Fly Ventures

Marathon Venture Capital is an early-stage investor helping ambitious founders build world-class technology companies. The firm currently manages about €100 million in commitments between two funds. Our portfolio companies have raised hundreds of millions of dollars in funding from leading global investment firms while catering to customers on the Fortune 500 list or being acquired by them. We invest the first million and roll our sleeves up to help you build a fast-growing,world-class software company.

We’re MaRS IAF - one of Canada’s most active early-stage investors. We back ambitious founders building breakthrough technology companies, with a strong presence in Ontario - from first cheque to growth. We invest early, often first, backing founders as they grow. Our Track Record 180+ Number of Investments $90M+ Capital Deployed $2B+ Total Follow-on Funding 80%+ Total Follow-on Ratio 50+ Exits The IAF Difference The MaRS IAF team of experienced investors, operators and builders has a proven track record of success. We back ambitious founders with a strong presence in Ontario - from day zero through seed stage. Alongside capital, we provide the guidance, networks and customer access needed to help build globally competitive technology companies. As an evergreen fund, we maintain the ability to consistently deploy capital and support new investments.

Lightbird is a Zurich-based VC firm backing entrepreneurs at one of the most intense periods of a company’s life – the early stage (Pre-Seed/Seed/Seed+). We invest in the most ambitious founding teams that use technology to solve real problems for real people and real businesses. The fund invests in B2B software with a particular focus on companies using PLG, Community-led Growth, Bottom-up Saas, NFX, Self-serve etc.. While we’re able to invest globally we will invest most of the money close to home (Europe). We are a rising brand with young, dynamic and driven people that values team work and open communication. We are rebels and want to challenge the status quo in VC by doing things a bit differently - more human. We strongly encourage individual initiatives and diverse perspectives, and enjoy spending time with each other.

We have a unique setup that combines venture creation and tech investments within a single organization. This advantage enables us to identify new research and deep tech opportunities with both commercial and impact potential, all within Chalmers’ entrepreneurial ecosystem. We are experts in starting up companies based on deep tech and research in the most effective manner possible. This process allows us to cultivate our own high-quality deal flow in which we invest and become active owners. Throughout the entire journey, we function as investors and venture builders until exit. Profits are reinvested through our evergreen model and allocated to Chalmers to support new, groundbreaking research. Our investment processWe identify market potential in research-based tech We match the team We invest in and startup the company We attract competent capital with external VCs We have active ownership until exit Our deal flow criteriaDeep tech / research based tech University spinouts Global commercial and impact potential Our process: from lab to market We use our long experience to create conditions required for a growth company to start up correctly and with the right structural capital. We are then involved in the startup through competence and capital until exit. Simply put: we take groundbreaking research from lab to market. IDENTIFY: We attract, seek out and evaluate research and technology ideas. The technologies with the greatest potential are matched with entrepreneurs. SHAPE AND START: Create the basic conditions to shape companies correctly and build structural capital. We are involved in starting up the companies and provides additional benefits during that first critical period. VALIDATE & VERIFY: Validating business model, working for paying customers and unlocking the business model. Find the right proof points to validate and verify the company’s unique idea to both the market and investors. SCALE: Becoming sustainable growth companies reaching out to an international market. Chalmers Ventures works with its skills as active owners, provides professional governance and syndicates the right growth capital. EXIT: Chalmers Ventures pursues a positive exit strategy at what it feels is the right time. We can focus our resources on those companies with the greatest potential and positive impact on the portfolio.

Founder of Flight Fund: Steven Bartlett. From a bedroom in Manchester, this 21 year old university drop-out built what would become one of the world's most influential social media companies. At 27 he took the company public - the company would reach a market valuation in excess of $600m. Steven is an entrepreneur, investor, public speaker, author and host of Europe’s most downloaded Business podcast: 'The Diary of a CEO'. In 2021, Steven became the youngest ever dragon on BBC 1's Dragon's Den. Steven is particularly focused on inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs and creators from a BAME background. At just 30 years old, he is widely considered one of Europe’s most talented and accomplished young entrepreneurs and philosophical thinkers.

Butterfly Ventures is the leading seed stage focused VC in the Nordics. Butterfly Ventures was founded in 2012. Ever since then we’ve been one of the most active early stage VCs in the region. We have an office in Oulu, Helsinki and Stockholm. Butterfly Ventures is known for our co-operative approach. We like to interface with founders directly and work as a team and founders have the full support of all our partners. Butterfly Ventures is investing in the seed stage startups particularly from Finland, but also from other Nordic countries and Baltics. We prefer to get involved with companies early on. 80% of our portfolio companies do not have any revenue at the time of our entry. However, we’re very business driven, typically our portfolio companies start generating revenue in less than 6 months from the first investment. Right now we’re looking for deep tech, HW and HW interfacing SW.