ZAKA VC Unveils $16.3M Fund to Propel Early-Stage Startups in the US and EU
Prague-based venture capital firm ZAKA has announced the launch of its inaugural $16.3 million (€15 million) fund aimed at supporting early-stage startups across the United States and European Union. This new fund, which was revealed on Friday, marks ZAKA's first regular venture capital initiative, targeting investments in pre-seed and seed-stage startups.

Prague-based venture capital firm ZAKA has announced the launch of its inaugural $16.3 million (€15 million) fund aimed at supporting early-stage startups across the United States and European Union. This new fund, which was revealed on Friday, marks ZAKA's first regular venture capital initiative, targeting investments in pre-seed and seed-stage startups.
The fund's focus spans multiple regions in Europe, including Central Europe, the Baltics, the United Kingdom, and the DACH countries, in addition to the US. As a co-investor, ZAKA will have the capacity to co-lead investments, concentrating on sectors such as B2B software, the application of AI in B2B, and biotech and health tech. Jan Kasper, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of ZAKA, highlighted their strategy by stating, "The US ecosystem remains in our interest, and we plan to enhance our presence there. It produces highly competent and motivated founders and offers a huge market to conquer."
ZAKA VC: A Growing Presence in Tech Investment Founded in 2020 by Jan Kasper and Peter Zalesak, ZAKA VC began as a family office investing private funds into pre-seed and seed startups. Over the years, the firm has evolved significantly, expanding its team to six core members and building a portfolio of over 55 companies worldwide, with more than $12 million (€11 million) invested to date. Notable investments include ExcepGen, Sensible Biotechnologies, Miros.ai, Supliful, Lime Therapeutics, and Webel.
Initially, ZAKA focused on the CEE market but gradually expanded its reach to the UK and the US. Unlike many CEE-based funds, ZAKA is keen on exploring and funding the European diaspora in the US, US-based teams, and CEE-based teams with ambitions to scale in the US market. This broader scope reflects the firm's understanding of the unique opportunities and challenges present in different geographic markets.
The demand from external investors to co-invest alongside ZAKA prompted the creation of its first venture capital fund. The ZAKA VC Fund I, sized at $16.3 million (€15 million), had its first closing in June 2024, with an initial tranche of $11.4 million (€10.5 million). The minimum investment ticket for limited partners is set at $141,300 (€130,000).
Andrej Petrus, Head of the Investment Committee at ZAKA VC, explained the rationale behind their increased focus on early-stage investments. He noted, "Two interesting factors led us to the conclusion to double down on early-stage investing in the coming years and to enlarge our capital base. Firstly, there is a strong disbalance between demand and supply of early-stage funding worldwide, compared to the peak in 2021. Capital is scarce but the number of new first-time or repeating founders is increasing." He further elaborated on the exciting potential of advancements in AI, drawing parallels to past technological shifts. "The second and more exciting factor is a new technology paradigm. Advancements in AI are opening new, previously non-viable business cases across all sectors. Analog to the mobile and cloud era, we believe that current years will create new, category-defining future decacorns in the AI space."
ZAKA's strategic approach and recent fund launch underline its commitment to fostering innovation and supporting visionary founders in navigating the evolving landscape of technology and entrepreneurship. The firm's growing presence and targeted investments signal a significant impact on both US and European startup ecosystems.