Credo Ventures is a Prague and Krakow-based venture capital firm founded in 2010, specializing in pre-seed investments in founders from Central and Eastern Europe and their diaspora. It acts as a first-check investor before broader market validation is established.
Credo is sector-agnostic, with a thesis centered on founder quality and early momentum rather than vertical specialization. The firm backs technical and product-led founders from CEE building globally competitive companies, across areas including enterprise SaaS, fintech, developer tools, and deep tech.
Its positioning in a fragmented regional market with less international investor access is a deliberate competitive advantage.
Credo Ventures launched Fund V at $88 million in March 2026, its fifth fund since inception. The fund targets approximately 30 companies, making 7 to 8 new investments per year at pre-seed stage.
Initial check sizes range from $1 million to $5 million. The fund continues the firm's sector-agnostic strategy, backing both native CEE founders and diaspora entrepreneurs building in hubs including the US and UK.
Leadership
Credo Ventures is led by six partners: Maciek Gnutek, Jakub Krikava, Max Kolowrat-Krakowsky, Matej Micek, Ondrej Bartos, and Jan Habermann. The partnership has been investing in the CEE ecosystem for over 15 years, building deep local networks and founder trust in a region that remains less accessible to international investors.
Investment Strategy
Credo leads early rounds before broader market validation, relying on local networks and founder relationships developed across four previous funds. With Fund V targeting 30 companies at $1-5 million per investment, the firm runs an active deployment pace for its size. Regional focus is a core differentiator: CEE is a fragmented ecosystem where sourcing quality deals requires local presence and established trust.
Notable Investments
Across four previous funds, Credo has backed over 100 startups including:
Czech Republic
