Investor Profile: Inventure — Thesis, Cheque Size & How to Apply

Inventure is a Helsinki-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2005 that backs ambitious founders across the Nordics and Baltics. Now also present in Stockholm, it is one of the region's most experienced early-stage investors, with a generalist appetite spanning deep tech, consumer, healthtech, artificial intelligence and business-to-business software. For founders seeking Inventure funding, the firm's long record and first-institutional-round habit make it a natural first call in the region.

Thesis and sectors

Inventure describes itself as a generalist investor focused primarily on the Nordics and Baltics, backing companies from pre-seed to Series B. Sectors in its portfolio include business-to-business software-as-a-service, fintech, deep tech, marketplaces and consumer businesses, alongside gaming, healthtech and new materials. Its investment criteria, as described by partner Lauri Kokkila, centre on team-opportunity fit, go-to-market, market potential, product and technology, traction and business model, with a premium on crazy ambition and the ability to communicate a compelling vision through ups and downs.

Fund size and cheque size

Inventure IV reached a second close of €144 million against a target of €150 million in 2022, backed by limited partners including the European Investment Fund, Ilmarinen, Molten Ventures, OP, Finnish Industry Investment Tesi and Nordea Finland and Sweden. Ticket sizes for the fund were €200,000 to €5 million, with 60% of the fund reserved for follow-on funding. That structure matters for founders: Inventure plans to support its companies beyond the first cheque, rather than treating follow-ons as an afterthought.

Notable portfolio and team

Inventure counts more than 100 portfolio companies since 2005, including household names such as Wolt, the food-delivery company later acquired by DoorDash, Swappie, Blueprint Genetics, Canatu, Material Exchange and Lassie. Its team was described in 2022 as 17 people in Helsinki and Stockholm, with an operations team supporting founders on talent and expansion. Partners named in fund announcements include Sami Lampinen and Linus Dahg, while Lauri Kokkila has spoken publicly about leading the firm's €5 million Series A in Swappie, when the company had €8 million in revenue and 70 people.

Programmes, credits and perks

Inventure does not run a named accelerator programme. Its structured support comes from its operations team, which works with founders on talent and expansion, and from a deep regional network built over two decades. No public startup-credits or perks scheme run by the firm was found, so founders should judge Inventure on capital, follow-on capacity and hands-on help with hiring and international growth, which is where its record is strongest.

How to apply for funding from Inventure

To understand how to get funding from Inventure, start with geography and stage: a Nordic or Baltic technology company at pre-seed to Series B, with an ambitious team and a product that can scale beyond its home market. Lead with team strength, market size, go-to-market plan and traction, and be ready to show how the founders will recruit and develop the team around them. The firm's website presents its portfolio and latest news, and introductions through portfolio founders or Nordic ecosystem contacts are the most credible route in, given the firm's emphasis on team-opportunity fit.