingdom
BERT WIEGMAN
Bert Wiegman is a Senior Partner at Langholm Capital LLP. He has invested in some companies such as Tyrrells, Lumene, Bart Spices, and Dorset Cereals.
Lanta Digital Ventures
Lanta Digital Ventures invests in startups specializing in the field of Internet, mobile, healthcare and technology in Spain and Europe. Some of the companies they invested in include Apartum, The PayPro, and Traity.
Location: Barcelona, Spain
ÁNGEL GARCÍA
Ángel García is a founding partner at Lanta Digital Ventures and at Startupbootcamp. He has completed an executive program at Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Twitter: @angelgarciabcn
LocalGlobe
LocalGlobe was established in 1999 and invests in upcoming startup companies. They have invested in the seed-stage of companies such as Citymapper, Zoopla, Lovefilm, and Transferwise.
Location: London, United Kingdom
SAUL KLEIN
Saul Klein is a co-founder of LocalGlobe venture company and an Executive Fellow of London Business School. He graduated from Literature in the University of Cambridge in Literature in 1992 and since then he founded/co-founded SeedCamp, Kano Computing, and Latitude.
Twitter: @cape
LVenture Group
LVenture Group is a holding company investing in digital startups. It is helping the startups with the acceleration process from the seed to generating profit from exit operations.
Location: Rome, Italy
LUIGI CAPELLO
In 2007, he Co-founded Italian Angels for Growth. He moved to Silicon Valley in 2010 and is the current CEO of LVenture Group and the Founder of LUISS ENLABS. He has been mentioned in the 100 most influential leaders of startup accelerators by Hot Topics.
Twitter: @gigicapello
Mangrove Capital Partners
Mangrove Capital Partners is helping entrepreneurs, and investing in startups with potential. Some of the unicorns, where they were involved as the early-stage investors are Skype, Wix, and Walkme.
Location: Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
MARK TLUSZCZ
Since 2000, Mark Tlusczc has been on the Board of Directors for Mangrove Capital Partners. He is a current Managing Partner and Co-Founder. He has also been a chairman of the board to the company Wix.com.
Twitter: @marktluszcz
Optimizer Invest
Optimizer Invest funds great teams with the potential to grow internationally. They focus on early-stage companies with strong business cases where they give advice on financial and operational support. Some of the investments include Skilling, SeQura, and MegaLotto.
Location: Balluta Bay, Malta
PETTER MOLDENIUS
Petter Moldenius is the CEO of Optimizer Invest, which is a leading investment firm focusing on iGaming and Lead Generation. Prior to this, he was the Head of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) at Ascom Holding. Optimizer Invest invests and supports companies in fast-growing sectors.
P101
P101 is an investment company focusing on early-stage startups and business development of the companies. Projects they invested in: Octorate, Snap, and Sellf.
Location: Milan, Italy
ANDREA DI CAMILLO
Andrea Di Camillo is a founder of P101 venture capital firm. He has founded companies like Vitaminic, IM3D SpA, Banzai, and Boox.it. Some of the companies he has invested in are Multiply Labs, Deporvillage.com, and Musixmatch. He is a board member of companies Alkemy Digital_enabler, Colvin, and Tannico.
GIUSEPPE DONVITO
Giuseppe Donvito is a partner at P101 venture firm. He worked as the Vice President responsible for principal investments at HSBC Bank in London and since then he has become a board member to many companies like Wonderflow, AIFI, BorsadelCredito.it, and Musement.
Twitter: @GiDonvito
GLENDA GRAZIOLI
Glenda Grazioli began as an investment manager and later she has become a partner at the company P101. She started working as an associate at the company Pino Partecipazioni SpA. Later she continued working as an associate for another company - Dpixel Srl and afterwards as an investment officer at Vela Capital Srl.
STEFANO SIGLIENTI
Stefano Siglienti is a board member at P101. During his career, he has been a Member of the Board of Directors for many companies - such as GiocoDigitale Italia, Banzai, Linkem and Contactlab. Besides P101 he is also a founder and chairman of the company called Vintage Capital.
Twitter: @ssiglienti
Pamplona Capital Partners
Pamplona Capital Partners provides an alternative investment platform within private equity and single manager fund investments. They invest in funds like public pension, multinational corporations and international wealth manager funds.
Location: London, United Kingdom
NICHOLAS GORDON SMITH
Nick Gordon Smith has been a partner at Pamplona Capital Management for over 14 years. He has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry and was Chief Executive Officer of JNR (UK) Ltd.
YVES LEYSEN
Yves Ieysen is a partner at Pamplona Capital Management. Additionally, he is also the Chief Investment Officer at LetterOne Treasury Services. He received his MBA from the University of Chicago.
Par Equity
Par Equity is a venture capital firm focused on early-stage startups. It was created by investors for investors and therefore, they use unique helpful strategies such as government approves tax wrappers like EIR and BPR to increase the return to the investors.
Location: Edinburgh, United Kingdom
PROFESSOR PAUL ATKINSON
Paul Atkinson is a Founding Partner of Par Equity LLP. He is also a chairman of the company Taranata Group, which incorporates Head Medical, Change Recruitment Group and Head Resourcing. On top of it, Paul has founded Direct Resources and RecruitmentScotland.com.
Twitter: @parequitypaul
Partech
Partech is a global investment platform for tech and digital companies. Partech started back in 1982 in Silicon Valley. Some of the companies they support include Acco, Brandwatch and Peanut. However, they have many other notable investments in their portfolio.
Location: Paris, France
OMRI BENAYOUN
Omri Benayoun has been a general partner at Partech for more than 5 years now. He has been a board member to companies like NA-KD.com, Urban Sports GmbH and EcoVadis. He has also worked as a director of Corporate Development at Dassault Systemes for 3 years.
Twitter: @obenayoun
OTTO BIRNBAUM
Otto Birnbaum is a principal of Partech. Besides his job, he is working as a board member to many companies, such as Bloomon, CHRONEXT.COM and Oviva. Moreover, he is an investor and board observer to the company Zolar GmbH.
PHILIPPE COLLOMBEL
Philippe Collombel is currently a managing partner at Partech. In the past, he worked as a General Manager at Carrefour and has been a Board Member to many companies as Papernest, ManoMano and October.
Twitter: @pcollombel
CYRIL COLLON
Cyril Collon is a general partner at Partech. His expertise is in entrepreneurial sales and business development, with experience over 19 years in developing and operating high-tech startups. He has worked for Genband as a director of channel sales and has been Vice President of Sales, Europe & Africa at Verscom Solutions.
Passion Capital
Passion Capital is an investment company investing in early-stage companies. Since 2011 they have already invested in more than 70 startups, such as Focal Point, Home Touch and Swipe.
Location: London, United Kingdom
EILEEN BURBIDGE
Eileen Burbidge is a partner at Passion Capital. She has a broad experience in operations and investment activities, supported by her previous job responsibilities at Skype and Yahoo. Moreover, she is also currently the Chair of Tech City UK.
Twitter: @eileentso
Point Nine Capital
Point Nine Capital is investing in startups and companies in early-stage. They support mostly SaaS focused companies (Algolia, Contentful), and Online Marketplace and Consumer Internet companies such as: Brainly, Delivery Hero and Westwing.
Location: Berlin, Germany
LOUIS COPPEY
Louis Coppey has been a principal of Point Nine Capital seed company for more than 2 years. He has a background in entrepreneurship as he was a co-founder of a company called Humane 2 others.
Twitter: @louicop
PAWEL CHUDZINSKI
Pawel Chudzinski is a partner in the company Point Nine Capital. He used to work as an Associate at Greenhill & Co. and was a Partner and Co-Founder of Team Europe Ventures.
Twitter: @pawell
Rockaway Capital
Rockaway Capital is an investment firm supporting businesses focused on e-commerce, e-travel and especially promising internet companies. They invested in companies as Invia Group, Heureka shopping, TechLoop.io and Bileto.
Location: Prague, Czech Republic
JAKUB HAVRIANT
Jakub Havrlant is a CEO, founder and a sole shareholder in the company Rockaway Capital. In 2007 he has founded the company Bezrealitky. During his career, he has worked as managing director at Allegro Group Czech Republic, chairman at E-Commerce Holding a.s., and CEO of MallGroup.
Twitter: @HavrlantJakub
JAROMÍR ŠVIHOVSKÝ
Jaromír Švihovský is the CFO at Rockaway Capital company. He has completed his PhD in Economics at the Technical University of Liberec, where he, later on, worked as the assistant professor for 6 years. Afterwards, he has worked as a tax advisor for 8 years in the company called RS-TAX s.r.o..
ROBERT CHMELAŘ
Robert Chmelař has been an investment partner at Rockaway Capital for more than 3 years. He has worked as an analyst at the company Citigroup for 3 years and later on he was a part of Mid Europa Partners, where he started as a director and later became an advisor.
Rutland Partners
Rutland Partners is a private equity firm focusing on the improvement of the performances surrounding the financial and operational changes. Some of the notable project they invested in are for example: Total Rail Solutions, Walstead Group and Omar Group.
Location: London, United Kingdom
BEN SLATTER
Ben Slatter has been a partner at Rutland Partners LLP for almost 18 years. Previously, he was the Manager of Andersen Corporate Finance. He studied Economics at the University of Exeter.
Seedcamp
Seedcamp is an early-stage investment company for startups with great potential. Some of the companies they invested in are TransferWise, Pleo, and Curve app.
Location: London, United Kingdom
RESHMA SOHONI
She has studied economics and Environmental Systems Engineering. She used to work as an associate to eVentures India and Innovation Advisors. Later she continued her career in Vodafone for three years as a manager. In 2007 she founded a company Seedcamp, where she currently works as a partner.
Twitter: @rsohoni
SparkLabs Global Ventures
SparkLabs Global is an accelerator company that was founded by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. Their focus is on startups focused on the Internet, online gaming, e-commerce, etc. Some of the notable investments: Codekingdoms, Brewbot, and Cutover.
Location: London, United Kingdom
FRANK MEEHAN
Frank Meehan is a Co-Founder and Partner at SparkLabs Global Ventures. Besides that, he is also the CEO of SmartUp.io, a micro-learning knowledge platform for the smartphone generation. Prior to this, he was a Board Director at Lifesum.
Twitter: @frank_meehan
UFOstart
UFOstart is a company helping blockchain startups to market worldwide and empowers them with methodology and software in order to receive funding. They advise teams to gain expertise in relevant fields of marketing.
Location: Berlin, Germany
THOMAS HESSLER
Thomas Hessler is a serial entrepreneur and angel investor, mainly in the blockchain. He has co-founded Zanox and UFOstart and has invested in around 200 startups. He is still currently a Board Member of UFOstart.
Twitter: @ThomasHessler
United Ventures
United Ventures is an independent venture capital company supporting startups focused on innovation within technology. UV invested in companies like LoopAi, Cloud4Wi, and BadSeed.
Location: Milan, Italy
MASSIMILIANO MAGRINI
Massimiliano Magrini is a co-founder and managing partner at the company United Ventures, Italy's largest venture capital fund in the technology sector. Besides that, he founded Annapurna Ventures in 2009. He was a country manager for Italy when working for Google in the years 2002-2009.
Twitter: @massimag
PAOLO GESESS
Paolo Gesess is a co-founder and managing partner of United Ventures. He founded Jupiter Ventures where he operated as the managing partner. Later he worked at the company 360 Capital partners and is a board member to companies musiXmatch, MoneyFarm, and Credimi.
Twitter: @paologesess
FABIO PIROVANO
Fabio Pirovano is an investment manager at United Ventures. He studied management and finance at the University of Bocconi. He used to work as an M&A analyst and afterwards as an associate at Woodside Capital Partners. He later became a board member of companies like MoneyFarm, Brumbrum SpA, and MainStreaming.
Ventech
Ventech invests in companies with the strong underlying technology. They have invested in Webedia, VestiaireCollective, Believe Digital, and Withings. The seat of the company is in Paris, however, since 2007 they expanded to Shanghai, China.
Location: Paris, France
CLAIRE HOURY
Claire Houry works as a board member of companies such as Antidot, Mediarithmis, and Botify. Besides that, she is a General Partner in Ventech.
Ysios Capital
Ysios Capital is an independent venture capital firm supporting early and middle-stage companies focused on healthcare and biotechnology - mainly therapeutics. They invested in companies such as AELIX Therapeutics, Aura Biosciences, and Galecto Biotech.
Location: Barcelona, Spain
JOËL JEAN-MAIRET
Joël Jean-Mairet is a co-founder and general partner of Ysios Capital. He is the former CEO and co-founder of GLYCART Biotechnology AG, and the director of companies Rainier Therapeutics, Sanifit Laboratories, and Aura Biosciences. He has contributed to the approval of four medical devices, and four drugs.
Twitter: @Jean_Mairet
JULIA SALAVERRÍA
Julia Salaverría has been a general partner at Ysios Capital since 2007. She has worked as a Director of Economy at the Bank of Espaňa. Besides Ysios Capital she is an independent director at Cecabank.
CRISTINA GARMENDIA
Cristina Garmendia is a general partner at Ysios Capital company. She became a president of the Inbiomed Foundation and the Spanish Society of Bio enterprises. She founded the company Gentrix - a biotechnological company. She was also appointed a Minister of Science and Innovation in 2008.
KAREN WAGNER
Karen Wagner is a general partner at Ysisos Capital Partners. She completed her PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Konstanz. She has worked as a consultant for McKinsey & Company. Later she became director of business development at Ingenium Pharmaceuticals AG, completing her VP licensing at GLYCART Biotechnology AG.
RAÚL MARTÍN-RUIZ
Raúl Martín-Ruiz has worked at Ysios Capital as an investment manager, an investment director and currently, he is a principal and partner. He is working as a board member for many companies, such as STAT Diagnostica (where He is a Member of the Board), MedLumics, and Anaconda BioMed.
GUILLEM LAPORTA
Guillem Laporta is the principal of Ysios Capital. He completed his graduate program in Biotechnology at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. He worked as an intern in the position of Life Sciences Investment Analyst at Caixa Capital Risc and later worked as a Life Investment Associate at Edmond de Rothschild.
VC Europe: A fertile ground for the growth of good ideas and business models
There are many ways to receive funding - from private investors or state institutions to European VC firms.
When it comes to investments, there are sectors that seem to be favored. For instance, the tech sector is a favorite for venture capital in Europe. This comes as no surprise, seeing as we live in an age of semi-consciously reliance upon technology to solve all of our problems. And in some instances, it really works - the boom of MedTech and FinTech can attest to that.
If you’re a startup considering which European VC to ask for an investment, you need to consider their interests (operating within certain sectors), their specification (requirements for funding), and finally, whether there are any geographic restrictions to their investments. In the end, however, the most important thing of all is to have a good idea - eventually, a European VC is sure to pick it up.
