EquityPitcher

The VC next door for your path into the world. We believe that anyone with the right idea, ambition and execution can build a category-defining company. Bringing 'Made in Germany' to the digital age Germany has a longstanding reputation for first-class engineering, for high quality products that have a global impact. We believe that the label 'Made in Germany' needs to arrive in the digital age. We believe that the brands shaping the future will be tech companies. And we believe that some of these tech companies can and must be built here. Since our foundation in 2013, we've been supporting daring entrepreneurs from the German-speaking regions in building global category leaders that will shape the decades to come. Investment focus We get in early - from Pre-Seed to Series A. Our main expertise lies in supporting early-stage tech startups in their first crucial decisions: from setting up a finance department to the first executive hires. With our industry network, hands-on approach and our supporting functions such as marketing and finance, we help to turn a business idea into a fully-fledged company. As a VC firm with people on the ground in Cologne, Berlin, and Munich we have a deep-rooted network in the German tech scene. That’s why we strongly focus our investment activities on Germany and the German-speaking regions. That doesn’t rule out deals elsewhere - but we certainly need extra conviction then. Track record We have supported companies on their journeys from Seed right through to IPO. 44 active Capnamic investments 350 million EUR of capital under management 900 million EUR of funds raised by our portfolio companies We believein entrepreneurs changing the world: But they can’t do it all on their own. That’s why we try to play our part by being sparring partners available at all times, by opening doors, or simply by having your back. in empathetic honesty: We have a ‘Bullshit Buzzer’ in our main meeting room for a reason. We’re going to be completely honest with the founders we work with, and they in turn can depend on our loyalty and support. We won’t leave your side when the first rain drops fall. in team, timing, technology: A strong team is the core of every successful startup. But for an idea to thrive, it also needs the right timing and a defensible technology. If you have the three Ts, there’s a good chance you’re at the start of something big. in making our network your network: Having started as a multi-corporate VC with LPs from some of the biggest national and international corporations, we value a strong network above most other things. in realness not the hype: Not every company that gets massive funding has the substance to last. We always form our own opinion and we even tend to get skeptical when things are hyped. But once we’re convinced of a business idea, we give it everything we’ve got. in sparring not steering: We do our best to be active partners, coaches and mentors on an equal footing. But at the end of the day, nobody knows their product, company and market better than the founders.

We love when new things are being built. New companies, new relations, new perspectives. This is why we like to be amongst the first to join builders in their entrepreneurial journey. And since some endeavors are bigger than others, we are committed to go the long way. With over € 1.7bn under management and about 200 companies backed, HV’s funds have the resources and the experience needed. NEW COMPANIES HV’s funds invest early. Leading investment rounds with initial tickets between € 500k and € 5m. If a company is developing exceptional but was missed in the early stage, the relationship can also start in growth stages with tickets of up to € 20m as initial investment and follow on investments with up to € 100m per company. NEW RELATIONS Our network is our biggest value. In our history, we have backed hundreds of entrepreneurs, enabling great success stories. We are creating an ecosystem for companies to connect and thrive together. HV’s funds co-invest with a set of top international business angels and investors. NEW PERSPECTIVES We have backed about 200 companies in the last 20 years. We have enabled the creation of more than 100,000 jobs across all sectors of the industry.

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.

LAUNCHUB is a leading early-stage venture capital fund focused on investing in startups in South-Eastern (SEE) and Central-Eastern (CEE) Europe. Since 2012, we’ve been involved in the region and its diaspora, helping exceptional teams create the next generation of game-changing companies. We are currently investing out of our third fund, with a size of €74M, dedicated towards ambitious early-stage founders. Our focus🎯 Pre-seed and seed investing with tickets up to 2.5M EUR. 🧑 Founders solving large-scale problems with a global vision, in any industry. Our value-add💵 We get you prepared to score top-tier VCs for your next financing. 🏢 Access to a global network of clients, advisors, and co-investors. 🤝 Hands-on strategic guidance and mentorship. We are well-known for helping our companies raise large next stage investments rounds. → In fact, 75% of our portfolio companies raise follow-on funding by exceptional VCs from our co-investors network, raising over $450m of capital in total. Check out our co-investors here. FAQ ‣ Which countries do you invest in? We invest in founders with origin from South Eastern Europe, also known as the Balkans, and the broader Central Eastern European region, building companies anywhere around the world. ‣ What is your investment process? Our investment process is designed to be transparent and efficient, with a focus on supporting founders. It typically takes 2-3 weeks and includes: Initial analysis: After our initial conversation, we evaluate the market, opportunity, and the fundraising materials shared by the founder. Q&A: We work asynchronously, creating a shared document with our questions and collaborate with the founder on their answers. In-person meeting: We meet with the founder in-person to discuss their idea in-depth, get to know the team, and brainstorm together on plans for reaching the next funding round objectives. Group discussion: We hold a group meeting with you and our broader investment team to discuss and make a final decision on the investment. 💡 During this process, we also like to thinker with your product and speak to few of your clients to understand their pain points and usage experience. ‣ Are you investing in bridge and subsequent rounds? We tend to look at each subsequent round as a seperate investment decision so our participation is not guaranteed. However, we are committed to support our amazing portfolio companies through all stages of growth, including bridge rounds and subsequent funding rounds, up until Series B. ‣ What are your criteria for evaluating potential deals? When evaluating potential deals, we place a strong emphasis on the team, market, and vision. Specifically, we look for: an ambitious and talanted team proven to execute founder competitive advantage and path to a clear moat a big market or one with potential to grow or emerge ‣ How do you approach board governance and involvement with portfolio companies? As a hands-on investor, we are committed to supporting our portfolio companies in any way we can, including through introductions to customers, guidance on day-to-day operations, and assistance with raising new rounds of funding. In terms of board governance, we typically take a board seat if we are a significant contributor to the total round size or an observer seat otherwise. This allows us to stay informed and actively participate in helping founders make the best decisions for the company's long-term success.

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.

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.