Institutional Infrastructure
for Venture Capital
Syndication & Co-Investment

Czech innovation agency JIC has launched a €16.3 million venture fund, JIC Ventures, aimed at supporting pre-seed and seed-stage deep-tech startups across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), addressing a critical funding gap in the region’s early-stage ecosystem.The fund has already secured over €13 million in commitments and plans to invest in approximately 20 startups over the next four years, with individual investments of up to €1 million.JIC Ventures is focused on deep tech, SaaS, and advanced technology sectors, particularly in areas where early-stage capital remains scarce. Unlike many regional funds that prioritize later-stage investments, this initiative is designed to support founders at the earliest stages, where access to funding is often limited.The fund is backed by a diverse group of around 40 limited partners, including industrial real estate giant CTP, Czech banking leader Česká spořitelna, and investor Jan Barta, along with a mix of entrepreneurs, institutions, and even unconventional contributors such as the Diocese of Brno.JIC’s model combines public and private capital, with the South Moravian Region also participating as an investor, reflecting a hybrid approach aimed at strengthening the regional innovation ecosystem.What sets JIC Ventures apart is its deep integration with university ecosystems and startup incubation programs, allowing it to source high-potential startups directly from research environments rather than relying solely on market deal flow.With more than 20 years of experience supporting over 1,300 startups including companies like Kiwi.com and Y Soft JIC is now scaling its impact by transitioning from small co-investments to leading funding rounds and accelerating deal execution timelines.As Central and Eastern Europe continues to emerge as a growing hub for deep-tech innovation, the launch of JIC Ventures signals a broader shift toward building stronger early-stage funding infrastructure, enabling founders to scale globally without relocating to more mature ecosystems.

Finland-based industrial AI startup Treon has secured €6.8 million in a Series A extension round led by ACME Capital, marking a significant step toward advancing AI-driven automation across manufacturing and logistics ecosystems.The round also saw continued participation from existing investor Ventech, with ACME Capital joining the board to support Treon’s global scaling strategy. The investment reflects growing investor interest in “physical AI” and next-generation industrial technologies that bridge software, hardware, and real-world operations.Founded to transform industrial operations, Treon develops AI-native smart industry solutions that integrate predictive maintenance, advanced analytics, wireless sensors, and automated workflows into a unified cloud-based platform. Its systems are designed to provide real-time visibility and actionable insights across factory equipment, logistics environments, and OEM infrastructure.The company currently serves more than 200 customers globally, spanning manufacturing, material handling, and logistics sectors, highlighting strong traction and recurring revenue growth. Its platform is built to address a critical industry challenge managing increasingly complex asset fleets amid a shrinking skilled workforce.Treon is now focusing on what it calls “AI-native maintenance orchestration,” a shift from reactive and manual processes toward predictive and fully autonomous operations. This approach aims to significantly improve efficiency, reduce downtime, and enhance productivity across industrial environments.The newly raised capital will be used to accelerate product development, expand global deployment, and strengthen its position as a foundational intelligence layer for industrial systems. The company is also set to showcase its latest innovations, including AI-powered industrial solutions, at Hannover Messe 2026.As industries worldwide increasingly adopt AI to optimize operations, Treon is positioning itself at the forefront of industrial transformation, enabling the transition toward autonomous, data-driven factories and logistics networks.

Singapore-based investment firm Circulate Capital has raised $220 million at the first close of its Asia-focused Fund II, highlighting strong global investor momentum behind circular economy solutions and sustainable infrastructure.The fund has already surpassed 70% of its $300 million target and exceeded the size of its previous fund, signaling growing confidence in circular supply chains as a scalable and commercially viable asset class.Circulate Capital’s new fund is designed to deploy growth capital into recycling and circular economy businesses across South and Southeast Asia, including key markets such as India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The focus spans plastics, packaging, electronics, and apparel sectors where waste management and material recovery remain critical challenges.The fund aims to finance nearly two million tonnes of recycling and waste collection capacity over time, with projections to prevent approximately 30 million tonnes of unmanaged waste and reduce more than 50 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions over the next decade.Investors in the fund include a diverse mix of multinational corporates such as Coca-Cola, Danone, Dow, and Procter & Gamble, alongside development finance institutions including the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and British International Investment. Institutional investors, climate-focused funds, and global family offices have also participated, reflecting a convergence of financial returns and environmental impact.The fund’s strategy aligns with a broader global shift, where circular economy solutions are increasingly viewed not just as sustainability initiatives but as critical infrastructure for resilient supply chains and resource efficiency. As regulatory pressure and material scarcity intensify, investments in recycling and circular systems are becoming central to long-term economic growth.With this fund, Circulate Capital is positioning itself at the forefront of sustainable finance in emerging markets, aiming to scale high-impact businesses that address both environmental challenges and commercial opportunities across Asia.

Paris-based venture firm Jeito Capital has closed its second biopharma-focused fund at $1.2 billion (€1 billion), marking one of the largest raises for an independent European life sciences investor and signaling strong momentum in the global biotech funding landscape.The oversubscribed fund exceeded its original target, reflecting strong backing from institutional investors and reinforcing confidence in Jeito’s strategy of investing in high-impact clinical-stage biopharma companies.Founded with a patient-centric investment approach, Jeito Capital focuses on supporting companies developing breakthrough therapies for severe diseases with high unmet medical needs. The new fund will continue this strategy by investing in around 15 to 20 clinical-stage companies, primarily across Europe, targeting areas such as oncology, neurology, autoimmune diseases, and cardiometabolic conditions.With this latest close, Jeito has tripled its assets under management to approximately €1.6 billion, strengthening its position as a leading global investor in the biopharma sector.The fund is designed to provide significant capital up to €150 million per company enabling startups to progress through late-stage clinical development and accelerate the path to commercialization. This approach addresses a critical funding gap in Europe, where promising biotech companies often struggle to secure sufficient capital during advanced development stages.As the demand for innovative therapies continues to grow globally, Jeito Capital is positioning itself at the forefront of the biopharma ecosystem, combining deep scientific expertise with large-scale capital deployment to drive the next generation of medical breakthroughs.

Insurtech startup Eleos Life has secured $3 million in a media-for-equity investment from Mercurius Media Capital, marking a strategic move to accelerate its expansion across the United States through large-scale brand building.Unlike traditional funding rounds, the investment leverages a media-for-equity model, where capital is provided in the form of advertising inventory rather than cash. This enables Eleos Life to access premium media channels across television, digital platforms, and cinema, significantly boosting brand visibility without impacting its cash reserves.Founded to modernize life insurance, Eleos Life offers fully digital term life and disability coverage with simplified applications that can be completed in minutes without requiring medical exams. The company aims to make insurance more accessible and user-friendly, addressing a market where many consumers remain underinsured due to complexity and lack of awareness.The partnership with Mercurius Media Capital provides Eleos with access to a broad advertising network that includes major media partners such as Sinclair Broadcast Group, TelevisaUnivision, and Atmosphere TV. This will allow the company to scale customer acquisition efforts and build nationwide brand recognition in a highly competitive U.S. insurance market.Eleos Life launched its U.S. operations in 2025 and already operates in the UK, where it integrates insurance products into digital journeys offered by banking and fintech platforms. Through these integrations, the company currently reaches millions of users, positioning itself as a growing player in embedded insurance solutions.The newly secured investment will also provide operational support, including access to creative production, AI-driven content, and go-to-market expertise, enabling Eleos to scale efficiently while strengthening its presence in the U.S. market.As the insurtech sector continues to evolve, innovative funding models like media-for-equity are emerging as powerful tools for startups looking to scale brand awareness and customer acquisition without diluting capital or increasing burn rates.

London-based fintech platform MillTech has secured a $60 million investment from Apax Digital Funds, valuing the company at $325 million and marking a major milestone in its growth within the global treasury and FX risk management space.The investment comes from Apax Partners’ growth equity arm, with the firm also transitioning from an existing client of MillTech to a strategic investor. This reflects strong confidence in the company’s platform and its potential to scale globally.Founded in 2019, MillTech provides an integrated platform for institutional foreign exchange and treasury management, enabling fund managers and corporates to automate the entire FX lifecycle—from trade execution and hedging to reporting and transaction cost analysis.The platform connects users directly to multi-bank liquidity networks, offering improved pricing transparency and efficiency compared to traditional banking and brokerage models. By automating workflows and aggregating liquidity, MillTech aims to reduce costs and enhance execution quality in one of the world’s largest financial markets.MillTech has demonstrated strong growth momentum, reporting over 70% revenue growth in recent years and handling approximately $500 billion in annual trading volume, supporting client hedging programs worth more than $35 billion.The newly secured capital will be used to accelerate expansion into North America and further develop its AI-powered treasury and risk management capabilities. As currency volatility and global financial complexity increase, demand for automated and data-driven FX solutions is rising rapidly.With this investment, MillTech is positioning itself as a next-generation fintech infrastructure provider, combining automation, AI, and institutional-grade execution to transform how organizations manage foreign exchange and treasury operations.