Maki.vc launches €100M third fund to propel deep tech and brand-driven startups in the Nordics

Helsinki-based venture capital firm Maki.vc has launched its third fund of €100 million to invest in pre-seed and seed-stage startups across the Nordics and Northern Europe.

Maki.vc’s third fund places a particular emphasis on the Nordic region, leveraging its deep tech expertise, strong public investment landscape, and proven track record of launching successful startups. The new fund is an Article 8 fund, and as such Maki.vc has a specific interest in investment opportunities that promote environmental and social objectives. Seven investments have already been made, including:

• Distance Technologies, a company creating the world’s first glasses-free mixed-reality
  solution, founded by ex-Varjo founders.
• QMill, a quantum computing company dedicated to developing quantum algorithms
  that provide near-term practical benefits for industrial applications, founded by Nokia
  Technologies’ former CTO, an IQM Co-founder, and leading quantum researchers.
• Ever Cars, a company building a one-stop shop online marketplace for buying and
  selling electric vehicles, founded by a team with backgrounds from Stanford University,
  Uber, Morgan Stanley and Boston Consulting Group.

The new fund is backed by over 50 limited partners, including the builders of Skype, Wise, RELEX Solutions, WithSecure (formerly F-Secure), Aiven, and Supercell, who bring a wealth of experience in scaling and commercializing tech companies. To give hands-on support to their portfolio startups, Maki.vc has gathered a global network of advisors, comprising these LPs, alongside expert partners who offer continuous guidance on early-stage recruiting, branding, follow-on funding, and more.

The VC firm continues to back founders from inception, with initial investments ranging from 300k to 3M€, with follow-on investments made on a selective basis. Maki.vc’s first and second funds have helped propel a number of high-profile, successful companies. These include the sustainable textile producer Spinnova, which IPO’d in 2021, alongside successful exits including Ultimate, a customer support automation platform acquired by Zendesk, and Revela, a biotech startup acquired by Oddity. Maki.vc’s portfolio is also known for growth stories such as Europe’s leading quantum tech company IQM, animal-free egg whites producer Onego Bio, AI-driven AML platform Strise, cloud-based payment solutions and issuer processing provider Enfuce, and health tech company CardioSignal, which develops industry-first smartphone tech for early heart disease detection.

“The Nordics represent one of the most significant startup funding regions in Europe, and we believe that investment opportunities here are greater than ever. This unique ecosystem blends cutting-edge R&D, strong industry collaborations, deep tech expertise, and a proven track record of entrepreneurial success, making it the ideal launchpad for tech companies to achieve meaningful global impact,” says Maki.vc’s Partner Pauliina Martikainen-Rahnu.

More information:
Venla Väänänen
Marketing Manager, Maki.vc
+358504392192
venla@maki.vc

***

Maki.vc 
Helsinki-based Maki.vc was founded in 2018 and has four partners: Ilkka Kivimäki, Pauliina Martikainen-Rahnu, Pirkka Palomäki and Paavo Räisänen.The VC firm invests in deep tech and brand-driven companies across consumer and enterprise landscapes, with a sweet spot for scientific advances, strong IP, and deep customer understanding. Stage-wise, Maki.vc invests in pre-seed or seed companies. The typical initial tickets range from 300k to 3M€, and 2/3 of Maki.vc’s fund is reserved for follow-on investments so that the fund can support its companies further along their growth paths.