Siena Secondary Fund

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.

Széchenyi Funds Ltd. has been the leading capital financing partner of Hungarian companies since 2011. Since its establishment, it has made more than 130 successful investments and 50+ profitable exits. The company, which is 100% owned by the Rudolf Kalman Foundation for Óbuda University, manages over HUF 155 billion of capital through its investment programmes and has minority stakes in 80+ portfolio companies. From 2020, the fund manager significantly expanded its previous investment opportunities, since then it has focused primarily on large corporate investments in addition to SMEs, but through Óbuda Uni Venture Capital Zrt., founded in 2023 in cooperation with Óbuda University and its joint owner, startups could also be targeted. As a regional venture capital company, Széchenyi Funds invests in companies with promising growth potential, primarily in Central and Eastern Europe, with a view to a profitable exit after developing businesses and putting them on a long-term growth path.

Presto Ventures is a Prague based investment company empowering talented CEE start-up founders. As our name suggests, speed is key to our mission. We act quickly to help you progress quickly – supporting you in fast learning, fast business development, and ultimately, fast growth.

OUVC is a Venture Capital and Venture Studio investing 10B HUF (25M EUR) in early-stage tech ventures with tickets ranging between 20-300 million HUF (70-800K EUR). Besides the capital, it offers venture-building services in the fields of technical validation, development, and international market entry. With a committed management, it aims to spread global know-how, trends, and best practices in Hungary and the region to increase visibility and technology readiness.

500 aims to help the talented entrepreneurs of the region in building explosive businesses. Our mission is to back defensible technology companies fueling talent arbitrage and help create global powerhouses. Emerging Europe is a hotbed for talent. Thanks to the region’s highly skilled human capital, all of the unicorns from Emerging Europe target global markets from the get-go! Bridging these ecosystems globally, creates an opportunity for many more.

We have been deeply rooted in the foundations of the 🇬🇷 startups ecosystem since its inception 15 years ago. We have been the launchpad for ventures & initiatives that have defined markets & industries, including many tech darlings of the regional scene. With a focus on empowering “Venture Characters” (hyper-ambitious tech founders with strong ethical foundations), Apeiron leverages its strategic market visibility and access to propel groundbreaking ideas into global success stories in Europe, US and beyond. Our partnership style Augmented Team: We know how hard it is to build a business from the ground up. From hiring the right people to setting up your GtM plan and from governance to your next round of financing - we roll up our sleeves to provide you with what’s critical for your venture. A sound voice, and trustworthy extended team. Real People Network: Apeiron is backed by 40+ investors, including exited Startup Founders (we previously backed), successful entrepreneurs, corporate investors & operators, and some of the region’s largest family offices. Your Partner, Not Your Boss: Every VC in the business claims it brings value. In reality, they talk to you every month, skip the hard talk and play the bossy card. With a toxic free, honest attitude we are your partners first, investors second. Ask for a reference from our previously backed founders.