More than 100 experienced founders and operators from across Europe have joined forces to launch United Founders, a new pre-seed and seed-stage fund supporting deeptech and emerging technology startups. The fund has already closed its first €30 million and aims to reach €80 million within the next 12 months.
This initiative stands out for its creator-driven model. Entrepreneurs from 26 countries, including Quantum Systems cofounder Florian Seibel, Rohlik CTO David Pavlik, and planqc’s Alexander Glätzle, are investing not only capital but also mentorship. About a third of them have contributed financially, ensuring the fund is rooted in practical experience as much as financial backing.
A Europe-wide network of builders
United Founders is the brainchild of Vít Horký, known for his B2B startup Brand Embassy, acquired by US software group Nice in 2019, and Jakub Havrlant, founder of Rockaway Capital. Together, they’ve assembled a founding team of former entrepreneurs based in key European markets, including the UK, France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, and Central Europe.
This decentralised setup ensures strong regional presence and deep local insights. Each partner brings direct entrepreneurial experience, crucial for understanding the hurdles early founders face. They are supported by a growing network of mentors drawn from industries as diverse as healthtech, quantum computing, cybersecurity, and enterprise software. The roster includes Michel Pechoucek, former CTO at Avast, Alissa Hsu Lynch, ex-Johnson & Johnson and Google executive, and Mews cofounder Richard Valtr.
Investing in breakthrough technologies
The fund plans to write cheques of up to €1 million for startups working on hardware, dual-use innovation, and medtech solutions. Its early investments include Israeli startup Wonderful, which develops customer-facing automation tools, and German healthtech company Every Health. Both exemplify the fund’s focus on deep technical value with global application potential.
United Founders aims to mirror the collaborative energy seen in Silicon Valley but with a distinct European identity. By pairing capital with mentorship, it hopes to develop not just successful companies but sustainable ecosystems that can compete internationally.
Strengthens Europe’s tech DNA
United Founders arrives at a pivotal moment for Europe’s technology landscape. The continent has recently seen a surge of founder-led initiatives like Project Europe, launched by leaders from Mistral and Klarna to champion younger entrepreneurs.
The mission shared by these efforts is clear: to strengthen Europe’s startup fabric, encourage cross-border collaboration, and turn promising ideas into scalable ventures. United Founders seeks to bridge fragmentation and nurture a generation of businesses that can innovate, grow, and lead from within Europe rather than looking abroad for momentum.
“No European tech company has surpassed €100 billion in valuation in the past 50 years,” said Vít Horký, General Partner of United Founders. “Our ambition is for Europe to create its own trillion-dollar giants like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Nvidia, and Meta.”
“I’m delighted to join United Founders’ exceptional team and Founder Force community,” said Tony Kypreos, Managing Partner for the UK and Entrepreneur in Residence at the London Institute for Healthcare Engineering. “This once-per-cycle moment of transformation demands a new kind of venture model and United Founders is delivering it across Europe.”
