Slovenian Silicon Gardens Fund Launches – First Of Its Kind In The Region
Ana Eterović
28. 5. 2014.
A group of entrepreneurs and investors gathered around Slovenian Silicon Gardens startup initiative launched Silicon Gardens Fund – a micro fund focused on investing in early stage startups coming from Slovenia and the broader region. The Fund’s main investors are entrepreneurs from the region. Also joining are established U.S. investors who believe in the potential of the region - Fred Wilson, Brad Feld, Jerry Colonna and Paul Vidich.
A group of entrepreneurs and investors gathered around Slovenian Silicon Gardens startup initiative launched Silicon Gardens Fund – a micro fund focused on investing in early stage startups coming from Slovenia and the broader region.
As one of the fund’s principal investors Jugoslav Petković staded:
In the last few years we’ve seen amazing companies from the region – Celtra, Outfit7, Bitstamp and more. I believe this could be just the beginning. Silicon Gardens Fund will help accelerate young ambitious teams toward their full potential.
Silicon Gardens Fund’s aim is to help startup founders grow their teams, ideas and businesses at the very beginning of their journey and enable them to compete on an international stage. Its principal investors are young entrepreneurs themselves and they will be actively involved in helping the portfolio companies.
12 investors from Slovenia and USA
The Fund’s main investors are entrepreneurs from the region. Also joining are established U.S. investors who believe in the potential of the region – Fred Wilson, Brad Feld, Jerry Colonna and Paul Vidich.
Brad Feld, investor and author of the book Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Your City, said:
Every startup community has to be led by entrepreneurs. This fund is an example of entrepreneurs stepping forward to do exactly that.
Focusing on smart money
The fund’s focus will be on adding value by providing experience, coaching and business connections to entrepreneurs in early stage technology startups. The Fund is betting that the combination of top local talent and the world class investor network can lead to amazing outcomes.
The Fund will invest €20 to 40 thousand in 5 to 10 companies in the first year. The main goal will be to enable early stage teams with high growth potential to explore international markets, validate their ideas and get ready for further funding.
Open source legal structure
This is the first fund of its kind in Slovenia. Its legal structure was a major effort to set-up, said Fund’s general manager Peter Ribarič, and continued:
We want to increase investment activity in the region, so we will operate very transparently. For example, we will open source Fund’s legal documentation in an effort to pave the way for other investors and set standards on how startup investing in the region should be done.
Apply now!
Applications for the first round of investments are open. Find out more at Silicon Gardens Fund official website.
