DEPO Ventures is a Prague-based early-stage venture capital firm investing across Central and Eastern Europe since 2016. The firm manages a new fund dedicated to bringing startups from Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia into the Czech market, connecting them with local industrial and manufacturing partners.
DEPO Ventures backs early-stage technology companies across Central and Eastern Europe, with sector interests spanning fintech, blockchain, AI, and industrial and manufacturing technology.
Its newest fund is dedicated to startups from Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia that want to establish operations or partnerships in Czechia, pairing them with Czech industrial and manufacturing companies, particularly for locally developed and produced technologies.
Defense technology has been highlighted as one of the fastest-growing funding segments among Ukrainian startups.
DEPO Ventures has been selected to manage a new fund backing startups from Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia expanding into Czechia.
National Development Investment, a subsidiary of the Czech National Development Bank, has committed $4.3 million to the vehicle, with the possibility of raising that commitment to roughly $6.5 million if conditions tied to private capital raised and capital deployed are met.
DEPO Ventures has raised and managed multiple funds and angel vehicles since its founding in 2016, including an earlier fund that invested in 14 startups and a subsequent angel fund targeting the tens of millions of Czech crowns.
Leadership
DEPO Ventures was co-founded by Michal Ciffra and Petr Šíma, who serve as Managing Partners. The firm's venture partner network includes Pavel Kučera, Oldřich Muller, Tobiáš Rataj, and Tomáš Polcar, among others.
Investment Strategy
DEPO Ventures invests at the pre-seed and seed stages, typically committing up to roughly $560,000 per startup and bringing in co-investors for larger rounds.
The firm's newest fund is built around linking Ukrainian, Moldovan, and Georgian founders with Czech industrial and manufacturing partners to support their entry into the Czech market.
Notable Investments
Notable Exits
Petr Šíma, Co-Founder and Managing Partner
petr.sima@depoventures.com
Tobias Rataj, Venture Partner
tobias.rataj@tiscali.cz
Czech Republic
