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Black Pearls VC

Europe, Pomorskie, Poland, Gdansk

Description

Black Pearls VC is a prominent early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in Gdansk, Poland, with a strategic focus on the burgeoning technology ecosystems across Central & Eastern Europe, including Poland and the Baltic States. The firm is dedicated to identifying and nurturing innovative tech startups that possess defensible technology and the potential for significant market disruption and leadership. Their investment philosophy centers on providing crucial early-stage capital and strategic support to promising ventures.

The firm primarily targets companies at the Pre-seed, Seed, and Series A stages, demonstrating a commitment to foundational investments. Black Pearls VC's sector interests are broad yet strategic, encompassing areas such as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), FinTech, HealthTech, Gaming, E-commerce, and Deep Tech. Typically, Black Pearls VC provides initial cheques ranging from €250,000 to €1.5 million, reflecting their role in fueling the initial growth phases of startups. They also offer substantial follow-on investments, capable of extending up to €5 million, to support the continued scaling of their portfolio companies.

With a robust portfolio that includes over 80 companies, Black Pearls VC has established itself as a significant player in the CEE venture landscape. The firm recently launched its second fund, Black Pearls VC Fund II, which has a target size of €50 million, underscoring their expanding capacity and ambition to further invest in the region's most promising startups. Their track record includes several successful exits, validating their investment thesis and ability to identify high-potential ventures. Black Pearls VC plays a vital role in bridging the funding gap for early-stage tech companies in CEE, contributing to the development and internationalization of the regional startup ecosystem.

Investor Profile

Black Pearls VC has backed more than 53 startups, with 1 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 36 rounds, about 68% of its total and boasts 2 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Seed, Pre Seed, Convertible Note rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in Poland, United States, Lithuania.
  • Strong thematic focus on Software, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Analytics.
  • Typical check size: $270K – $1.6M.

Stage Focus

  • Seed (68%)
  • Pre Seed (21%)
  • Convertible Note (4%)
  • Post Ipo Equity (2%)
  • Series B (2%)
  • Series A (2%)
  • Series Unknown (2%)

Country Focus

  • Poland (58%)
  • United States (11%)
  • Lithuania (8%)
  • Estonia (6%)
  • Germany (6%)
  • United Kingdom (6%)
  • Latvia (4%)
  • Sweden (2%)

Industry Focus

  • Software
  • Artificial Intelligence (Ai)
  • Analytics
  • Information Technology
  • Fintech
  • Marketplace
  • Internet
  • Insurance
  • Banking
  • Big Data
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Black Pearls VC frequently co-invest with?

Antler
Asia, Central Region, Singapore, Singapore
Co-Investments: 2
KV
Europe, Mazowieckie, Poland, Warsaw
Co-Investments: 2
Startup Wise Guys
Europe, Harjumaa, Estonia, Tallinn
Co-Investments: 2
bValue Fund
Europe, Mazowieckie, Poland, Warszawa
Co-Investments: 2
Concentric
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 2
UNIQA Ventures
Europe, Wien, Austria, Vienna
Co-Investments: 3
365.fintech
Europe, Bratislava, Slovakia (Slovak Republic), BratislavaCountry not found
Co-Investments: 2
Spring Capital
Europe, Harjumaa, Estonia, Tallinn
Co-Investments: 2
Innovation Nest
Europe, Malopolskie, Poland, Kraków
Co-Investments: 3
DEPO Ventures
Europe, Hlavni mesto Praha, Czech Republic, Prague
Co-Investments: 2

Which angels does Black Pearls VC often collaborate with?

TR
North America, New York, United States, New York
Shared Deals: 1
AW
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Shared Deals: 1
JT
Europe, Harjumaa, Estonia, Tallinn
Shared Deals: 2
AP
Europe, Estonia
Shared Deals: 1
BM
Europe, Dolnoslaskie, Poland, Wroclaw
Shared Deals: 1
AK
Europe, Latvia
Shared Deals: 1
Shared Deals: 1
DM
Europe, Stockholms Lan, Sweden, Stockholm
Shared Deals: 1
MK
Europe, Lithuania
Shared Deals: 1
MT
Europe, Harjumaa, Estonia, Tallinn
Shared Deals: 1

What are some of recent deals done by Black Pearls VC?

Wordware

San Francisco, California, United States

Wordware enables users to create and host a complete LLM stack for developing AI applications.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Developer APIsDeveloper Tools
SeedNov 21, 2024
Amount Raised: $30,000,000
Certifier

Krakow, Malopolskie, Poland

Professional Certificate Maker - create and send certificates

AccountingAnalyticsCustomer ServiceInformation TechnologyInternetOnline Portals
SeedOct 4, 2023
Amount Raised: $700,000
Swotzy

Riga, Riga, Latvia

Swotzy offers a shipping tool to assist online retailers in streamlining their last-mile delivery processes.

LogisticsSaaSShippingSupply Chain ManagementTransportation
Pre SeedAug 14, 2023
Amount Raised: $545,391
Traxlo

Vilnius, Vilniaus Apskritis, Lithuania

The operator of grocery store tasks & staff marketplace - Tasku.app

MarketplaceRetailRetail TechnologySoftware
Pre SeedMay 24, 2023
Amount Raised: $645,339
HeavyFinance

Vilnius, Vilniaus Apskritis, Lithuania

Fintech marketplace on a mission to remove 1 gigaton of CO2 emissions by 2050. Our carbon credit program help farmers store CO2 in the soil

AgTechBankingFinanceFinTechMarketplace
SeedMar 23, 2023
Amount Raised: $3,250,387
Tapline

Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Digital funding marketplace allowing SaaS companies to raise instant non dilutive, non debt like capital to further grow their business

Financial ServicesFinTech
Pre SeedDec 7, 2022
Amount Raised: $1,787,049
Surveily

Wroclaw, Dolnoslaskie, Poland

Surveily uses AI to harden safety in manufacturing. It detects threats in realtime and helps prevention. No internet or CCTV upgrade needed.

AnalyticsArtificial Intelligence (AI)Computer VisionMachine LearningManufacturingPublic SafetyRisk ManagementSecurity
SeedSep 29, 2022
Amount Raised: $982,932
Autenti

Poznan, Wielkopolskie, Poland

Autenti is the European standard for e-signature & identification. We provide a one-click e-signature platform for all types of transactions

E-CommerceEnterprise SoftwareInformation ServicesInformation TechnologyInternetSoftware
Series BSep 13, 2022
Amount Raised: $8,481,629
Ondato

London, England, United Kingdom

Ondato is a tech company that streamlines KYC and AML-related processes.

BankingDigital EntertainmentFinanceFinancial ServicesFinTechInsuranceSaaS
Convertible NoteAug 1, 2022
Simpl.rent

Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland

Simpl.rent is a Polish-British startup that provides a digital platform that increases security and trust in the residential rental market.

LeasingProperty ManagementRental
SeedJun 29, 2022
Amount Raised: $335,594