LAUNCHub Ventures

We invest at seed stage (pre-seed, seed, late seed) along with other investors, which we can also help you find. Our average cheque is €500k. We help founders define the right strategy, milestones and priorities in their company's journey from seed to series A, and help them connect with capital and talent. We believe founders should be in control of the company they are building. We subscribe to their strategy and align our interests for the long term, while providing a needed critical view. And, if things don’t go as planned, which they often do, we help them through thick and thin.

The fund partners have been friends for 10+ years and back in the day started what over years has grown to one of the largest tech founder communities in Eastern Europe. Today our wider community comprises over 350 active founders from around the world, including founders of the fast-growing & established tech unicorns (like Hopin, Miro, UiPath, Intercom, and others), as well as founders of several renowned global VC funds. In 2010, when we were making our first steps as entrepreneurs and future executives, we yearned for ways of sharing knowledge and supporting each other. Three of us settled in a big apartment on Shmitovsky 16 (S16) and opened our doors for regular meetings with like-minded entrepreneurs. That move turned out to be instrumental. We learned through each other, motivated and supported each other, and built lifelong friendships. Our small gatherings grew into a tribe of hundreds of like-minded people. We are certain that this community is the common denominator behind our success. Even though the majority of tribe members are very successful entrepreneurs and executives, the community is united by shared values rather than any kind of material KPIs. These values are: Community, not individual Trust Transparency Intrinsic motivation to help Pay forward Beginner mindset People succeed, not ideas The community has long outgrown its founders and small gatherings at Shmit 16 and evolved into many initiatives driven by different people. Twice a year we help organize the legendary closed business event - Founders for Founders. Our members organize a camp at Burning Man. We try our best to spread our knowledge to a wider audience through our Telegram channel. Whatever we do, s16vc stands for preservation and adherence to our values. And s16vc, being the only commercial endeavor, is no exception. We invest in people who share these values and take money from like-minded LPs, making our tribe stronger with every founder we back and every investor we bring inside the community.

By co-investing Mozaic Investors is increasing the chances for each stakeholder to gain from being part of the syndicate. Investors gain by diminishing the high risk related with investing in new ventures and by increasing their portfolio diversity by being exposed to high reward opportunities. Startups gain from the opportunity to raise money in underserved markets where venture capital is limited and in very early stages of the company. They also gain from the vast network of experts and successful entrepreneurs that are part of the syndicate thus increasing the potential on the investment with the smart money. Mozaic is a response to a couple of important problems that the startup ecosystem in Moldova and in the region is facing. The Investors Perspective. Lack of startup investing knowledge: Investors, especially in Eastern Europe, are not used to invest high-risk capital with the awareness that they can lose everything invested and the understanding that they have to keep the founders motivated enough because they are the ones developing the products thus investors should take only a small share of equity. High-risk investing alone: Not having a validation process for the startups usually leads to risky bets that investors take. The limited deals they are exposed to, contribute to decisions when they chose only from what they can evaluate. Not knowing other investors that can share the risk with them decrease the performance of their investments, thus not incentivizing the investors to keep investing. Lack of legal framework: The high cost of legal work regarding an investment makes investors to restraining investing in startups. Unclear rules, unprivileged legislation for investors are not something that an investor can change alone. There should be a common action and suggestions made to the legislative body. Lack of startups deal flow: Diversifying the portfolio require an increasing number of investible startups to choose from. An individual investor has no time and means to know all the startups there are in the ecosystem that are looking for investment thus exposing himself only to the direct approaches. The Startups Perspective. Lack of venture capital: By venture capital we are referring to alternative financing when startups are raising capital from private investors where no other financial institution are ready to finance the initial ideas and startups. Traditional financial institutions usually require more financial data, guarants or other indicators that a newly formed entity simply do not have. Thus founders are unable to support the developing teams and launch the products. A venture capital is not a loan and investors are aware that they can lose it. Also the founders are not tied to reimburse it the in case of failure, thus incentivising more founders to work on more ambition and rewarding projects not putting themself and their families in debt. Founders not owning the company: By investing the most of the money or all the money in the startup traditionally is expected the investor to have the majority of the social capital and voting rights on the matters regarding the activity of the company. This fact is not helping the founder to feel that he is in charge of the company thus he is losing motivation and is not engaged enough to achieve the company’s goal. Lack of smart capital: By accessing the capital from investors, founders also gain the access to investors that are experienced entrepreneurs and connected people that can advice or introduce the founders to potential clients. Ethical money: By promoting the highest standards of ethics throughout the investment cycle, the investors must act with integrity and respect while dealing fairly and objectively with the founders. The ambition is to help early stage companies become industry-defining and sustainable businesses. The Ecosystem Perspective. Not fully functional ecosystem: By covering to a good degree the other components of the startup ecosystem like Infrastructure (coworking, prototyping facilities) and Knowledge (know-how, conferences, events) there is a lack in continuity and sinergy in startup creation process. Not having the Capital and Legal components of the startup ecosystem makes the other components unproductive. Startups looking to other countries or even moving to pursue their goals. High levels of uncertainty: Startup world is known by having a high dose of uncertainty, but by adding to this the fact that founders do not know how they will finance their startups or the next steps in scaling, they have anxieties that keep them from starting in the first place.

We designed a unique VC model to serve student-founders. Wonder why? Student-entrepreneurs see the world through a unique lens. They are the most exposed to cutting-edge technology, innovations, and societal change. That’s why game-changing companies are consistently emerging from universities: Snapchat, Facebook, and Figma to list a few. Some people will argue you need 3 years of experience to start a company. They are wrong. With enough hard work and perseverance, you can start building a startup that will have an impact, today. If 25% of US-based unicorns are started at university, why couldn’t this be the same in the UK & EU? That’s why we exist, to select, support, and invest in high-potential founders. 10-100k investment: We know that small investments can make big differences. We help you get your product off the ground and set up your company. 12 weeks of intense support: We have our yearly accelerators, and hackathons. There’s no magic recipe but there some things you should know…We help you build your team, quickly test your ideas and create your company on solid ground. 80+ exports & mentors: A network is key when creating a successful company. We are building Initiator with the help of incredible experts, entrepreneurs and investors. Our network becomes yours.

z21 Ventures fuels its early-stage tech investments with a unique community engine. Diverse members within this network generate a constant stream of promising deals, while a thematically focused approach ensures backing the most impactful opportunities. Initially, the focus will be on the India-US corridor, empowering companies to tap into India's vast talent pool or unlock the booming Indian market. But funding is just the first spark. Early startups crave the sage advice of seasoned veterans to illuminate their path. z21 Ventures bridges this gap by building a robust community of experienced advisors, personally invested in the fund and eager to guide your journey. We identify promising gems, nurture their growth with the power of our community, and stay by your side as your success story unfolds. Who do we partner withSTARTUPS: Technology focused companies at Pre-seed and Seed stage. z21 Ventures fosters a vibrant community-driven ecosystem designed to empower early-stage startups with strategic guidance, expert mentorship, and invaluable connections. INVESTORS: Investors across the world who are interested in investing in early stage companies. z21 ventures enables them to easily diversify their portfolio by investing in a broad array of purposeful startups with exceptional teams that are supported by a powerful network of LPs, advisors, VCs, accelerators, and industry specialists. Become part of a community fostering innovation and driving success. Our differentiation z21 Community: z21 Community is going to be one of the largest communities of entrepreneurs, executives, and innovation enthusiasts that will be available to help the companies on specific problems and scale. We already have a community of over 120 advisors who are experts across the spectrum. z21 Leadership Summit: Held at the SF Bay area every year,z21 Leadership Summit will get portfolio leaders across the world to come meet executives from hundreds of tech companies. z21 Investor Partnerships: z21 will have partnerships with hundreds of later stage investors and will facilitate introductions for later stage investments. z21 Corporate Partnerships: z21 will have partnerships with hundreds of Corporate Development teams across the world to facilitate partnerships for portfolio companies.

We invest in and support ambitious entrepreneurs to get them where they want to go, whether at early stages with sights on the US market, or at later stages looking to the potential of Europe. Frontline today is a team of 17 people with a growing portfolio of over 80 exceptional companies across Europe and North America, and an expanding, global, investor base. EXPERTS IN EXPANSION Founders see what the world misses. In fast pursuit of opportunity, you make critical decisions with little certainty. We get it, because we’ve been there. Frontline is the venture firm for globally ambitious B2B companies on both sides of the Atlantic. Frontline Seed speeds up ideas at inception across Europe. Frontline X is a growth-stage fund, for fast and frictionless US-Europe expansion. WE'VE LEARNED IT THE HARD WAY As a team of entrepreneurs, we have built many businesses, many ways. And as a venture fund, we’ve helped tens of founders and CEOs cross the pond. We’ve scaled too – with team members in Dublin, London and San Francisco. Today, our team, LPs and advisors represent senior leadership at many of the world’s most successful B2B companies (Think: Segment, Stripe, Looker, Linkedin, Airtable, Google and Workday – to name a few). Collectively, we can add value when founders need it most – at company defining moments. CAPITAL IS CHEAP Look around; the venture market is drowning in noise. Hundreds of funds and millions of blogposts – all claiming to “add value” left and right. We believe that capital is cheap, and we know that value-add is not made equal. Our focus is clear; we back challengers with global ambition, and we dedicate our time to helping them fly higher – faster. Our experience makes us knowledgeable. Our global network makes us unique. Want more detail or first-hand accounts? we are happy to introduce you to our founders. SYMBIOSIS In nature, the best things work together. We see the landscape ahead and can warn you of the risks, while you stay strong and focused on your goals. Indispensable; that’s how we see our relationship.