Having around 3,000 startups, Hungary is home to some of the most famous unicorn companies including Prezi and LogMeIn. The country is exceptionally active when it comes to the startup scene and dozens of VC Firms are ready to invest in promising opportunities.

Can your startup also secure funding by pitching to these venture capital firms?

Well, let’s wait no longer and jump onto the list of the top 9 VC firms in Hungary.

Top 9 Venture Capital Firms in Hungary

Following is the list of some of the top-ranked venture capital firms in Hungary according to their investments and active involvement.

Enterprise Ireland

Enterprise Ireland was established by the Industrial Development (Enterprise Ireland) Act 1998. In 2021, Enterprise Ireland invested over €28 million in 125 Irish start-ups, including 82 high-potential start-ups.

Similarly, they have expanded throughout different regions of Europe and are also supporting Hungarian startups. The firm also takes an interest in mentor assignments and helps their portfolio companies grow throughout different stages of a startup.

The investment range of Enterprise Ireland lies around €50,000. 

Hiventures 

Hiventures is also one of the most active VC firms in Hungary with around 20 investments in a single year (2022). The firm supports a wide range of businesses, including start-ups, and small, medium, and large enterprises.

Similarly, Hiventure's investment funds total over 155 billion Hungarian forints. They invest in companies with innovative solutions and significant growth potential across various life stages: incubation, seed, and growth phases.

The investment range of Hiventures lies between €50,000 to €3,000,000. 

Heartcore Capital

Heartcore Capital is a premier European venture capital firm that focuses on supporting early-stage technology companies. It aims to invest in companies that are re-enchanting the world through technology and believe in the power of technology to create a positive impact.

Similarly, investors take an interest in startups that are producing something unique and are solving real-time problems. They do not invest in startups that have high competition or ideas with low growth potential.

The investment range of Healthcare Capital is between €300,000 to €6M.

Europventures

Known as Europe's most famous VC firm, Europventures is headquartered in Budapest and actively invests in Hungarian startups. They are recognized as one of the most successful and trusted independent VC firms in the region.

Euroventures specializes in software companies, with a focus on SaaS, marketplaces, big data, and IT security. The investors fund startups while the mentors empower founders to lead, ensuring they remain at the steering wheel.

The investment range of Euroventures is between €2M to €5M.

Solus Capital

Solus Capital was founded by Abel Galacz and actively invests in Hungarian-based startups. The network is currently managing assets of around EUR 40 million and primarily invests in early-stage companies. Startups must be offering innovation through their products/services and must be able to generate at least 3x ROI.

Similarly, Solus Capital is also an asset management company and provides a lot of other services aside from investing and guiding startups.

The investment range of Solus Capital is around €3M.

Day One Captial

Investing since 2018, Day One Captial is an active VC firm that backs early-stage startups. The network invests in tech-related startups that can easily generate 2-3x ROI within 2 years.

The investors support technology-driven founders and support them with their entrepreneurial, corporate, and investor experience. Similarly, Day One Capital also arranges many additional events including startup accelerators and mentorship programs.

The investment range of Day One Capital lies around €300,000 to €1.5M. 

PortfoLion

PortfoLion, the venture capital and private equity arm of OTP Bank Plc was founded in 2010. Their focus extends across the CEE region, actively investing in small and medium enterprises across various industries.

When it comes to startup funding, PortfoLion prefers startups that are at the early and seed stages. The investors also have the criteria of only investing in startups that can easily double the investment within the first two years of investment.

The investment range of PortfoLion is between €500,000 to €5M.

Oktogon Ventures

Oktogon Ventures is also a VC firm that invests in early-stage startups in Central and Eastern Europe. They fund businesses in Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Croatia, Romania, Slovenia, and Bulgaria.

The firm aims to help CEE startups realize their fullest potential. It is Led and partially funded by the entrepreneur behind Hungary’s largest-ever startup M&A success. The firm also has strong connections to US and Western European tier 1 VCs, angels, and partners.

The investment range of Oktogon Ventures spans from €150,000 to €1.5M.

Lead Ventures

Lead Ventures was founded by Abel Galacz and is on a mission to support the region’s most promising ventures with capital, experience, and a wide-ranging professional network.

The venture capital firm organizes many pitching competitions and invests in startups through different fundraisers. The investors mainly focus on businesses that are related to software and have a decent growth potential. Aside from investing activities, Lead Ventures also has networks with experienced mentors and helps their portfolio companies.

The investment range of Lead Ventures is around €150,000 to €1.5M.

What Are The Funding Rounds For Startups?

So before you just appear for a pitching competition and start chanting “Fund my startup cause it’s the most profitable one” let me help you with some basics. 

Startups need funding because they need to survive their initial stages. Similarly, if you are going to appear in front of some investors and secure funding, you need to know the primary reason which is “Why You Need It”. And this is where funding rounds come in. 

Generally, the funding rounds for startups include:

To understand each stage, I will recommend you read detailed guides and do additional research to ensure what funding round your startup needs. 

Meaning, that if you are well informed, you will be able to easily convince angel investors and secure the required funding for your startup. 

Wrap-Up

So, we are done with the list of the top VC firms in Hungary. However, before you start on a journey to pitch some of the best VC firms, I will be giving some final tips.

Firstly, always be confident and believe in your startup ideas. Many early-stage startups, even when they have great ideas cannot secure an investment because of hesitant behaviour.

And most importantly, add real-time statistics in your pitch deck about market competition and estimated growth. Your main goal is to show the investors how your startup is the upcoming unicorn and how they can become a part of it. 

Frequently Asked Questions