The market faces a critical challenge in scaling sustainable innovations, as many startups struggle to balance environmental impact with financial viability. This creates a gap between creating sustainable solutions and their successful large-scale implementation. Soulmates Ventures tackles this issue by providing strategic investments and support to sustainable startups, enabling them to scale effectively while maintaining their environmental and social impact.
Today, Soulmates Ventures reinforces its dedication to sustainable innovation with a €50 million fund. Initial investments will provide up to €3 million per startup, with follow-on funding of up to €5 million to ensure long-term support. Under Article 9 of the SFDR, Soulmates Ventures backs scalable, transformative ventures that drive environmental and social change. The firm collaborates closely with founders through its hands-on acceleration program to deliver strategic expertise and facilitate market expansion.
Encouraging positive progress in addressing environmental problems
Soulmates Ventures, a Czech accelerator and venture capital firm founded by Hynek Sochor in 2020 is dedicated to driving meaningful progress in tackling environmental challenges that are escalating faster than solutions. The firm’s mission is to develop products with a genuine global impact on the environment and society, triple the success rate of venture investments, and foster a new generation of capitalism rooted in sharing and sustainability.
The VC addresses the key market gap of the lack of support for sustainable startups struggling to scale their innovations. Many environmental solutions falter in achieving market success due to limited investment and inadequate strategic backing. Soulmates Ventures bridges this gap by offering funding (up to $500,000) and expertise to help startups optimise their operations and appeal to investors.
“Our goal is to help innovative, fast-growing companies in sustainability scale and thrive. When we see their ‘rocket’ launched — powered by a strong team and a great product — we aim to provide the extra fuel. We accelerate their journey, guide them through challenges, and drive greater success. Together, we push the boundaries of what’s possible in sustainability, contributing to a thriving, healthy society and planet,” says Hynek Sochor, Founder and Managing Partner of Soulmates Ventures.
Soulmates Ventures remains steadfast in its commitment to seed investments while expanding its support to later-stage funding, ensuring startups receive comprehensive backing from early stages through Series A rounds. Beyond funding, the firm provides strategic guidance to help startups scale effectively. Its distinctive triple-layer acceleration program connects founders with an in-house team and industry experts. It supports critical areas like brand building, marketing, financial management, operations, sustainability, and market expansion.
For ambitious founders tackling environmental and social challenges, Soulmates Ventures offers more than just funding — it provides a platform for growth, strategic guidance, and access to industry experts. Dedicated to empowering the next generation of sustainability pioneers, the firm equips them with the resources needed to scale and succeed.
Recently recognised as VC of the Year at the Central European Startup Awards and the Global Startup Awards, Soulmates Ventures also received the Best Sustainability-Focused VC Ecosystem award from the World Future Awards, further cementing its leadership in sustainable venture capital.
Behind Soulmates Ventures: 26 investments that support 17 startups across Europe
Behind Soulmates Ventures: 26 investments that support 17 startups across Europe. The portfolio includes seventeen ambitious companies such as eAgronom, Kardi AI, Twinzo, Flowpay, Signapse AI, Fusebox, Ogre AI, Madmonq, Youni, and Twin Science. With a strong track record across eight key sectors — air, water, energy, mobility, circular economy, food and agriculture, education, and healthcare — Soulmates Ventures has established a commanding presence in sustainable innovation.
Notably, the firm led a €2.4 million seed round for Signapse, a UK-based sign language translation software company, showcasing its commitment to social impact alongside environmental sustainability. Signapse leverages Generative AI to improve accessibility for the Deaf community, embodying Soulmates Ventures’ broader mission of supporting innovative solutions that address pressing social challenges.
“The new fund operates under Article 9 of the SFDR, reaffirming our commitment to sustainable development. Sustainability has been at the heart of our strategy since inception, providing investors with clear insights into how the startups we support tackle environmental and social issues backed by rigorous ESG performance metrics. By aligning our portfolio with Article 9 SFDR standards, we ensure our investments meet the highest sustainability criteria,” explains Sochor.
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