By Mark McSherry
Finland-based venture capital firm Maki.vc has announced the launch of the €100 million Maki Fund III to support early-stage startups across the Nordics and Northern Europe.
Maki.vc said that with ticket sizes between €300,000 and €3 million and a reserve for follow-on investments, Fund III is structured to support companies beyond their early milestones, allowing the VC to play a role in shaping their trajectory from inception to commercialization.
“Like our previous funds, Fund III is anchored by seasoned founders and operators who have built companies such as Skype, Wise, RELEX Solutions, WithSecure (formerly F-Secure), Aiven, and Supercell,” said Maki.vc.
“With this collective expertise, we will continue to support early-stage startups across the Nordics and Northern Europe.
“We remain focused on pre-seed and seed-stage investments, with our Fund III positioning us to work alongside founding teams from the earliest stages of their journey.
“This time around, we’re investing with a particular focus on scientific breakthroughs, rock-solid intellectual property, and a deep understanding of customer needs in the industries that will define the next 10 years.
“Our goal? To help startups create not just thriving businesses, but truly transformative impact.”
Maki.vc said Fund III has already supported six startups across deep tech and consumer landscapes, including:
- Distance Technologies: Led by ex-Varjo founders, “this company is pioneering the world’s first glasses-free mixed-reality solution, opening up a new frontier in immersive tech.”
- QMill: Founded by a team with backgrounds at Nokia Technologies and IQM, QMill “is bringing near-term applications of quantum computing to industrial use cases with the potential for immediate, practical impacts.”
- Ever Cars: A one-stop online marketplace for buying and selling electric vehicles, founded by industry veterans from Stanford University, Uber, Morgan Stanley, and BCG.
“These early investments are setting the stage for Fund III’s ambitious plans to foster high-impact companies,” said Maki.vc.
“With Fund III, we’re focusing on the Nordic startup ecosystem – a region we believe has the perfect ingredients for ground-shifting breakthroughs, blending cutting-edge R&D, deep tech expertise, and a strong public investment environment.
“Our investments are more than financial; they’re partnerships built on deep, hands-on support. Through our global network of advisors, we help our portfolio companies with strategy, talent acquisition, branding, follow-on funding, and much more.
“We know that building a company is as challenging as it is rewarding, and our team works shoulder-to-shoulder with founders to scale new ventures sustainably and efficiently.”