About us
Catalyst Romania, a leading technology-focused venture capital firm, launched its first EUR 15 million fund in 2012, as the first vehicle of its type designed for Romania and CEE, followed by a second growth capital tech fund with a final closing in February 2022 and a hard cap of EUR 50 million, significantly above target. The fund aims to provide expansion and growth capital to local leaders or global challengers in the technology field based in Romania and neighboring countries.
Investment Strategy
Focus: technology and technology enabled services companies, in early expansion stage.
Geography: Romania and neighboring countries.
Type of capital: Equity & quasi-equity, cash in and cash out.
Preferred holding: Active participation.
Tickets between 1- 3 million EUR
Ideal company profile:
- Companies have products on the market, paying clients and generate annual revenues typically above €500k.
- Operating history of typically 2-4 years.
- Strong growth (often more than 40% p.a.).
- Lead by serial entrepreneurs and/or experienced management teams.
- Enterprise IT Applications
- Services and Infrastructure
- Vertical Business Applications
- E-commerce and Consumer Marketplaces
- Platform Businesses
- Media and Communications
- Enterprise IT Applications
- Services and Infrastructure
- Vertical Business Applications
- E-commerce and Consumer Marketplaces
- Platform Businesses
- Media and Communications
The Fund is targeting o make early growth capital investments in SMEs based in Romania and other countries in the region. Our team of highly qualified experts, with entrepreneurial and financial background, become active business partners of the portfolio companies. Catalyst also brings indispensable company scaling know-how, resources, channel partners and co-investors from across Europe, North America and Asia.
Even before the investment, we are educating the entrepreneurs, other shareholders and the management about the investment structuring, help them deal with historical issues and explain them our investment terms.
During the holding period, we are working closely with management teams to support the investees in developing their strategy, restructuring their financial reporting system or improving the operational setup, oftein contributing with relevant market contacts and leads, access to a network of experts and support in preparing follow-on investment rounds, if the case.
Catalyst Romania has a proven track record of investing and actively helping technology businesses to grow. Infusion of growth-capital, business expansion best-practices, strategic guidance and access to new networks provided by the Catalyst team, has helped drive an average compounded annual revenue growth rate of 40% across current portfolio companies.
Portofolio
Somareality
Voxa
.lumen
Adapta Robotics
Investment Team
Some of our latest press releases.
News
Partners
Catalyst Romania’s current and past funds now total over €60m. Investors include EIF, Banca Transilvania and other institutional and private investors. EIF is an important contributor to the Catalyst funds through the JEREMIE Reflows and InnovFin Equity Programme initiatives
Apply
We are looking for companies from Romania and SEE which we can help to become local leaders or global challengers. Get in touch with us if you’re developing a tech startup that has shown potential and good results so far.
Got a question? Ask us
If you want to find out more about our activity or you have a question before applying for investment, get in touch with us.
Catalyst Romania Fund I was mainly funded by the European Investment Fund (EIF), through JEREMIE (“Joint European Resources for Micro to Medium Enterprises” or “Joint European Resources for Micro to medium Enterprises in”), a joint initiative of the Directorate-General for Regional Policy of the European Commission and the EIB Group (which includes EIF), which aims to improve access to finance for SMEs in the EU. In Romania, the JEREMIE Holding Fund is financed by the ERDF through POSCCE 2007-2013.
Catalyst Romania Fund II is supported by the JEREMIE Holding Fund Romania, an investment programme between EIF and the Government of Romania and invests reflows generated by operations implemented under JEREMIE Holding Fund Romania during the eligibility period 2007-2013 and InnovFin Equity, with the financial backing of the European Union under Horizon 2020 Financial Instruments and the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) set up under the Investment Plan for Europe. The purpose of EFSI is to help support financing and implementing productive investments in the European Union and to ensure increased access to financing.