Got an idea, an MVP, or your first users and looking for a first investor in Europe? Here are the 10 best Pre-Seed European funds that invest at the very beginning of your startup journey - verified January 2026 data.
📊 Data sources for this article:
- ✅ Verified with Tracxn, Crunchbase, PitchBook (January 2026)
- ✅ 2025-2026 investments confirmed
- ✅ Up-to-date investment theses
- ✅ Direct links to VC websites
🌱 Pre-Seed vs Seed: What's the difference?
- Pre-Seed: Idea to MVP, €0 to a few K€ MRR, €50K-€500K raised
- Seed: PMF validated, €10K+ MRR, €500K-€3M raised
Top 10 Pre-Seed VCs in Europe (2026)
1. Kima Ventures 🇫🇷
HQ
Paris (Station F), France
Check size
€150K (fixed)
2025 Deals
44 new investments
Website
Investment thesis: The world's most active early-stage investor, backed by Xavier Niel (Iliad, Free, Station F). €150K fixed tickets in 100 deals per year worldwide. 2-3 investments per week with decisions in days, not months.
Recent deals 2025: Isentroniq (Seed, Oct 2025), Genesis AI (Jul 2025), Metreecs ($3.17M Seed with Bpifrance). 22 unicorns in portfolio including Ledger, Sorare, Alan, Mistral AI.
💡 Why contact them:
Ultra-fast decision (1 meeting can be enough). If your product works, Kima can write a check in the same week. 1,263 portfolio companies = massive network.
2. Entrepreneur First 🇬🇧
HQ
London, UK (+ Paris, NYC, Singapore)
Check size
$50K - $250K
Portfolio value
$13B+ combined
Website
Investment thesis: "Talent investor" - they invest in exceptional individuals BEFORE you have a co-founder or idea. 6-month program to find co-founder + build MVP. Backed by Founders Fund, Greylock, Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn), Demis Hassabis (DeepMind).
Recent deals 2025: Mirantus ($6.36M Seed, Nov 2025), A&B Smart Materials (Nov 2025), Phagos (€25M for AI phage therapy, Oct 2025). 619 companies launched, 1 unicorn, $13B portfolio value.
💡 Why contact them:
Perfect if you're technical but have no co-founder. Their program helps you find a co-founder AND validates your idea. Alumni network includes companies backed by Sequoia, a16z, Softbank.
3. Seedcamp 🇬🇧
Investment thesis: Europe's most established Pre-Seed/Seed fund (founded 2007). Focus on B2B SaaS, Fintech, AI, and marketplaces. Fast, founder-friendly process - deal closed within 2 weeks of first meeting.
Recent deals 2025: Edailabs (Dec 2025), La Fraise (€3.2M for AI dental care, Nov 2025), Motley ($1.5M AI business reporting, Nov 2025), Function Health ($298M Series B via Select Fund). 5 unicorns in portfolio including Wise, Revolut, UiPath, Sorare.
💡 Why contact them:
The "godfather" of European Pre-Seed. Incredible network of 500+ portfolio companies. Hands-on support for hiring, marketing, product, finance, legal. Wise and Revolut started here.
4. Fly Ventures 🇩🇪
HQ
Berlin, Germany (+ London, Paris, Zurich)
Check size
€250K - €1M
Fund III
€80M (2024)
Website
Investment thesis: First check for technical founders solving hard problems. Day-zero to Seed across Europe. 45% of portfolio in AI, 35% industrial tech/vertical apps, 20% dev tools/infra.
Recent deals 2025: remberg (Series A, May 2025), Neuralk ($4M with Hugging Face, Feb 2025), Marie Brayer joined as Paris Partner with 3 new French investments (Jan 2025). 2 unicorns including Wayve ($1.26B raised).
💡 Why contact them:
Deep technical understanding - they backed Wayve's autonomous driving AI from Seed. Fresh €80M fund means they're actively deploying. Strong Paris presence now with dedicated partner.
5. Crane VC 🇬🇧
Investment thesis: Seed and early-stage intelligent enterprise and deep tech. Massive AI focus: "80% of our 2025 investments are AI-driven companies". Focus areas: AI-native software, infrastructure, security, and deep tech.
Recent deals 2025: CoMind (Series A, Oct 2025), SRE.ai ($7.2M Seed with Salesforce Ventures - "natural language AI agents for DevOps"), Qapita (Oct 2025). 2 unicorns including Onfido. $450M AUM after MassMutual partnership (Jul 2025).
💡 Why contact them:
If you're building AI/LLM enterprise software, they're your #1 target. Fresh $135M APAC fund means global expansion support. Regular LLM integration events with portfolio founders.
6. HEXA (eFounders) 🇫🇷
Investment thesis: Startup studio founded by Thibaud Elzière (sold Fotolia to Adobe for €800M). They provide idea + seed money + strategic advice. Three studios: eFounders (SaaS), Logic Founders (fintech), 3founders (web3).
Recent deals 2025: Active 2025 startups include AI-powered sensors (Guillaume Lerouge), AI for insurance brokers (Matthieu Vaxelaire), AI inbound for B2B (Florent Quinti). 3 unicorns: Front, Aircall, Spendesk. 30+ companies launched, $5B+ combined value.
💡 Why contact them:
Not just funding - they CO-BUILD your company. Best for B2B SaaS founders who want hands-on support from day 1. Thibaud's angel portfolio includes Algolia, Notion, Hugging Face.
7. Stride.VC 🇬🇧
Investment thesis: Small team of dedicated venture investors backing passionate entrepreneurs at Seed. Focus on B2C, healthcare, fintech, SaaS, AI, edtech, insurtech in UK and France.
Recent deals 2025: Applied Computing ($12.1M Seed, led with Repeat VC), Buena, Triver (follow-on). Portfolio exits: Deliveroo (IPO), Cazoo, Runa. 42 portfolio companies.
💡 Why contact them:
Boutique fund with hands-on approach. Strong UK/France focus - if you're in either market, they understand your context. Backed Deliveroo early.
8. Sequoia Arc 🇪🇺/🇺🇸
Investment thesis: Sequoia's bi-annual open call for pre-seed and seed founders. 8-week program focused on accelerating path to product-market fit. Not an accelerator - they call it a "catalyst". $195M seed fund backing Arc cohorts.
Recent cohort: Arc Spring '25 applications closed Feb 2025. 15 startups per cohort from Americas and Europe. Speakers include Sebastian Siemiatkowski (Klarna), Ivan Zhao (Notion), Mike Krieger (Anthropic/Instagram). Alumni mentorship from OpenAI, Stripe, Ramp, Revolut founders.
💡 Why contact them:
THE most prestigious early-stage program in the world. $1M check + access to Sequoia's legendary network. Apply for Arc Fall '25 when applications open.
9. HTGF (High-Tech Gründerfonds) 🇩🇪
Investment thesis: Germany's leading early-stage investor for Deep Tech, Industrial Tech, Climate Tech, Digital Tech, Life Sciences, and Chemistry. Public-private fund model with government backing = patient capital.
💡 Why contact them:
Best option for hardware/deep tech startups that need longer runways. German government backing = credibility for follow-on rounds. Strong industrial network.
10. Day One Capital 🇭🇺
Investment thesis: New €45M fund raised in H2 2025 to invest in Pre-Seed and Seed across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Lead or co-lead with tickets €500K-€2.5M. Final close expected early 2026.
💡 Why contact them:
Best option if you're based in Eastern Europe. Generous tickets and freshly raised fund = they're actively looking for deals. Strong CEE network.
Pre-Seed VC Comparison Table
| VC | Check | Model | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 Kima Ventures | €150K | 44 deals/yr | Multi-sector (22 unicorns) |
| 🥈 Entrepreneur First | $50-250K | Talent investor | Deep Tech, AI ($13B) |
| 🥉 Seedcamp | €350K-1M | 28 deals/yr | B2B SaaS, Fintech (5 unicorns) |
| 4. Fly Ventures | €250K-1M | Fund III €80M | Deep Tech, AI (45%) |
| 5. Crane VC | €250K-1M | $450M AUM | AI/LLM (80% deals) |
| 6. HEXA (eFounders) | €100-500K | Startup Studio | B2B SaaS (3 unicorns) |
| 7. Stride.VC | €625K-2.5M | 8 deals/yr | B2B SaaS, Fintech UK/FR |
| 8. Sequoia Arc | $1M | Accelerator | Multi-sector (15/cohort) |
| 9. HTGF | €500K-3M | Public-private | Deep Tech, Life Sciences |
| 10. Day One Capital | €500K-2.5M | Fund €45M | CEE, Multi-sector |
Tips for Raising Pre-Seed
Pre-Seed is different from Seed. Here's what VCs expect:
- Team first: At this stage, they invest in the founder more than the product
- Clear vision: Even without revenue, you need to know where you're going
- Early signals: Waitlist, LOIs, beta users count massively
- Coherence: Market + team + approach must match
Further reading: Complete Startup Fundraising Guide
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