Via Venture Partners has announced (PDF) raising of a new fund. The fund is its second, amounting to 134 million euros. In addition to the VC’s original fund founded in 2006, this makes Via Venture Partners one of the largest VCs in the Nordic region with a total of EUR 268 million of committed capital. The fund targets Nordic high growth potential ICT firms that have a global market opportunity.
Via Venture Partners claims that despite the financial crisis it has been a very active investor in the past 4 years operating in Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. ATP, Denmark’s largest pension fund, has invested in both Via Venture Partners’ funds.
The original first fund includes portfolio firms ranging from early stage startups to later stage companies in the fields of Internet (including services and content), communication (software), and technology (ICT). We have written about two portfolio companies PlusFourSix and Beneq before.
The new second fund follows the strategy of the original one in its investments. As long as IT is a major part of the business model, the fund can also invest in more industrial and life science markets.
The fund can invest up to EUR 20 million in a single company, but also seed and early stage ventures will be considered and supported. The focus, though, is on companies with revenues between EUR 5-30M. Via Venture Partners can invest also in companies not headquartered in the Nordic region, if they have some value-add activities located in the Nordic region.
