Europe’s top VC funds are coming to PODIM – Check them out!

PODIM, the leading startup & tech event in the Alps-Adriatic region, is fast approaching! Below, you can find more information about the funds that have already confirmed their arrival in Slovenia between 12 and 14 May, 2025. More are on the way, so stay tuned for what’s next!

GOLDEN UNICORN PARTNER

Silicon Gardens Fund

Slovenia Silicon Gardens is the Adria region’s first and only Founders for Founders’ VC firm, established by entrepreneurs who have successfully built their own companies. We help the next generation of ambitious entrepreneurs build 10x bigger companies. www.silicongardens.com/

GOLDEN UNICORN PARTNER

South Central Ventures

Slovenia South Central Ventures (SCV) is a leading venture capital firm with 18 years of experience, managing over €100 million and boasting a portfolio of more than 50 high-tech companies. With offices in Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade, and Skopje, SCV invests in seed-stage companies from the Southeast Europe (SEE) region that operate in globally prosperous industries. They focus on bold, innovative businesses with the potential to become market leaders, led by visionary founders with exceptional entrepreneurial skills and a global outlook. Beyond capital, SCV provides mentorship and actively partners with their portfolio companies, offering extensive support to drive success. www.sc-ventures.com/

GOLDEN UNICORN PARTNER

Fil Rouge Capital

Croatia FRC is a venture capital firm dedicated to supporting bold founders and high-growth startups. With a strong track record in M&A and financing exceeding $4 billion, FRC provides more than just capital—offering hands-on support from incubation to exit. Committed to building a top-tier entrepreneurial ecosystem in Croatia, the firm values transparency, speed, and unwavering backing for its founders. Recognized as the “Best Investor” in the region for two consecutive years, FRC stands out for its no-nonsense, fact-driven approach to venture investing. www.filrougecapital.com

GOLDEN UNICORN PARTNER

Carinthian Venture Fonds

Austria Carinthian Venture Fonds (CVF) is a venture capital firm dedicated to investing in early-stage, development, and growth projects through equity capital. Investment amounts range from EUR 100,000 to EUR 500,000, with the possibility of follow-on financing. They focus on technology-oriented startups and SMEs that demonstrate economic, ecological, and social responsibility, aiming to enhance value creation in the Carinthia region. www.cvf.at

GOLDEN UNICORN PARTNER

Vesna VC

Slovenia, Croatia Vesna Fund manages the first deep tech venture capital fund in Central Eastern Europe, specifically focusing on Croatia and Slovenia. Established with a capital of €50 million, the fund is headquartered in Luxembourg and operates additional offices in Zagreb and Ljubljana. The fund primarily invests in sectors such as climate technology, advanced materials, and AI/ICT. www.vesnavc.com

OUTLIER PARTNER

TechAngels

Romania TechAngels is Romania’s first angel investor network, established in 2013 to support early-stage technology startups through investments, expertise, and connections. Over the past decade, they have invested more than €40 million in the Romanian tech ecosystem, with their aggregate portfolio encompassing over 240 startups. In 2024, TechAngels members invested €3.777 million in tech startups, marking a 25% year-over-year increase. The organization continues to foster the growth of tech businesses in Romania and South-Eastern Europe by providing funding, mentorship, and access to acceleration programs. www.techangels.ro

OUTLIER PARTNER

Feelsgood Capital

Croatia, Slovenia The Feelsgood Social Impact Investment Fund is uniquely structured to invest in Croatian and Slovenian ventures that combine typical private equity and venture capital objectives with commercial business models led by strong management teams poised for scaling. Feelsgood identifies and supports businesses that either address or plan to address one or more of the SDGs, integrating measurable impact into their strategic business models sustainably. www.feelsgoodcapital.com

OUTLIER PARTNER

Elevator Ventures

Austria Elevator Ventures is a venture capital fund backed by Raiffeisen Bank International, Raiffeisen-Holding Niederösterreich-Wien, and Raiffeisen-Landesbank Steiermark. It manages over €100 million to support the growth of technology companies in Fintech and Beyond Banking. With a strong sourcing and business development network across the DACH and CEE regions, the firm leverages the deep expertise and market insights of its investors. To date, Elevator Ventures has invested over €50 million in 15 companies, achieving four successful exits and holding two fund-of-funds positions. www.elevator-ventures.com

OUTLIER PARTNER

SID Bank

Slovenia SID Bank is a development and export bank wholly owned by the Republic of Slovenia, providing financial services to promote the sustainable development of the Slovenian economy. It enables businesses of all sizes to access favorable debt and equity financing, as well as export credit insurance, thereby enhancing their competitiveness in domestic and international markets. As a state partner in implementing development policies, it manages various financial instruments, including cohesion funds and the Fund of Funds, facilitating access to additional financing sources for businesses, municipalities, and individuals. www.sid.si/

3VC

Austria 3VC is a European venture capital fund that invests in carefully selected tech startups with global ambitions, starting from Series A. Founded in 2018 and based in Vienna, Austria, 3VC focuses on partnering with regional talent and supporting founders throughout their growth journey. Their portfolio includes companies such as Storyblok, fundcraft, and simpleclub, reflecting their commitment to fostering innovation across various sectors. The 3VC team comprises experienced professionals dedicated to providing hands-on support and leveraging their extensive network to drive the success of their portfolio companies. www.three.vc

Credo Ventures

Czech Republic Credo Ventures is a Prague-based venture capital firm, founded in 2009, that focuses on early-stage investments in technology startups across Central and Eastern Europe. The firm invests in various sectors, including AI, medtech, edtech, and software, with a portfolio featuring companies such as Eleven Labs, Upheal, and Mewery. Typically investing in pre-seed and seed stages, Credo Ventures makes initial investments of up to €5 million. It currently manages €250 million across four funds, with its latest fund totaling €75 million. The firm supports passionate founders from the ideation stage through product-market fit and beyond, offering both financial backing and strategic guidance. http://www.credoventures.com

LaunchHub Ventures

Bulgaria LAUNCHub Ventures is a leading early-stage venture capital fund that supports technology startups in the Seed and Series A funding stages. It invests in Central and Southeastern Europe (CEE & SEE) and in companies founded by ambitious entrepreneurs from the region who are based in major startup hubs worldwide. The firm’s initial investments range from €300,000 to €2 million, leading investment rounds of up to €4 million. Since 2012, LAUNCHub Ventures has been actively contributing to the growth of the CEE startup ecosystem and has attracted some of the largest VC firms in Europe and the US to co-invest in its portfolio companies. http://www.launchub.com

Speedinvest

Austria Speedinvest is a leading European venture capital firm with over €1 billion in assets under management, specializing in pre-seed, seed, and early-stage tech startups. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Vienna, Austria, Speedinvest has a pan-European presence with offices in Berlin, London, Munich, and Paris. The firm operates six sector-focused investment teams—Deep Tech, Fintech, Health & TechBio, Climate Tech & Industrial Tech, Marketplaces & Consumer, and SaaS & Infra—to provide specialized support to its portfolio companies. Beyond capital, Speedinvest offers hands-on operational support and access to a vast network of industry experts to accelerate growth from seed to Series A and beyond. www.speedinvest.com

Early Game Ventures

Romania Early Game Ventures (EGV) is an early-stage venture capital fund that invests in startups across the emerging markets of Europe. The firm follows a straightforward investment philosophy, backing companies at the earliest stages whose founders have vested interests, are coachable, and target large markets. When a promising opportunity arises, EGV prefers to be the first institutional investor in such startups. www.earlygame.vc

BrightCap Ventures

Bulgaria BrightCap Ventures is an early-stage venture capital fund based in Sofia, Bulgaria, investing in tech startups with roots in Southeast Europe. They focus on companies developing defensible technology with clear strategies for entering affluent markets. The BrightCap team comprises entrepreneurs with leadership, engineering, and investment experience across Silicon Valley, Israel, and EMEA. In July 2024, they launched a €60 million successor fund to invest in founders from Rising Southeastern Europe. http://www.brightcap.vc

Inovo.vc

Poland Inovo VC is a venture capital fund focused on investing in startups from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Their seed investments range from €0.5 million to €4 million, targeting companies with the potential to reach over $100 million in revenue. Inovo VC has partnered with more than 75 different investors and has six portfolio companies valued at over €100 million. In addition to financial support, they offer extensive assistance in talent recruitment, customer connections, and advisory services. www.inovo.vc

Day One Capital

Hungary Day One Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm managing privately funded investment funds. They focus on the most promising technology teams from Central and Eastern Europe, particularly seed-stage companies with innovative products and high growth potential. Their current fund, launched in 2018, has a capitalization of €34 million, with initial investments ranging from €300,000 to €1.5 million per company. www.dayonecapital.com

Kaya VC

Czech Republic KAYA VC is a venture capital firm dedicated to supporting exceptional founding teams that shape their industries and create enduring change in a sustainable way. They invest at every stage of the entrepreneurial journey, from studio projects and pre-seed through Series A and follow-ons. KAYA VC evolved from Enern Investments—a regional financial group formed in Prague in 2010—and has grown alongside the Central and Eastern European ecosystem across clean energy, technology, real estate, and more. Their mission is to back founders who are deeply curious and intellectually agile, aiming to make a positive impact beyond creating financial value. www.kaya.vc

Global Brain

Japan, UK Global Brain is an independent venture capital firm dedicated to introducing groundbreaking innovations to society by providing extensive hands-on support to startups and fostering open innovation with large corporations. With over $2.2 billion in assets under management, they have invested more than $1.2 billion across 1,000+ deals, resulting in 37 IPOs and 77 M&A exits. Their active portfolio encompasses over 400 companies globally, spanning diverse sectors such as AI, healthcare, fintech, and climate tech. Global Brain’s mission is to “bring unimaginable innovation into society through business creation,” operating from their headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, with a team of professionals from diverse backgrounds. www.globalbrains.com

GSV Ventures

USA GSV Ventures is a female-led, multi-stage venture capital firm investing in the $7+ trillion global education technology sector across the “Pre-K to Gray” spectrum. Founded in 2016 and based in Chicago, Illinois, the firm focuses on partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs driving digital transformation in education and workforce development. GSV Ventures has invested in over 90 companies, including notable EdTech firms such as Coursera, Class Technologies, and Photomath. The firm’s leadership team comprises experienced professionals with backgrounds in education, technology, and investment, dedicated to advancing innovation in the learning sector. www.gsv.ventures

Purple Ventures

Slovakia Purple Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm investing in top CEE+ founders building tech-enabled startups with initial revenues and global ambitions. The firm participates in pre-seed and seed investment rounds, with ticket sizes ranging from €250,000 to €750,000. It operates with a 5–6 year investment horizon and takes minority equity stakes, ensuring that founders retain control and leadership of their startups. Purple Ventures is open to both leading funding rounds and co-investing. www.purple-ventures.com

SQ Capital

Croatia SQ Capital is a Croatian investment firm dedicated to building great businesses with exceptional people. They emphasize values such as real-world experience, transparency, simplicity, and maintaining a personal stake in their investments. Their portfolio includes diverse projects like Cateks, a producer of advanced materials; Eonex, a high-precision manufacturer; and startups such as SwipeSpec and Orangepill. Beyond capital, SQ Capital offers strategic support to their partners, fostering long-term relationships built on integrity and accountability. www.sqc.hr

Push VC

Austria PUSH is a venture capital firm dedicated to combating climate change and transforming healthcare. Its initial investments are typically made at the pre-seed or seed stage, with the potential for follow-on funding. The firm focuses on health and the future of the planet, primarily investing in startups across Europe, with a particular emphasis on Austria and Germany. www.push.vc

Suricate Ventures

Slovenia Suricate Ventures focuses on pre-seed, seed and early to growth investments in technology companies based in Southeastern Europe. Key areas of investment for Suricate Ventures include fintech, insuretech, esports and logistics. www.suricate.ventures

Flyer One Ventures

Poland Flyer One Ventures (F1V) is an early-stage VC firm investing up to $1.5 million in Central and Eastern European founders building global startups. They have backed 87 startups across AI, fintech, e-commerce, and edtech, providing strategic support in marketing, recruiting, and business development. Portfolio companies gain access to exclusive networking events, workshops, and benefits worth up to $400,000 annually. Inspired by the Wright brothers, F1V supports ambitious entrepreneurs solving global challenges with innovative products. www.flyerone.vc

Serpentine Ventures

Switzerland Serpentine Ventures (SERV) is the investment arm of the Swiss Ventures Group. It is a leading Swiss venture capital firm dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs and investors. Founded by experienced entrepreneurs and financial services professionals, SERV collaborates with exceptional entrepreneurial talent to build and invest in technology-driven businesses. With over 50 years of combined experience, their team has funded more than 50 companies, creating over 650 jobs. Some of the companies in their portfolio include Aegis Rider, MindMetrix, Properti, Art Recognition, Duramon, MoveAgain, Loxo, Stratos, Pabio, Tipi, and Capskin. www.serpentine.vc

EIF – The European Investment Fund

Luxembourg As part of the EIB Group, the mission of the European Investment Fund (EIF) is to improve access to finance for SMEs and small mid-caps in Europe. It achieves this by supporting emerging and established fund managers with equity investments and by designing debt financing instruments that share the risk taken by financial institutions when lending to or investing in small businesses. This support is brought closer to entrepreneurs through EIF’s extensive network of partners and financial intermediaries across all EU Member States and associated countries. www.eif.org