Investor Profile: 4Founders Capital — Thesis, Cheque Size & How to Apply

4Founders Capital is a Barcelona based venture capital firm founded in 2017, describing itself as the largest and leading pre-seed investor in Spain. It grew out of SeedRocket 4Founders and is led by serial entrepreneurs, which shapes its pitch: its partners have founded and run technology companies themselves. With more than €134 million under management, it is a reference point for Spanish linked startups raising a first institutional round, and its third fund closed above target in 2025.

Investment thesis

4Founders Capital invests in high growth technology companies focused on generating earnings, achieving high revenue growth, using capital efficiently and addressing a large global market. It is a generalist fund with a special interest in high tech business to business SaaS companies with strong AI usage, particularly in fintech, business services, traveltech, cybersecurity and developer tools. Its targets are Spanish linked startups at pre-seed and seed stage with global ambition: businesses built from Spain that can sell everywhere. Capital efficiency and a path to profitability matter more than growth at any cost, a discipline running through its fund descriptions and portfolio choices.

Sectors and stages

The firm invests from pre-seed through Series A and beyond, but its centre of gravity is firmly pre-seed and seed. Its third fund, 4Founders Capital III, reached a final close of €70 million at the end of July 2025, exceeding its initial €65 million target, and plans to invest in around 40 companies over four years. Initial tickets range from €300,000 to €2 million, with follow-on capacity of up to €6 million per company. Earlier funds set the pattern: 4Founders Capital I, launched in 2017 with €12 million, invested in 27 startups, while 4Founders Capital II, launched in 2021 with €50 million, built a portfolio of 38 startups.

Notable portfolio / track record

The first fund's exits include Holded, which returned the entire fund within five years on the firm's own account, plus Securitize, Flanks and The Hotels Network, with 11 exits in total. It reports €1.65 returned for every euro invested, at a net internal rate of return above 18 percent. The second fund's portfolio includes Embat, Zenrows, Vidext, TaxDown, Viterbit, DealCar and Invofox. Early third fund investments include Mogu, Puntopost, Showme, Altan and Steryon. The firm is led by Jesus Monleon, Marc Badosa, Javier Perez-Tenessa, Marek Fodor and Paula Blazquez.

How to apply for funding

Founders can approach 4Founders Capital through 4founderscapital.com, where it presents its team and strategy. The firm has said publicly it is actively seeking and evaluating new projects, so a direct approach is legitimate, ideally warmed by an introduction from a portfolio founder, a SeedRocket mentor or a co-investor. The strongest pitches show a Spanish link, a technology driven product with global ambition, capital efficient growth and a team that can execute internationally. There is no published fixed deadline, so timing follows rolling deal flow across its current fund.