Former Czech unicorn team founds AI-powered recruitment startup Finlay
DEPO Ventures announces its investment in Finlay, an AI-powered recruitment startup co-founded by ex-Mews COO, Scott Moran. The €300,000 pre-seed round, led by J&T Ventures alongside DEPO Ventures, aims to redefine how companies source talent across Europe and beyond. With deep expertise from the founding team – including leaders and recruiters from Mews, IBM, Rossum, and Cyrkl – Finlay is set to reshape the recruitment industry.
TelcoBrain Technologies Inc. Announces Convertible Note Funding Round Led by DEPO Ventures
TelcoBrain Technologies Inc. is pleased to announce the successful completion of a convertible note funding round led by DEPO Ventures. This strategic investment marks a significant milestone in TelcoBrain’s mission to revolutionize network evolution and infrastructure management. The funding underscores the confidence in TelcoBrain’s innovative approach to optimizing network and cloud resources based on techno-economic principles.
Subscriptions to furniture, fashion or garden technology as a new trend. DEPO invests in Circuly.
German startup Circuly is developing a software solution that allows companies to introduce and scale subscriptions for products such as bikes, cars or furniture. In an investment round led by funds Neoteq and Gateway Ventures, Circuly raised a total of CZK 13,475,000, which it will use to expand its solution into new industry segments and support its expansion into Central and Eastern Europe. Czech DEPO Ventures also participated in the investment round.
Founder, it’s your chance to win $1M! Startup World Cup Regional Finale is coming back to Prague.
Startup founders have an exciting opportunity on the horizon as the world’s largest startup competition, the Startup World Cup, returns to Prague on October 24th.
European startups got less money this year,but the sentiment is improving. Target: AI & climate tech
Petr Šíma: Forget about the United States, Europe has already overtaken it in the number of new startups. Moreover, it is the only region where the volume of capital invested in startups this year will be higher than in 2020, by 18 percent. Let's leave aside 2021 and early 2022, when startup valuations skyrocketed and investors bought whatever they could. That was an anomaly. This year, $45 billion will flow into European startups, according to a fresh analysis by Atomico. This is the third highest figure after the two years mentioned above and confirms that the ecosystem is on a strong footing.
DEPO’s Founders Meetup: A Catalyst for Innovation and Growth
Last October, DEPO Ventures had a great pleasure of organising a Founders Meetup that served as a beacon of innovation, collaboration, and growth. The event was a precursor to the Engaged Investments Conference and was attended by an eclectic mix of DEPO team members, 30 founders of start-ups from over 12 countries, and our valued Limited Partners (LPs). This event marked the first time that all the parties came together, fostering a vibrant ecosystem that thrives on shared knowledge, mutual growth, and a unified vision.
Czech health tech start-up KARDI AI received EUR 1.5 million from investors for further development
The start-up KARDI AI, which aims to prevent heart health and optimize patient treatment through long-term ECG monitoring and early detection of possible cardiac arrhythmias using artificial intelligence, has now raised a further EUR 1.5 million from investors, bringing the total amount invested in the company to EUR 1.9 million. The funds will help the company to realize its ambitious plans aimed at dynamically increasing the number of users at an international level. The planned steps include, in particular, the introduction of a new version of the product with a higher level of approval from the regulatory authorities. This will support a faster expansion of the network of cooperating cardiologists, neurologists and general practitioners as well as the development of cooperations with other healthcare providers, retailers and health insurance companies. All this with the aim of simplifying and streamlining cardiac healthcare across Europe as quickly as possible.
„We live in the current ecosystem, and we shouldn’t hope it will change.”
The Engaged Investments Conference's agenda was brimming with inspiring conversations, and one such panel discussion delved deep into the dynamics of start-up investments in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region. With notable industry experts sharing their experience, the panel, titled "Exploring the Pros and Cons: Traditional VC Funds vs. Angel Syndicates and its Place in the CEE Region," provided a comprehensive exploration of the challenges, trends, and opportunities shaping the landscape.
NEW INVESTMENT: Cardino Secures €1M Pre-seed Funding to Build the Marketplace for Used Electric Cars
Berlin-based startup, Cardino, announces its new online platform tailored for the electric vehicle (EV) market. By leveraging innovative tech features, Cardino promises a seamless, digital experience for both EV sellers and car dealerships. The company successfully closed a €1M pre-seed round, with Silence VC and FJ Labs leading, and involvement from distinguished investors like Asymmetric Capital Partners, DEPO Ventures, Voyagers.io, Inclimo, Gaingels, and other industry experts as business angels.
Our Portfolio Company BLOCKMATE Secures 1.5 million Euro Investment! DEPO Is on Board as a Follow-on
Providing analytical insights into the world of digital assets and becoming a bridge between the cryptocurrency and traditional finance worlds is the goal of the Czech-Slovak startup Blockmate. They are developing a new generation of solutions for secure and consolidated financial services. They have now secured an investment totaling 1.5 million euros (approximately 36 million Czech korunas) from seven investors. The largest portion, amounting to 760,000 euros, will come from Seed Starter of Česká a Slovenská spořitelna. Among other investors are investment funds Tensor Ventures, DEPO Ventures, Token Ventures, BADideas.fund, ZAKA Ventures, and Diaspora Ventures. This investment marks a significant milestone for the company, enabling them to continue connecting cryptocurrencies, digital assets, and traditional finance.