LAUNCHub Ventures Reaches First Closing at 65 Million Euros

Early-stage investor LAUNCHub Ventures has announced the first closing of its third fund at 65 million euros. The target fund size is more than 75 million euros. With LAUNCHub Ventures Fund III, the VC aims to finance approximately 25 startups in the pre-seed and seed stages. The focus is on founders from Central and Southeastern Europe as well as the diaspora.

For initial investments, LAUNCHub Ventures plans to invest between 300,000 and 3 million euros. In addition, the fund plans to lead or co-lead financing rounds with a total volume of up to seven million euros. A portion of the capital is reserved for follow-on financing up to Series A.

About 25 new investments planned

The investment phase of the third fund is set to last five years. During this period, approximately 25 companies are expected to be added to the portfolio.

LAUNCHub Ventures thus remains true to its existing early-stage strategy. The investor has been active since 2012 and focuses in particular on young technology companies from Central and Southeastern Europe.

Fund III is intended to continue this geographic focus. At the same time, the investor explicitly considers founders from the region who are now operating in other parts of Europe or internationally. The first three investments from the new fund have already been made. According to LAUNCHub Ventures, it led funding rounds for Nanogram, Lenz, and 1club.

Nearly 100 companies since 2012

LAUNCHub Ventures now has a portfolio of around 100 companies. Since its launch in 2012, the investor reports having recorded 18 exits.

In addition, the VC cites several key metrics regarding the further development of its early-stage investments. Approximately 75 percent of the companies in which LAUNCHub Ventures invested during the pre-seed or seed phase subsequently completed at least one additional funding round. About 40 percent reached Series A.

These figures come from the investor itself and, in connection with the new fund, are not broken down by year or individual fund. Fund III is now set to build on this strategy and finance companies, particularly at a stage when institutional capital is often still limited for young startups.

Investments ranging from 300,000 to 3 million euros

For new investments, LAUNCHub Ventures initially plans investments ranging from 300,000 to 3 million euros. By setting aside reserves for follow-on financing, the investor can later reinvest in successful portfolio companies. This means that financing does not necessarily end with the seed round but can continue through to Series A for selected companies.

For larger seed rounds, LAUNCHub Ventures also aims to act as the lead or co-lead investor. In such cases, the total volume of the financing rounds can reach up to seven million euros. The fund thus combines relatively small pre-seed entry points with the opportunity to support companies through multiple financing phases.

Two New General Partners

In parallel with the new fund, LAUNCHub Ventures is expanding its leadership team. Raya Yunakova and Petar Tsachev are being promoted to General Partners. They join Todor Breshkov, Stanislav Sirakov, Rumen Iliev, and Irina Dimitrova, who, according to the investor, have been part of the fund since 2012. Lyuben Belov and Stephane Gantchev remain associated with the company as venture partners and advisors. Additionally, Vedran Blagus has joined the team as an associate partner, while Nikoleta Popkostadinova has taken on the role of Head of Marketing.

More Capital for CEE Startups

With a first closing of 65 million euros, LAUNCHub Ventures has already secured a large portion of its target fund size of more than 75 million euros. For the startup landscape in Central and Southeastern Europe, the combination of early-stage investments and capital reserved for follow-on financing is particularly significant. This allows the fund to invest as early as the pre-seed stage and support successful companies through further phases of growth. With approximately 25 new investments planned, the portfolio remains relatively concentrated.