Fund #F61
#active #b2c #b2b #preseed #seed #USD50k #USD150k
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
The fund is almost fully invested, but we may still do 3–7 deals this year.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We invest in about 1 out of every 50 decks we review.
Most projects come through recommendations, so the inbound pipeline is quite high-quality.
3) What is the average check size?
$50–150k.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Early stages – pre-seed and seed.
We look at projects with minimum revenue of $5–10k MRR. For strong repeat founders, exceptions can be made to consider projects without revenue.
5) What industries, geography?
Mainly #Healthtech, #Fintech, #SharingEconomy but also open to other sectors (#agnostic). We do not consider crypto or deeptech.
Geography focus is global, with developed markets in the US and Europe being preferred. #developed
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Usually no, but there are exceptions.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
Mainly recommendations via our network (other funds, LPs, founder connections, brokers), fewer from conferences or cold emails.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
Cold projects are rare. We read the emails, and have even made one deal (one of the best in the portfolio), and plan another. So this channel works for us.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
Primarily conferences such as Vivatech, Websummit, Sifted, Reflect (Cyprus). Not actively following accelerators.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
We look at:
- Does the market fall within our areas of interest?
- Can the idea and market potential be understood quickly?
- How strong is the founding team in terms of execution potential?
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
Minimum 10x per deal.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it’s their first project or not?
No formal requirements, but multiple founders are preferred.
If founders are Russian-speaking, all should live abroad.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
Primarily, we focus on the competitive advantages of the project.
#active #b2c #b2b #preseed #seed #USD50k #USD150k
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
The fund is almost fully invested, but we may still do 3–7 deals this year.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We invest in about 1 out of every 50 decks we review.
Most projects come through recommendations, so the inbound pipeline is quite high-quality.
3) What is the average check size?
$50–150k.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Early stages – pre-seed and seed.
We look at projects with minimum revenue of $5–10k MRR. For strong repeat founders, exceptions can be made to consider projects without revenue.
5) What industries, geography?
Mainly #Healthtech, #Fintech, #SharingEconomy but also open to other sectors (#agnostic). We do not consider crypto or deeptech.
Geography focus is global, with developed markets in the US and Europe being preferred. #developed
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Usually no, but there are exceptions.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
Mainly recommendations via our network (other funds, LPs, founder connections, brokers), fewer from conferences or cold emails.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
Cold projects are rare. We read the emails, and have even made one deal (one of the best in the portfolio), and plan another. So this channel works for us.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
Primarily conferences such as Vivatech, Websummit, Sifted, Reflect (Cyprus). Not actively following accelerators.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
We look at:
- Does the market fall within our areas of interest?
- Can the idea and market potential be understood quickly?
- How strong is the founding team in terms of execution potential?
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
Minimum 10x per deal.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it’s their first project or not?
No formal requirements, but multiple founders are preferred.
If founders are Russian-speaking, all should live abroad.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
Primarily, we focus on the competitive advantages of the project.
👍2❤1
Fund #F62
#active #b2b #seed #USD500k
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
About 8–10 per year.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
Approximately 100–200 decks per investment.
3) What is the average check size?
$500k.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Seed with minimum revenue around $30–50k MRR.
5) What industries, geography?
#B2B: #SaaS, #Fintech, #FutureofWork, #Productivity tools, digital #Healthtech.
Geography: US, EU, UK. #developed
B2C projects are generally not considered.
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
No.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
Mainly from our network.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
So far, none. Incoming messages are read but treated skeptically, as the quality of such projects is usually low.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We attend conferences regularly, engage with startups, and include them in our pipeline, but have not invested in such projects yet.
Examples: SaaStr (London & San Francisco), TechCrunch, Websummit, TechWeek (London).
We interact with leading accelerators, but do not focus on them, as our inbound flow is already large.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
- Description of the team’s previous experience with LinkedIn links to verify credibility
- Well-designed visual presentation
- Traction
- Problem/solution
- Market slide is less important, as most projects overstate market size
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
Minimum 10x, accounting for dilution.
Focus on outliers that can deliver 100x. Projects with potential below 10x (after dilution) are not considered.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it’s their first project or not?
No formal requirements. Founder couples are not considered. Solo founders are approached cautiously; repeat founders are a definite plus.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
This is important, one of the key questions. We usually ask about the competitive advantage/moat and its defensibility.
We want to understand whether the project has an immediate edge and whether it can be sustained in the future.
#active #b2b #seed #USD500k
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
About 8–10 per year.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
Approximately 100–200 decks per investment.
3) What is the average check size?
$500k.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Seed with minimum revenue around $30–50k MRR.
5) What industries, geography?
#B2B: #SaaS, #Fintech, #FutureofWork, #Productivity tools, digital #Healthtech.
Geography: US, EU, UK. #developed
B2C projects are generally not considered.
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
No.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
Mainly from our network.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
So far, none. Incoming messages are read but treated skeptically, as the quality of such projects is usually low.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We attend conferences regularly, engage with startups, and include them in our pipeline, but have not invested in such projects yet.
Examples: SaaStr (London & San Francisco), TechCrunch, Websummit, TechWeek (London).
We interact with leading accelerators, but do not focus on them, as our inbound flow is already large.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
- Description of the team’s previous experience with LinkedIn links to verify credibility
- Well-designed visual presentation
- Traction
- Problem/solution
- Market slide is less important, as most projects overstate market size
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
Minimum 10x, accounting for dilution.
Focus on outliers that can deliver 100x. Projects with potential below 10x (after dilution) are not considered.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it’s their first project or not?
No formal requirements. Founder couples are not considered. Solo founders are approached cautiously; repeat founders are a definite plus.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
This is important, one of the key questions. We usually ask about the competitive advantage/moat and its defensibility.
We want to understand whether the project has an immediate edge and whether it can be sustained in the future.
👍2🤮1
Fund #F63
#active #b2c #b2b #seed #USD300k #USD1m
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
We make on average 1 deal per month.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
Our conversion rate is about 0,1-0,5%.
3) What is the average check size?
$300k - $1m. We make follow-ons, but do not lead them usually.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Pre-seed and Seed stages.
5) What industries, geography?
We invest in companies from South and Central Eastern Europe (#emerging) in the following sectors: #Fintech, #Helthcare, #FutureOfWork, #Climate and #Sustainability.
90% of our projects is in B2B space, but we may occasionally consider B2C startups as well.
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Yes.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
We have a diversified strategy, including referrals, accelerators, conferences, outbound search, community of 300 mentors and co-investments with other VC funds.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
Probably around 5%. We review cold letters regularly, but the probability of investment is lower than in the case of projects with references, since at early stages, references are one of the key elements of due diligence.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We look at projects from Founder Institute, Startup Wise Guys, ReaktorX (Poland), Techstars, and other local accelerators.
We visit local conferences as well, such as Web Summit Bulgaria, Panathenaia (Greece), etc.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
- the project fits our thesis
- we can quickly understand what the company does
- there is no unnecessary stuff in the deck
- what is special about the team, detailed credentials
- how much the project is raising and whether it's relevant to the current stage
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
At least 30x.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
No strict requirements.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
We prefer to use the term competitive advantage or moat, which will protect the business from being disrupted in the long term. If there is no moat currently, we need to understand how it will be created in the future.
#active #b2c #b2b #seed #USD300k #USD1m
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
We make on average 1 deal per month.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
Our conversion rate is about 0,1-0,5%.
3) What is the average check size?
$300k - $1m. We make follow-ons, but do not lead them usually.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Pre-seed and Seed stages.
5) What industries, geography?
We invest in companies from South and Central Eastern Europe (#emerging) in the following sectors: #Fintech, #Helthcare, #FutureOfWork, #Climate and #Sustainability.
90% of our projects is in B2B space, but we may occasionally consider B2C startups as well.
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Yes.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
We have a diversified strategy, including referrals, accelerators, conferences, outbound search, community of 300 mentors and co-investments with other VC funds.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
Probably around 5%. We review cold letters regularly, but the probability of investment is lower than in the case of projects with references, since at early stages, references are one of the key elements of due diligence.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We look at projects from Founder Institute, Startup Wise Guys, ReaktorX (Poland), Techstars, and other local accelerators.
We visit local conferences as well, such as Web Summit Bulgaria, Panathenaia (Greece), etc.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
- the project fits our thesis
- we can quickly understand what the company does
- there is no unnecessary stuff in the deck
- what is special about the team, detailed credentials
- how much the project is raising and whether it's relevant to the current stage
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
At least 30x.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
No strict requirements.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
We prefer to use the term competitive advantage or moat, which will protect the business from being disrupted in the long term. If there is no moat currently, we need to understand how it will be created in the future.
👍2
Fund #F64
#active #b2b #seed #USD1m #USD5m
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
Currently in the active stage of our third fund, focused on early stages. We do about 5–6 new deals per year and roughly the same number of follow-on deals.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
About 100 projects per investment.
3) What is the average check size?
Initial: $1–5m.
Follow-on: an additional $5–10m.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Seed – Series A.
We usually look for projects with proven PMF and $50k MRR, but also consider projects without revenue that have successful pilots with large clients.
5) What industries, geography?
Main focus: B2B in #Cybersecurity, #Healthtech, #Enterprise #Software.
A small portion of the fund is reserved for outlier deals in other sectors, including B2C, but these must be exceptional projects.
We target projects from Israel and the USA, aimed at the US market. #developed
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
We always aim to lead and take a board seat. Detailed DD is done for each project, so deal timelines are typically 2–3 months for Seed and 4–5 months for Series A.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
In previous funds, we made over 70 investments, so we are well embedded in founder and investor communities, which bring new deals.
We also proactively search for deals ourselves, but ~90% still comes from our network.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
In our first fund, we looked at cold emails but never invested. In later funds, we stopped spending time on them, as the quality is generally very low.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We attend many conferences, e.g., WebSummit, Slush, TechCrunch, DLD (Israel).
We review projects from accelerators like Microsoft Ventures Accelerator Tel Aviv or Citi Bank accelerator program in Israel.
Also interested in projects that received grants from the “Chief Scientist’s Office.” In Israel, almost every ministry has a department that supports specialized innovative companies.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
We primarily evaluate:
- Market size and growth dynamics
- Team capability to deliver the project
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
Each fund has ~25 portfolio companies, each of which should have the potential to return the entire fund. We only target potential unicorns, aiming for 30–50x ROI on initial investments.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it’s their first project or not?
We invest only in repeat founders willing to live in the project’s target geography. We don’t consider founder couples. Solo founders are approached cautiously; 2+ founders are preferred.
Important qualities: general soundness, willingness to listen, and ability to compromise.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
We focus more on:
- How the project differentiates from competitors
- Why the team believes it can outpace the market
- Whether the team understands the steps needed to make the business more attractive for future investment or acquisition, which would increase its valuation multiple over time.
#active #b2b #seed #USD1m #USD5m
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
Currently in the active stage of our third fund, focused on early stages. We do about 5–6 new deals per year and roughly the same number of follow-on deals.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
About 100 projects per investment.
3) What is the average check size?
Initial: $1–5m.
Follow-on: an additional $5–10m.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Seed – Series A.
We usually look for projects with proven PMF and $50k MRR, but also consider projects without revenue that have successful pilots with large clients.
5) What industries, geography?
Main focus: B2B in #Cybersecurity, #Healthtech, #Enterprise #Software.
A small portion of the fund is reserved for outlier deals in other sectors, including B2C, but these must be exceptional projects.
We target projects from Israel and the USA, aimed at the US market. #developed
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
We always aim to lead and take a board seat. Detailed DD is done for each project, so deal timelines are typically 2–3 months for Seed and 4–5 months for Series A.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
In previous funds, we made over 70 investments, so we are well embedded in founder and investor communities, which bring new deals.
We also proactively search for deals ourselves, but ~90% still comes from our network.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
In our first fund, we looked at cold emails but never invested. In later funds, we stopped spending time on them, as the quality is generally very low.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We attend many conferences, e.g., WebSummit, Slush, TechCrunch, DLD (Israel).
We review projects from accelerators like Microsoft Ventures Accelerator Tel Aviv or Citi Bank accelerator program in Israel.
Also interested in projects that received grants from the “Chief Scientist’s Office.” In Israel, almost every ministry has a department that supports specialized innovative companies.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
We primarily evaluate:
- Market size and growth dynamics
- Team capability to deliver the project
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
Each fund has ~25 portfolio companies, each of which should have the potential to return the entire fund. We only target potential unicorns, aiming for 30–50x ROI on initial investments.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it’s their first project or not?
We invest only in repeat founders willing to live in the project’s target geography. We don’t consider founder couples. Solo founders are approached cautiously; 2+ founders are preferred.
Important qualities: general soundness, willingness to listen, and ability to compromise.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
We focus more on:
- How the project differentiates from competitors
- Why the team believes it can outpace the market
- Whether the team understands the steps needed to make the business more attractive for future investment or acquisition, which would increase its valuation multiple over time.
👍3
Fund #F65
#active #b2c #b2b #seed #USD100k #USD1m
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
3–4 deals per year.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
About 50 projects per investment.
3) What is the average check size?
$100k–$1m.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
We can invest at the idea stage, but we still prefer not to be the very first investor.
5) What industries, geography?
We mainly look at projects in the UK, Europe, Israel, and the USA (#developed).
Industry focus: #Software, #Fintech, #AI, #SaaS, #Deeptech (IT).
We can consider #Crypto if returns are in fiat rather than tokens.
We don’t invest in deeptech related to new materials, hardware, healthcare, or devices.
We like projects with roll-up (market consolidation) strategies.
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
We can, but prefer a specialized fund to lead.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
Co-investors, network. Sometimes we reach out to startups directly.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
We receive inquiries via LinkedIn and email, but we don’t actively review them; this is a low priority.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We attend events like WebSummit, Slush, Vivatech, London TechWeek.
We don’t systematically work with accelerators.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
- Founder competencies
- Reality of the problem
- Proof that a “blue ocean” market exists
- Competitor map and competitive advantages
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
With follow-ons considered, each project should ideally return the fund; expected ROI = 30–40x from entry valuation.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it’s their first project or not?
Preferably not solo. First-time founders are acceptable (sometimes even preferred).
We don’t invest in founders from consulting backgrounds unless they have co-founders with industry experience.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
We look for competitive advantages, but they don’t have to be “unfair.”
#active #b2c #b2b #seed #USD100k #USD1m
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
3–4 deals per year.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
About 50 projects per investment.
3) What is the average check size?
$100k–$1m.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
We can invest at the idea stage, but we still prefer not to be the very first investor.
5) What industries, geography?
We mainly look at projects in the UK, Europe, Israel, and the USA (#developed).
Industry focus: #Software, #Fintech, #AI, #SaaS, #Deeptech (IT).
We can consider #Crypto if returns are in fiat rather than tokens.
We don’t invest in deeptech related to new materials, hardware, healthcare, or devices.
We like projects with roll-up (market consolidation) strategies.
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
We can, but prefer a specialized fund to lead.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
Co-investors, network. Sometimes we reach out to startups directly.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
We receive inquiries via LinkedIn and email, but we don’t actively review them; this is a low priority.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We attend events like WebSummit, Slush, Vivatech, London TechWeek.
We don’t systematically work with accelerators.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
- Founder competencies
- Reality of the problem
- Proof that a “blue ocean” market exists
- Competitor map and competitive advantages
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
With follow-ons considered, each project should ideally return the fund; expected ROI = 30–40x from entry valuation.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it’s their first project or not?
Preferably not solo. First-time founders are acceptable (sometimes even preferred).
We don’t invest in founders from consulting backgrounds unless they have co-founders with industry experience.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
We look for competitive advantages, but they don’t have to be “unfair.”
👍2
Hi everyone!
Based on the responses collected in the channel, I compiled some statistics on how funds typically responded to various questions, prepared a presentation on it, and recently shared it with audiences in several communities:
Tech founders community MFS Club
Business angels club Prosto VC
IT community Hegai
You can watch my presentation in the Hegai community by referring to my post and requesting the video link from @irina_network.
In addition to me, Evgeny Protasenko from 271.vc also spoke, sharing interesting insights on investment trends for 2025.
I’m ready to present again, so if you know any communities or audiences that might find this interesting, feel free to message me. Thanks!
Based on the responses collected in the channel, I compiled some statistics on how funds typically responded to various questions, prepared a presentation on it, and recently shared it with audiences in several communities:
Tech founders community MFS Club
Business angels club Prosto VC
IT community Hegai
You can watch my presentation in the Hegai community by referring to my post and requesting the video link from @irina_network.
In addition to me, Evgeny Protasenko from 271.vc also spoke, sharing interesting insights on investment trends for 2025.
I’m ready to present again, so if you know any communities or audiences that might find this interesting, feel free to message me. Thanks!
❤10👍6
Fund #F66
#active #b2c #b2b #preseed #USD200k
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
We are not a classic fund but an investment structure combining a venture builder (developing projects internally) and external investments.
We aim to launch/invest in 2–3 projects per year.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We generate around 50 ideas per year, of which 5–7 go into deep validation.
3) What is the average check size?
We allocate $150–200k for the initial launch of a project.
In the next round, we aim to bring in external funding to confirm market relevance.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Idea-stage projects.
We become majority shareholders and essentially co-founders.
5) What industries, geography?
We operate in Russia (#Rus) and MENA (#Emerging).
We are interested in projects related to #AI and #Ecommerce.
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Yes, essentially we are always the only investor at the start.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
We have a related structure that provides IT outsourcing and business builder services for corporate clients in Russia, which generates many potential product ideas.
Some projects also come from the shareholders’ network.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
We read cold emails and sometimes take calls, but so far there have been no investments from them.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We don’t really use these sources for project sourcing.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
We look at the basics (product/market/technology/team).
We pay attention to red flags (e.g., founder couples, info-business backgrounds, problematic regions).
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
It is important for us that the project reaches breakeven within 1.5 years, so we prefer non-capital-intensive businesses with potential future dividend streams.
For dividend-driven models, we expect 3–5x over 3–5 years.
For classic venture models, at least 10x.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it’s their first project or not?
These factors are not decisive.
What matters is strong background (education + industry experience) and understanding of how to build business processes.
A PhD or other advanced degrees are a plus.
It is also important that the team is working full-time on the project.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
We create it ourselves, since we have expertise in AI and IT development — we can quickly build an MVP, outsource back-office functions, and create conditions for rapid growth.
#active #b2c #b2b #preseed #USD200k
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
We are not a classic fund but an investment structure combining a venture builder (developing projects internally) and external investments.
We aim to launch/invest in 2–3 projects per year.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We generate around 50 ideas per year, of which 5–7 go into deep validation.
3) What is the average check size?
We allocate $150–200k for the initial launch of a project.
In the next round, we aim to bring in external funding to confirm market relevance.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Idea-stage projects.
We become majority shareholders and essentially co-founders.
5) What industries, geography?
We operate in Russia (#Rus) and MENA (#Emerging).
We are interested in projects related to #AI and #Ecommerce.
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Yes, essentially we are always the only investor at the start.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
We have a related structure that provides IT outsourcing and business builder services for corporate clients in Russia, which generates many potential product ideas.
Some projects also come from the shareholders’ network.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
We read cold emails and sometimes take calls, but so far there have been no investments from them.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We don’t really use these sources for project sourcing.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
We look at the basics (product/market/technology/team).
We pay attention to red flags (e.g., founder couples, info-business backgrounds, problematic regions).
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
It is important for us that the project reaches breakeven within 1.5 years, so we prefer non-capital-intensive businesses with potential future dividend streams.
For dividend-driven models, we expect 3–5x over 3–5 years.
For classic venture models, at least 10x.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it’s their first project or not?
These factors are not decisive.
What matters is strong background (education + industry experience) and understanding of how to build business processes.
A PhD or other advanced degrees are a plus.
It is also important that the team is working full-time on the project.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
We create it ourselves, since we have expertise in AI and IT development — we can quickly build an MVP, outsource back-office functions, and create conditions for rapid growth.
👍6
Fund #F67
#notactive #b2c #b2b #seed #USD300k #USD500k
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
In August 2024 we completed the investment period for Fund I.
We are now raising a new fund and will start investing in H2 2025.
We plan to make about 12–15 deals per year.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We screen about 1,000 companies per year, and take a closer look at 30–40.
3) What is the average check size?
$300–500k.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Projects must have confirmed PMF and minimum $50k MRR.
5) What industries, geography?
Industries: #Fintech + #AI.
Geography: US, EU, MENA, Asia. #global
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Yes, though ideally there should already be other funds in the cap table before us.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
Mostly from our network, plus our own outbound search.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
We read cold emails and sometimes take calls, but so far no investments.
In general, we are open to conversations and willing to track the progress of projects.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We regularly attend conferences, e.g. WebSummit (Portugal, Qatar), Emerge.
We tried working with accelerators, but it wasn’t very effective: either too competitive deals, wrong stages, or negative selection (if a project fails to raise a round on demo day, there’s usually a reason).
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
The most important thing is that the project fits our criteria:
- if it’s US market, fintech, AI, and $50k revenue — we want to take a look
- if there are deviations, then revenue must be growing fast enough to be interesting
Other things we look at:
- clear vision on revenue forecasting
- founder ambition to dominate the market
- top-tier funds or well-known local angels on the cap table or in the round
- competitive analysis and differentiation factors
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
At least 10x, but our baseline target is future unicorns.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
No strict rules, but having only 1 founder is a minus. It’s also better if it’s not their first project.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
It’s a plus, but the main focus is on differentiation and solid competitive analysis.
#notactive #b2c #b2b #seed #USD300k #USD500k
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
In August 2024 we completed the investment period for Fund I.
We are now raising a new fund and will start investing in H2 2025.
We plan to make about 12–15 deals per year.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We screen about 1,000 companies per year, and take a closer look at 30–40.
3) What is the average check size?
$300–500k.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Projects must have confirmed PMF and minimum $50k MRR.
5) What industries, geography?
Industries: #Fintech + #AI.
Geography: US, EU, MENA, Asia. #global
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Yes, though ideally there should already be other funds in the cap table before us.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
Mostly from our network, plus our own outbound search.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
We read cold emails and sometimes take calls, but so far no investments.
In general, we are open to conversations and willing to track the progress of projects.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We regularly attend conferences, e.g. WebSummit (Portugal, Qatar), Emerge.
We tried working with accelerators, but it wasn’t very effective: either too competitive deals, wrong stages, or negative selection (if a project fails to raise a round on demo day, there’s usually a reason).
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
The most important thing is that the project fits our criteria:
- if it’s US market, fintech, AI, and $50k revenue — we want to take a look
- if there are deviations, then revenue must be growing fast enough to be interesting
Other things we look at:
- clear vision on revenue forecasting
- founder ambition to dominate the market
- top-tier funds or well-known local angels on the cap table or in the round
- competitive analysis and differentiation factors
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
At least 10x, but our baseline target is future unicorns.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
No strict rules, but having only 1 founder is a minus. It’s also better if it’s not their first project.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
It’s a plus, but the main focus is on differentiation and solid competitive analysis.
👍4😁1
Fund #F68
#active #b2c #b2b #seed #USD250k #USD1m
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
We plan to close about 3–4 deals per year.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We have a very broad funnel — about 6,000 projects per year, of which around 1,000 are relevant, and we have meaningful discussions with 350–400 of them.
3) What is the average check size?
25–100M rubles.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Seed stage with revenue of 30–100M rubles and Series A with revenue of 150–300M+ rubles.
5) What industries, geography?
Russia (#Rus) + friendly countries (Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus).
Relatively sector-agnostic (#agnostic).
B2B or B2C doesn’t matter, though historically B2C projects account for about 10%.
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Yes.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
From the network, our own cold outreach (press, job boards, databases), and conferences.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
We receive many cold emails and try to respond politely, but the quality of projects is generally low. Very rarely do such projects reach the investment committee.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
The most productive for us are Innopolis events, MIK, and Russian Venture Forum. Sometimes we host closed-door conferences ourselves.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
We primarily look at the essence of the product and traction.
The team is rarely well-described in decks, so we pay less attention at first, but when making a final decision, a strong team becomes the most important criterion.
Ideally, we would also like to see in the deck:
- customer profile and case study examples
- differentiation from competitors
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
Target return is 30% IRR, which is roughly 3–6x for our investment horizon.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
No formal requirements. Several founders are preferable, but a solo founder is not a blocking factor.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
We call it the “secret sauce.” If it exists — great, if not — that’s fine. At an early stage, it’s often difficult to have one.
Occasionally, we can help projects with our contacts, but not systematically — we prefer projects to develop on their own rather than relying on us to do it for them.
#active #b2c #b2b #seed #USD250k #USD1m
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
We plan to close about 3–4 deals per year.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We have a very broad funnel — about 6,000 projects per year, of which around 1,000 are relevant, and we have meaningful discussions with 350–400 of them.
3) What is the average check size?
25–100M rubles.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Seed stage with revenue of 30–100M rubles and Series A with revenue of 150–300M+ rubles.
5) What industries, geography?
Russia (#Rus) + friendly countries (Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus).
Relatively sector-agnostic (#agnostic).
B2B or B2C doesn’t matter, though historically B2C projects account for about 10%.
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Yes.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
From the network, our own cold outreach (press, job boards, databases), and conferences.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
We receive many cold emails and try to respond politely, but the quality of projects is generally low. Very rarely do such projects reach the investment committee.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
The most productive for us are Innopolis events, MIK, and Russian Venture Forum. Sometimes we host closed-door conferences ourselves.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
We primarily look at the essence of the product and traction.
The team is rarely well-described in decks, so we pay less attention at first, but when making a final decision, a strong team becomes the most important criterion.
Ideally, we would also like to see in the deck:
- customer profile and case study examples
- differentiation from competitors
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
Target return is 30% IRR, which is roughly 3–6x for our investment horizon.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
No formal requirements. Several founders are preferable, but a solo founder is not a blocking factor.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
We call it the “secret sauce.” If it exists — great, if not — that’s fine. At an early stage, it’s often difficult to have one.
Occasionally, we can help projects with our contacts, but not systematically — we prefer projects to develop on their own rather than relying on us to do it for them.
👍3
Fund #F69
#active #b2b #seed #USD200k #USD400k
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
Around 10 per year.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We have two funnels:
external: 800+ projects per year, about 5% reach the IC;
through network: conversion is much higher since projects are of higher quality.
3) What is the average check size?
20–40M rubles.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Start of recurring revenue, when the team understands who the buyers are and how to sell the product to ensure repeatable sales.
5) What industries, geography?
We focus on projects in Russia (#Rus) with a transactional business model (commission based on transaction size).
Industries of interest: #Fintech, #Marketplaces, #Proptech (projects related to property sales).
We also recently launched a co-investment program with several funds, where we will look at projects with revenue from 50M rubles across a wider range of industries.
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Yes, in 60% of cases.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
Through the two funnels mentioned above (mainly network).
The broad funnel comes from: scouts (including outbound search in databases like MIK and SberUnity), events, and advertising integrations.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
We had such cases, but mostly when projects came via advertising integrations where we specifically asked for applications. Pure cold emails also arrive, but their quality is low.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
Conference examples: Venture Landscape (MIK), Startup Village, RVF.
Accelerator examples: TheQube, Sber500, Skolkovo Pre-accelerator.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
Several factors depending on how complex the product is:
- if the product is complex and not obvious from the outside, start with that and explain the market pain with case examples;
- if the pain is clear, provide numbers and a description of the sales approach;
- if the first two are covered, then show that the market is large and has room for growth.
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
6–10x.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
No formal requirements, but some preferences:
- if there are several founders, there should be one main decision-maker;
- someone on the team should have expertise in the chosen niche;
- if it’s not the first project for the team/founder, that’s a plus.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
Preferably, it should exist. For example, we look for teams that have insights into consumer behavior in their sector to build sales effectively.
If there’s no unfair advantage, we assess whether the business can become sustainably dividend-paying in the future.
#active #b2b #seed #USD200k #USD400k
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
Around 10 per year.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We have two funnels:
external: 800+ projects per year, about 5% reach the IC;
through network: conversion is much higher since projects are of higher quality.
3) What is the average check size?
20–40M rubles.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Start of recurring revenue, when the team understands who the buyers are and how to sell the product to ensure repeatable sales.
5) What industries, geography?
We focus on projects in Russia (#Rus) with a transactional business model (commission based on transaction size).
Industries of interest: #Fintech, #Marketplaces, #Proptech (projects related to property sales).
We also recently launched a co-investment program with several funds, where we will look at projects with revenue from 50M rubles across a wider range of industries.
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Yes, in 60% of cases.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
Through the two funnels mentioned above (mainly network).
The broad funnel comes from: scouts (including outbound search in databases like MIK and SberUnity), events, and advertising integrations.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
We had such cases, but mostly when projects came via advertising integrations where we specifically asked for applications. Pure cold emails also arrive, but their quality is low.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
Conference examples: Venture Landscape (MIK), Startup Village, RVF.
Accelerator examples: TheQube, Sber500, Skolkovo Pre-accelerator.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
Several factors depending on how complex the product is:
- if the product is complex and not obvious from the outside, start with that and explain the market pain with case examples;
- if the pain is clear, provide numbers and a description of the sales approach;
- if the first two are covered, then show that the market is large and has room for growth.
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
6–10x.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
No formal requirements, but some preferences:
- if there are several founders, there should be one main decision-maker;
- someone on the team should have expertise in the chosen niche;
- if it’s not the first project for the team/founder, that’s a plus.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
Preferably, it should exist. For example, we look for teams that have insights into consumer behavior in their sector to build sales effectively.
If there’s no unfair advantage, we assess whether the business can become sustainably dividend-paying in the future.
👍1
Fund #F70
#active #b2c #b2b #seed #USD100k #USD500k
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
We were founded in 2024 and are in an active phase. Planning to make 15–20 deals per year, potentially more in the future with smaller checks.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We aim to review 10,000–12,000 projects annually.
3) What is the average check size?
$100k–500k initially, then ready to support companies pro rata through follow-ons.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Sweet spot: first revenue from $50k MRR, but open to engaging earlier (from $10k MRR) and tracking traction.
Exceptions: pre-revenue or, on the other side, Series A — but only if it’s something special.
5) What industries, geography?
80% #Fintech
20% other sectors (#agnostic), including AI, cyber security, B2B SaaS.
We do not look at: hardware, deeptech, biotech, medtech, pharma, healthtech.
Focus on B2B, but open to B2C as well.
Geography: US/EU/UK/Israel as a baseline. For fintech — broader, also LATAM, MENA, Central Asia (#global).
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Yes, we are ready to lead the process, not necessarily with the largest check.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
Network, accelerators, conferences, plus proactive sourcing.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
So far, very few. But we aim to systematically review such projects.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We’ve reviewed 2,500+ accelerators and selected those of interest, generating a funnel of 8,500+ projects annually.
We look at both top-tier accelerators and niche ones such as HF0, Mercury, Antler.
We mostly attend conferences in LATAM, MENA, and Asia.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
- Explosive revenue growth is the key.
- If that’s not the case, then the deck must highlight the startup’s main advantage versus other teams, whatever it may be.
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
Minimum 10x. At the same time, we also consider local champions that may not become unicorns but could be sold for hundreds of millions of dollars.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
No formal criteria. For us, it’s more important that founders have experience in their industry and are committed to high-intensity work.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
We see 4 stages of market competition:
- creation of a new killing feature that creates value and a new market,
- growth in service quality,
- feature expansion,
- competitive war (red ocean).
We prefer projects operating in markets at the early competition stage — the “killing feature.”
#active #b2c #b2b #seed #USD100k #USD500k
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
We were founded in 2024 and are in an active phase. Planning to make 15–20 deals per year, potentially more in the future with smaller checks.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We aim to review 10,000–12,000 projects annually.
3) What is the average check size?
$100k–500k initially, then ready to support companies pro rata through follow-ons.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Sweet spot: first revenue from $50k MRR, but open to engaging earlier (from $10k MRR) and tracking traction.
Exceptions: pre-revenue or, on the other side, Series A — but only if it’s something special.
5) What industries, geography?
80% #Fintech
20% other sectors (#agnostic), including AI, cyber security, B2B SaaS.
We do not look at: hardware, deeptech, biotech, medtech, pharma, healthtech.
Focus on B2B, but open to B2C as well.
Geography: US/EU/UK/Israel as a baseline. For fintech — broader, also LATAM, MENA, Central Asia (#global).
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Yes, we are ready to lead the process, not necessarily with the largest check.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
Network, accelerators, conferences, plus proactive sourcing.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
So far, very few. But we aim to systematically review such projects.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We’ve reviewed 2,500+ accelerators and selected those of interest, generating a funnel of 8,500+ projects annually.
We look at both top-tier accelerators and niche ones such as HF0, Mercury, Antler.
We mostly attend conferences in LATAM, MENA, and Asia.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
- Explosive revenue growth is the key.
- If that’s not the case, then the deck must highlight the startup’s main advantage versus other teams, whatever it may be.
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
Minimum 10x. At the same time, we also consider local champions that may not become unicorns but could be sold for hundreds of millions of dollars.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
No formal criteria. For us, it’s more important that founders have experience in their industry and are committed to high-intensity work.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
We see 4 stages of market competition:
- creation of a new killing feature that creates value and a new market,
- growth in service quality,
- feature expansion,
- competitive war (red ocean).
We prefer projects operating in markets at the early competition stage — the “killing feature.”
🔥3👍1
Investment company #F71
#NOTactive #b2b #seed #USD250k #USD1m
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
We are not a classic fund but an investment company with a number of portfolio projects generating cash flow, which we reinvest into projects from complementary sectors. We invest quite selectively — about 2 deals per year in Russia and 2 abroad.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We review around 40 projects that have already passed the initial industry-relevance filter.
3) What is the average check size?
For classic venture projects: ~$100–400k + follow-on up to 50% of the initial investment.
For buy/grow/sell strategy (see below): ~$1m.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
We consider two categories of projects:
Classic venture (mostly abroad): late seed with proven PMF.
Buy/grow/sell (only in Russia): companies with revenue from ₽30m to ₽200m, where we acquire a significant stake with the goal to scale using our commercial network and exit within 3 years.
5) What industries, geography?
We only invest in what we understand: industrial digitalization and SDLC (software development life cycle) = IT software (#B2B, #Software #devtools #engineering #manufacturing).
For classic venture, we could also consider other B2B IT cases that we know can be sold to strategics in Russia.
Geography: Russia (#Rus) and abroad, mostly developed markets (#developed).
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
For buy/grow/sell in Russia — yes.
For classic venture — no.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
Through a wide funnel managed by a scout, as well as from network sources.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
We are not very public, so we don’t get cold outreach.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
Our scout monitors many sources, but we don’t engage in this directly.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
The scout makes the initial decision. If a project passes, we review it thoroughly and invite to a pitch session.
Key criteria for the scout besides industry:
- Minimum revenue of ₽30m.
- Team (experience and trustworthiness).
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
IRR of 35% annually, with exit no later than 5 years. Market share at exit should not exceed 20%.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
No formal criteria.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
We create it ourselves through our commercial network.
#NOTactive #b2b #seed #USD250k #USD1m
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
We are not a classic fund but an investment company with a number of portfolio projects generating cash flow, which we reinvest into projects from complementary sectors. We invest quite selectively — about 2 deals per year in Russia and 2 abroad.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We review around 40 projects that have already passed the initial industry-relevance filter.
3) What is the average check size?
For classic venture projects: ~$100–400k + follow-on up to 50% of the initial investment.
For buy/grow/sell strategy (see below): ~$1m.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
We consider two categories of projects:
Classic venture (mostly abroad): late seed with proven PMF.
Buy/grow/sell (only in Russia): companies with revenue from ₽30m to ₽200m, where we acquire a significant stake with the goal to scale using our commercial network and exit within 3 years.
5) What industries, geography?
We only invest in what we understand: industrial digitalization and SDLC (software development life cycle) = IT software (#B2B, #Software #devtools #engineering #manufacturing).
For classic venture, we could also consider other B2B IT cases that we know can be sold to strategics in Russia.
Geography: Russia (#Rus) and abroad, mostly developed markets (#developed).
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
For buy/grow/sell in Russia — yes.
For classic venture — no.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
Through a wide funnel managed by a scout, as well as from network sources.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
We are not very public, so we don’t get cold outreach.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
Our scout monitors many sources, but we don’t engage in this directly.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
The scout makes the initial decision. If a project passes, we review it thoroughly and invite to a pitch session.
Key criteria for the scout besides industry:
- Minimum revenue of ₽30m.
- Team (experience and trustworthiness).
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
IRR of 35% annually, with exit no later than 5 years. Market share at exit should not exceed 20%.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
No formal criteria.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
We create it ourselves through our commercial network.
👍2
Fund #F72
#active #b2c #b2b #preseed #seed #USD100k #USD1m
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
5–6 per year in Seed/Seed+/Series A with larger checks, and about the same number in pre-seed with smaller checks.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We don’t track the very top of the funnel, but for deals we actually review it’s about 200–300 per year.
3) What is the average check size?
Seed and later: $500k–$2m.
Pre-seed: $50–100k.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Seed and later: strictly post-PMF.
Pre-seed: early revenue or even idea stage (but with focus on repeat founders).
5) What industries, geography?
70/30 – US/Europe (with European companies also significantly oriented toward the US market) #developed.
Focus: #Software across industries (#agnostic).
We look for businesses that we believe can be fundamentally strong at scale:
- high margins
- perpetual retention
- potential for leadership or near-monopoly market position in their segment
- no existential macro risks
Often this means niche vertical or functional software in non-obvious areas (but not only).
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Yes. We lead or co-lead about half of the key deals in our portfolio at the Seed stage.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
All through direct recommendations from other portfolio companies or partners’ personal networks.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
We’ve spoken a couple of times with companies from cold outreach but haven’t invested in any.
99% of the time we don’t read cold messages at all.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We generally don’t follow them — and less than 10% of our portfolio companies have gone through accelerators.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
First, we assess the type of business and whether it theoretically has the traits we are looking for (see above).
We look at the team less at this stage, since projects usually come via strong recommendations. We dive into the team more thoroughly later.
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
50x+ from a seed check, ideally 100x+.
We target niche but large markets, aiming for potential unicorns. We plan to double down on all successful companies.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
For Seed: no formal criteria — every case is unique. More important is the combination of domain expertise, motivation, and constructive team dynamics.
For Pre-seed: only repeat founders or strong product leaders from successful companies.
Solo or multiple founders — doesn’t matter.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
At Seed+: projects that can escape pure competition and have potential to build a monopoly in their segment (perpetual retention, network effects, proprietary academic research forming the basis of the product, etc.).
At Pre-seed: too early for this — the thesis is all about the team and a hypothetically attractive market.
#active #b2c #b2b #preseed #seed #USD100k #USD1m
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
5–6 per year in Seed/Seed+/Series A with larger checks, and about the same number in pre-seed with smaller checks.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We don’t track the very top of the funnel, but for deals we actually review it’s about 200–300 per year.
3) What is the average check size?
Seed and later: $500k–$2m.
Pre-seed: $50–100k.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Seed and later: strictly post-PMF.
Pre-seed: early revenue or even idea stage (but with focus on repeat founders).
5) What industries, geography?
70/30 – US/Europe (with European companies also significantly oriented toward the US market) #developed.
Focus: #Software across industries (#agnostic).
We look for businesses that we believe can be fundamentally strong at scale:
- high margins
- perpetual retention
- potential for leadership or near-monopoly market position in their segment
- no existential macro risks
Often this means niche vertical or functional software in non-obvious areas (but not only).
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Yes. We lead or co-lead about half of the key deals in our portfolio at the Seed stage.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
All through direct recommendations from other portfolio companies or partners’ personal networks.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
We’ve spoken a couple of times with companies from cold outreach but haven’t invested in any.
99% of the time we don’t read cold messages at all.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We generally don’t follow them — and less than 10% of our portfolio companies have gone through accelerators.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
First, we assess the type of business and whether it theoretically has the traits we are looking for (see above).
We look at the team less at this stage, since projects usually come via strong recommendations. We dive into the team more thoroughly later.
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
50x+ from a seed check, ideally 100x+.
We target niche but large markets, aiming for potential unicorns. We plan to double down on all successful companies.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
For Seed: no formal criteria — every case is unique. More important is the combination of domain expertise, motivation, and constructive team dynamics.
For Pre-seed: only repeat founders or strong product leaders from successful companies.
Solo or multiple founders — doesn’t matter.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
At Seed+: projects that can escape pure competition and have potential to build a monopoly in their segment (perpetual retention, network effects, proprietary academic research forming the basis of the product, etc.).
At Pre-seed: too early for this — the thesis is all about the team and a hypothetically attractive market.
👍2❤1
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Hi everyone!
I’d like to share some news.
📅 On April 17 at 6:00 PM (online), I’ll be speaking at the Heg.ai + P2S: Venture 2025 conference.
Together with Altair, YR, SPC, I2BF, and The Cube VC funds, we’ll be discussing what’s happening in venture capital and how fundraising is changing in the era of AI.
Based on statistics collected from the channel, I’ll share which industries are attracting the most interest from venture funds today.
🔗 Registration link: https://hegai.network/venchur2025
I’d like to share some news.
📅 On April 17 at 6:00 PM (online), I’ll be speaking at the Heg.ai + P2S: Venture 2025 conference.
Together with Altair, YR, SPC, I2BF, and The Cube VC funds, we’ll be discussing what’s happening in venture capital and how fundraising is changing in the era of AI.
Based on statistics collected from the channel, I’ll share which industries are attracting the most interest from venture funds today.
🔗 Registration link: https://hegai.network/venchur2025
🔥9👍4❤2
Fund #F73
#active #b2b #seed #USD50k
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
Around 15 deals per year.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
Since we mostly source projects ourselves, our conversion rate is higher. We usually speak with 150–200 projects per year.
3) What is the average check size?
$50k + $250k–500k for follow-ons in the best projects.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Late Seed, pre-Series A.
In Fintech: projects with revenue.
In Deeptech: revenue is not required.
5) What industries, geography?
Geography: developed markets #developed.
#Fintech (mainly infrastructure projects).
#Deeptech (water treatment, new energy, industrial AI agents, robotics, quantum computers, etc.)
Only B2B projects.
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
No.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
Mainly through proactive outbound search.
Also via network and recommendations.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
We get a lot of cold emails but don’t read them — very low chance of anything worthwhile.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We monitor 1,500+ different information sources using our in-house IT solution.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
First of all, we look at the background and completeness of the team.
For fintech: we check revenue and clients.
For deeptech: description of the technology + IP rights.
We try to assess whether the business could eventually be worth $1bn.
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
Ideally, we look for projects with 30x return potential and the ability to become a unicorn.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
We don’t consider solo or first-time founders, except in rare cases.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
That’s not important to us. Any technology can be replicated — what matters is growth speed and product quality.
We follow the principle: “build a solid product — the business will grow.”
Sometimes we even back multiple startups in the same industry at once.
#active #b2b #seed #USD50k
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
Around 15 deals per year.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
Since we mostly source projects ourselves, our conversion rate is higher. We usually speak with 150–200 projects per year.
3) What is the average check size?
$50k + $250k–500k for follow-ons in the best projects.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Late Seed, pre-Series A.
In Fintech: projects with revenue.
In Deeptech: revenue is not required.
5) What industries, geography?
Geography: developed markets #developed.
#Fintech (mainly infrastructure projects).
#Deeptech (water treatment, new energy, industrial AI agents, robotics, quantum computers, etc.)
Only B2B projects.
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
No.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
Mainly through proactive outbound search.
Also via network and recommendations.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
We get a lot of cold emails but don’t read them — very low chance of anything worthwhile.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We monitor 1,500+ different information sources using our in-house IT solution.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
First of all, we look at the background and completeness of the team.
For fintech: we check revenue and clients.
For deeptech: description of the technology + IP rights.
We try to assess whether the business could eventually be worth $1bn.
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
Ideally, we look for projects with 30x return potential and the ability to become a unicorn.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
We don’t consider solo or first-time founders, except in rare cases.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
That’s not important to us. Any technology can be replicated — what matters is growth speed and product quality.
We follow the principle: “build a solid product — the business will grow.”
Sometimes we even back multiple startups in the same industry at once.
❤2👍1
Fund #F74
#active #b2b #seed #USD200k #USD500k
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
We aim to reach a pace of 1 deal per month by the end of the year.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We invest in about one out of ten projects we engage with closely, and only one out of several dozen reaches that stage.
3) What is the average check size?
$200k–500k for the first check.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
A project must have a working prototype, even if only at a lab level. We are not ready to take on scientific risk, but we are willing to take on engineering and commercial risks.
5) What industries, geography?
We focus only on #Deeptech in #developed markets.
Within deeptech, we’re open to a broad scope, but our main areas are:
- Energy transition
- Decarbonisation
- Manufacturing tech & robotics
- AI
- Bio-manufacturing
- Agritech
- Medical devices
- Spacetech
- Longevity
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Yes, we are.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
We proactively search for interesting projects coming out of universities.
And, as usual, through our network.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
We get a lot of messages via LinkedIn, and very rarely one stands out — usually when there’s a clear, concise message (e.g., “you invested in X company, we are building a similar project in a related field — let’s talk”).
Advice to founders: write briefly and to the point, and only to investors for whom it’s relevant — you’ll get responses that way.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We don’t really have time for conferences.
For deeptech projects, relevant accelerators are either top-tier (YC, Alchemist), niche (SOSV), or tied to a corporate partner (e.g., Techstars + Land Rover).
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
We dislike when teams mask their real project development stage by replacing it everywhere with future vision.
We want clear, honest information in the deck:
- What’s the idea
- What has been done / real status (technology, sales, benchmarks, future economics estimates)
- Next concrete steps
- Long-term goal and vision (in that order)
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
Minimum 30x cash-on-cash.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
If it’s a repeat founder, that’s definitely a bonus (even if it was a failed attempt).
Solo or not doesn’t matter much — but ideally not more than 3 founders, with 2 being optimal.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
We believe competitive advantages are not given but built over time.
So, we’re looking for teams capable of creating one based on a technology enabled by a recent breakthrough.
We value how the founder answers “why now” and “why us,” because we need both: a timely idea (made possible today) and the right team to execute it.
#active #b2b #seed #USD200k #USD500k
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
We aim to reach a pace of 1 deal per month by the end of the year.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We invest in about one out of ten projects we engage with closely, and only one out of several dozen reaches that stage.
3) What is the average check size?
$200k–500k for the first check.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
A project must have a working prototype, even if only at a lab level. We are not ready to take on scientific risk, but we are willing to take on engineering and commercial risks.
5) What industries, geography?
We focus only on #Deeptech in #developed markets.
Within deeptech, we’re open to a broad scope, but our main areas are:
- Energy transition
- Decarbonisation
- Manufacturing tech & robotics
- AI
- Bio-manufacturing
- Agritech
- Medical devices
- Spacetech
- Longevity
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Yes, we are.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
We proactively search for interesting projects coming out of universities.
And, as usual, through our network.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
We get a lot of messages via LinkedIn, and very rarely one stands out — usually when there’s a clear, concise message (e.g., “you invested in X company, we are building a similar project in a related field — let’s talk”).
Advice to founders: write briefly and to the point, and only to investors for whom it’s relevant — you’ll get responses that way.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We don’t really have time for conferences.
For deeptech projects, relevant accelerators are either top-tier (YC, Alchemist), niche (SOSV), or tied to a corporate partner (e.g., Techstars + Land Rover).
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
We dislike when teams mask their real project development stage by replacing it everywhere with future vision.
We want clear, honest information in the deck:
- What’s the idea
- What has been done / real status (technology, sales, benchmarks, future economics estimates)
- Next concrete steps
- Long-term goal and vision (in that order)
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
Minimum 30x cash-on-cash.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
If it’s a repeat founder, that’s definitely a bonus (even if it was a failed attempt).
Solo or not doesn’t matter much — but ideally not more than 3 founders, with 2 being optimal.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
We believe competitive advantages are not given but built over time.
So, we’re looking for teams capable of creating one based on a technology enabled by a recent breakthrough.
We value how the founder answers “why now” and “why us,” because we need both: a timely idea (made possible today) and the right team to execute it.
👍2❤1
Fund #F75
#active #b2b #b2c #seed #USD50k
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
10–15 deals per year.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We review around 400–600 projects annually.
3) What is the average check size?
Initial check: $50K
Follow-on for top portfolio companies: $250K–500K
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Seed / Pre-Series A
Development or industrial prototype stage
Scalability potential
Early revenue is not mandatory
Investment horizon: 2–3 years
5) What industries, geography?
Geography: MENA, South-East Asia.
We do not consider the US or Europe.
Focus: Primarily B2B, but we are also open to B2C.
Sectors:
- True Biotech
Cellular technologies, bioreactors
GMOs and microbiology
Industrial bioprocesses
New strains, lines, breeds
Engineering solutions for biotech
- Agrotech
Aquaculture and mariculture
Mushrooms, insects, new plant and animal species
Alternative proteins and fertilizers
Genetics in agriculture
Agro-waste processing
Unconventional farming systems
- Foodtech
Alternative products: meat, fish, dairy
Cell-based food
Processing, packaging, storage
Food waste
Hyperfoods, retail innovations
- Ecology Tech
Water purification, GHG solutions
Circular economy
Microplastics, organic waste
Smart waste collection
Biomaterials and sample storage
- Ecology of the Basics
Ecosystem restoration
Modeling of natural processes
Soil technologies
Digital solutions in ecology
- Robotics & Gadgets
Microrobots, exoskeletons
Chemical/bio agents
Soft robots, niches and cyborgization
Smart gadgets and unconventional devices
- Smart Materials
Shape-memory materials
Energy absorbers, eco-polymers
Bionics, alloys with unique properties
- Alternative Energy
Autonomous and micro-energy systems
New energy sources, storage
- Space & Engineering
Space technologies
Quantum technologies
Future of transport (including hyperloop and autonomy)
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Yes.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
Through our network, recommendations, professional communities, and startup competitions.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
We receive many cold pitches, but haven’t invested in any of them yet.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We’re interested in all relevant deeptech, biotech, and futuretech conferences.
Based in the UAE, we mainly follow local events like GITEX, Leap Tech, and accelerators such as Catalyst (Masdar City), Hub71 (Abu Dhabi), and Plug&Play (Saudi Arabia).
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
- Technological novelty
- Strong team
- International scaling potential
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
30–50x+
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
Yes, it matters.
We value entrepreneurial experience and previous exits.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
We’re looking for projects with clear entry barriers and technological protection. This could include:
- Proprietary tech protected by patents or know-how
- Unique access to biological resources, strains, genetic lines, raw materials, or infrastructure
- A team with rare scientific or engineering expertise
- High complexity or long replication timeline
#active #b2b #b2c #seed #USD50k
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
10–15 deals per year.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We review around 400–600 projects annually.
3) What is the average check size?
Initial check: $50K
Follow-on for top portfolio companies: $250K–500K
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Seed / Pre-Series A
Development or industrial prototype stage
Scalability potential
Early revenue is not mandatory
Investment horizon: 2–3 years
5) What industries, geography?
Geography: MENA, South-East Asia.
We do not consider the US or Europe.
Focus: Primarily B2B, but we are also open to B2C.
Sectors:
- True Biotech
Cellular technologies, bioreactors
GMOs and microbiology
Industrial bioprocesses
New strains, lines, breeds
Engineering solutions for biotech
- Agrotech
Aquaculture and mariculture
Mushrooms, insects, new plant and animal species
Alternative proteins and fertilizers
Genetics in agriculture
Agro-waste processing
Unconventional farming systems
- Foodtech
Alternative products: meat, fish, dairy
Cell-based food
Processing, packaging, storage
Food waste
Hyperfoods, retail innovations
- Ecology Tech
Water purification, GHG solutions
Circular economy
Microplastics, organic waste
Smart waste collection
Biomaterials and sample storage
- Ecology of the Basics
Ecosystem restoration
Modeling of natural processes
Soil technologies
Digital solutions in ecology
- Robotics & Gadgets
Microrobots, exoskeletons
Chemical/bio agents
Soft robots, niches and cyborgization
Smart gadgets and unconventional devices
- Smart Materials
Shape-memory materials
Energy absorbers, eco-polymers
Bionics, alloys with unique properties
- Alternative Energy
Autonomous and micro-energy systems
New energy sources, storage
- Space & Engineering
Space technologies
Quantum technologies
Future of transport (including hyperloop and autonomy)
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Yes.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
Through our network, recommendations, professional communities, and startup competitions.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
We receive many cold pitches, but haven’t invested in any of them yet.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We’re interested in all relevant deeptech, biotech, and futuretech conferences.
Based in the UAE, we mainly follow local events like GITEX, Leap Tech, and accelerators such as Catalyst (Masdar City), Hub71 (Abu Dhabi), and Plug&Play (Saudi Arabia).
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
- Technological novelty
- Strong team
- International scaling potential
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
30–50x+
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
Yes, it matters.
We value entrepreneurial experience and previous exits.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
We’re looking for projects with clear entry barriers and technological protection. This could include:
- Proprietary tech protected by patents or know-how
- Unique access to biological resources, strains, genetic lines, raw materials, or infrastructure
- A team with rare scientific or engineering expertise
- High complexity or long replication timeline
👍3
Fund #F76
#active #b2b #seed #USD500k #USD1m
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
Up to 10 deals per year across two focus areas (see below).
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
Around 50 projects per month make it to our evaluation stage within our specialization.
3) What is the average check size?
$0.5M – $1M.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
From Seed with first revenue to Series A.
Occasionally we may consider pre-seed without revenue, but that’s an exception — ideally, we want to see traction.
5) What industries, geography?
Mainly B2B and B2B2C projects in two directions:
A) Innovations in packaging (#Packtech): e.g. smart food labels, freshness sensors, NFC tags, QR codes, biodegradable packaging, new paints, waste disposal, etc.
B) Agriculture (#Agrotech) in the smart farm context, mostly in dairy farming + healthy food (#Foodtech), including eco-food, crop yield improvement, vertical farms, etc.
Geography = #global + #Rus.
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Generally, yes.
We only invest in areas we understand, so we’re not interested in being passive investors.
We want to be actively involved in the life of our portfolio companies — even if we’re not leading the round.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
From our network, accelerators, other funds, and universities.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
Almost none. We haven’t yet widely promoted ourselves.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We follow both international (YC, Plug & Play) and Russian (MIK, Skolkovo) accelerators. We attend all key industry events in packaging and agtech.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
If the technology looks interesting, the most important factor is the team.
It should be well-balanced — not just scientists, but also entrepreneurs.
If we see a strong academic tilt with no clear business focus, that’s a red flag for us.
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
We primarily seek promising technologies, not just high multiples.
That said, for projects we’re interested in, we expect at least 30x returns over a 7–9 year horizon in markets with a SAM of $1B+.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
If it’s a solo founder or the team’s first project — it’s a risk, but we don’t have rigid criteria.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
In both of our sectors, we act as strategic investors, so we believe our involvement can create an unfair advantage.
However, there also has to be an initial “spark” — something that sets the project apart (unique expertise, networks, access to knowledge).
Otherwise, it’s unclear why the team started this project in the first place.
#active #b2b #seed #USD500k #USD1m
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
Up to 10 deals per year across two focus areas (see below).
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
Around 50 projects per month make it to our evaluation stage within our specialization.
3) What is the average check size?
$0.5M – $1M.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
From Seed with first revenue to Series A.
Occasionally we may consider pre-seed without revenue, but that’s an exception — ideally, we want to see traction.
5) What industries, geography?
Mainly B2B and B2B2C projects in two directions:
A) Innovations in packaging (#Packtech): e.g. smart food labels, freshness sensors, NFC tags, QR codes, biodegradable packaging, new paints, waste disposal, etc.
B) Agriculture (#Agrotech) in the smart farm context, mostly in dairy farming + healthy food (#Foodtech), including eco-food, crop yield improvement, vertical farms, etc.
Geography = #global + #Rus.
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Generally, yes.
We only invest in areas we understand, so we’re not interested in being passive investors.
We want to be actively involved in the life of our portfolio companies — even if we’re not leading the round.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
From our network, accelerators, other funds, and universities.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
Almost none. We haven’t yet widely promoted ourselves.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We follow both international (YC, Plug & Play) and Russian (MIK, Skolkovo) accelerators. We attend all key industry events in packaging and agtech.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
If the technology looks interesting, the most important factor is the team.
It should be well-balanced — not just scientists, but also entrepreneurs.
If we see a strong academic tilt with no clear business focus, that’s a red flag for us.
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
We primarily seek promising technologies, not just high multiples.
That said, for projects we’re interested in, we expect at least 30x returns over a 7–9 year horizon in markets with a SAM of $1B+.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
If it’s a solo founder or the team’s first project — it’s a risk, but we don’t have rigid criteria.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
In both of our sectors, we act as strategic investors, so we believe our involvement can create an unfair advantage.
However, there also has to be an initial “spark” — something that sets the project apart (unique expertise, networks, access to knowledge).
Otherwise, it’s unclear why the team started this project in the first place.
👍2
Fund #F77
#active #b2b #preseed #USD50k #USD250k
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
4–6 per year (excluding our in-house accelerator).
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We review around 20 projects in detail each month.
3) What is the average check size?
$50k–250k.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
We invest at the earliest stages — pre-revenue or early revenue. We also run our own accelerator for projects that aren’t quite ready for investment yet.
5) What industries, geography?
#B2B #SaaS in Europe, Israel, MENA, the US, and GCC — primarily #developed markets.
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Yes, we are open to being a lead investor.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
From conferences, Dealum (a startup-investor platform), BANs, accelerators/incubators, universities, and individual angels.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
Completely cold outreach: 0%.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We're based in Cyprus and are part of CYBAN, which hosts investor events and invites startups.
We attend WebSummit, Slush, and 4YFN (Barcelona).
We follow accelerators like YCombinator, 500 Startups, and Plug’n’Play.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
- The idea (how viable it is)
- The team (relevant experience)
- Understanding of the competitive landscape
- Clear go-to-market and sales strategy
- Traction (what’s been achieved and what’s planned)
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
From 10x to 100x — it depends on the situation. We’re open to strong niche projects, not just potential unicorns.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
We used to prefer teams of three founders or two with unequal equity splits.
Now we see that AI enables solo founders to succeed — but they must be ready to share equity with key team members; otherwise, the setup won’t be stable.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
For us, the “unfair advantage” is primarily the team. Other factors tend to be leveled out by the market fairly quickly.
#active #b2b #preseed #USD50k #USD250k
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
4–6 per year (excluding our in-house accelerator).
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We review around 20 projects in detail each month.
3) What is the average check size?
$50k–250k.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
We invest at the earliest stages — pre-revenue or early revenue. We also run our own accelerator for projects that aren’t quite ready for investment yet.
5) What industries, geography?
#B2B #SaaS in Europe, Israel, MENA, the US, and GCC — primarily #developed markets.
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
Yes, we are open to being a lead investor.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
From conferences, Dealum (a startup-investor platform), BANs, accelerators/incubators, universities, and individual angels.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
Completely cold outreach: 0%.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
We're based in Cyprus and are part of CYBAN, which hosts investor events and invites startups.
We attend WebSummit, Slush, and 4YFN (Barcelona).
We follow accelerators like YCombinator, 500 Startups, and Plug’n’Play.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
- The idea (how viable it is)
- The team (relevant experience)
- Understanding of the competitive landscape
- Clear go-to-market and sales strategy
- Traction (what’s been achieved and what’s planned)
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
From 10x to 100x — it depends on the situation. We’re open to strong niche projects, not just potential unicorns.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
We used to prefer teams of three founders or two with unequal equity splits.
Now we see that AI enables solo founders to succeed — but they must be ready to share equity with key team members; otherwise, the setup won’t be stable.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
For us, the “unfair advantage” is primarily the team. Other factors tend to be leveled out by the market fairly quickly.
❤3👍1
Fund #F5
#active #b2c #b2b #SeriesA #USD2m #USD4m
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
We aim to make about 4-5 deals per year selectively.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We focus on profitable companies with revenue, which are not very many. So, we expect to engage in detailed conversations with about 20-30 companies per year.
3) What is the average check size?
200–400 million RUB.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Profitable companies with revenue between 0.5 and 1 billion RUB. We provide funding for scaling.
5) What industries, geography?
We look for projects in Russia (#Rus) of two types:
- #B2C services and products
- Russian #Software solutions
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
We always expect to be either the lead or the sole investor in a round.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
Mainly through our network and proactive search.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
For our strategy, this channel is not relevant.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
These channels are more relevant at earlier stages of project development.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
Revenue growth rate of at least 50% per year and absolute values within our target range.
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
We look for projects that can grow 7-10x and go public on the Moscow Exchange in 3–5–7 years.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
If a company has reached the revenue size we require, the team is usually strong. Still, the founder’s profile is important — ideally, an expert product manager committed to growing the company over 7 years.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
We think more in terms of barriers to entry — they should exist or emerge as a result of our investment. Ideally, we want projects that can become monopolies in the future or offer a unique product for the market and be leaders in their vertical.
#active #b2c #b2b #SeriesA #USD2m #USD4m
1) How many deals do you plan to make?
We aim to make about 4-5 deals per year selectively.
2) Out of 100 decks how many projects do you invest in?
We focus on profitable companies with revenue, which are not very many. So, we expect to engage in detailed conversations with about 20-30 companies per year.
3) What is the average check size?
200–400 million RUB.
4) Which stages are you looking at?
Profitable companies with revenue between 0.5 and 1 billion RUB. We provide funding for scaling.
5) What industries, geography?
We look for projects in Russia (#Rus) of two types:
- #B2C services and products
- Russian #Software solutions
6) Are you ready to be a lead investor?
We always expect to be either the lead or the sole investor in a round.
7) Where did the projects you invested in come from?
Mainly through our network and proactive search.
8) What percentage of investments are in projects that came through cold messages/emails?
For our strategy, this channel is not relevant.
9) What accelerators or startup conferences do you follow/attend?
These channels are more relevant at earlier stages of project development.
10) What should be in the presentation to pass initial review?
Revenue growth rate of at least 50% per year and absolute values within our target range.
11) What return on investment do you expect from the projects?
We look for projects that can grow 7-10x and go public on the Moscow Exchange in 3–5–7 years.
12) How important is the number of founders (1 or 2) or whether it's their first project or not?
If a company has reached the revenue size we require, the team is usually strong. Still, the founder’s profile is important — ideally, an expert product manager committed to growing the company over 7 years.
13) What "unfair advantage" in projects are you looking for?
We think more in terms of barriers to entry — they should exist or emerge as a result of our investment. Ideally, we want projects that can become monopolies in the future or offer a unique product for the market and be leaders in their vertical.
👍1
Hello everyone,
There are a couple of important updates I’d like to share.
First, a link to the chatbot will soon be published — it will help you send your projects directly to any fund featured in the channel.
All you’ll need to do is answer a few questions and specify the fund number, and the bot will forward your project to the selected fund.
Second, as part of preparing for the launch of the bot, all funds listed in the channel had to activate it to be able to receive submissions.
During this process, we discovered that a small number of funds had become inactive. Their spots will gradually be taken by new funds.
For example, note that the latest publication is labeled #F5 — this is a replacement for one of the inactive funds.
There will be a few more such replacements, but the numbering of the remaining funds will stay the same.
Stay tuned for upcoming updates, and have a great day!
There are a couple of important updates I’d like to share.
First, a link to the chatbot will soon be published — it will help you send your projects directly to any fund featured in the channel.
All you’ll need to do is answer a few questions and specify the fund number, and the bot will forward your project to the selected fund.
Second, as part of preparing for the launch of the bot, all funds listed in the channel had to activate it to be able to receive submissions.
During this process, we discovered that a small number of funds had become inactive. Their spots will gradually be taken by new funds.
For example, note that the latest publication is labeled #F5 — this is a replacement for one of the inactive funds.
There will be a few more such replacements, but the numbering of the remaining funds will stay the same.
Stay tuned for upcoming updates, and have a great day!
👍15