Czech VC firm Kaya raises $75m to fund Europe startups

Kaya, a venture capital firm headquartered in Prague, has raised nearly €70 million (US$74.9 million) for its fifth fund.

The firm aims to support up to 25 early-stage startups in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region, focusing on investment stages from pre-seed to series A.

With this new fund, the firm plans to expand its focus across the broader CEE region.

Initial investments typically range from €1 million (US$1.07 million) to €3 million (US$3.5 million), with potential follow-on funding of up to €20 million (US$23.63 million) per company.

Kaya’s portfolio includes over 45 companies, with a total valuation of €350 million (US$406.37 million). Notable successes include two unicorns, Rohlik and Docplanner, as well as Poland’s Booksy, which surpassed €100 million (US$116.6 million) in revenue last year.

Active in venture investments for nearly 15 years, Kaya continues to develop its proprietary data platform. This platform monitors global startup trends and identifies promising early-stage companies.

Historically, Kaya has invested in startups from the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia.

🔗 Source: Tech.eu

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ CEE venture ecosystem reaches inflection point after decade of growth

The Central and Eastern European startup landscape has transformed dramatically, with venture capital investments surging to €5.9 billion across 1,100+ funding rounds in 2022, representing 260% growth compared to 2020 levels 1.

This growth hasn’t happened overnight. Firms like KAYA have been methodically building the ecosystem for nearly fifteen years, helping establish the region’s credibility in global venture capital 2.

The maturation is evidenced by the emergence of 44+ unicorns from CEE by the end of 2022, including KAYA’s portfolio companies Rohlik and Docplanner 1.

Poland leads the region’s fundraising activity with 460 rounds, followed by Estonia (150) and the Czech Republic (91), demonstrating how the ecosystem now extends beyond a few major hubs 1.

This regional growth reflects trends seen in other emerging tech ecosystems like Southeast Asia and Latin America, where early pioneer VCs helped establish the foundation for larger funding waves years later.