JIC unveils JIC Ventures to close CEE’s earliest-stage funding gap
The South Moravian innovation agency JIC has launched JIC Ventures, a new venture capital fund aiming to raise €16.3 million (400 million Czech crowns) to support pre-seed and seed-stage founders across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The fund has already secured more than €13 million in its first close and plans to back roughly 20 startups over the next four years, investing up to €1 million per company.
Focus on deep tech and hard-to-fund early stages
JIC Ventures will concentrate on deep tech, SaaS, and advanced technology areas where early-stage capital in CEE is often scarce. The firm says it will take a more active role than JIC’s prior co-investment approach, positioning itself as a lead investor and aiming to complete deals in weeks rather than months.
Backers blend private capital with public participation
The fund’s limited partner base includes about 40 investors. Institutional supporters include CTP, described as Europe’s largest developer and owner of industrial parks, and Česká spořitelna, the Czech Republic’s oldest bank. Investor Jan Barta is also among the backers.
In a move JIC calls novel for the country, the South Moravian Region has joined as a public-sector limited partner, combining public roots with predominantly private investment. The LP roster also includes founders and local technology leaders, alongside a notable participant: the Diocese of Brno.
University-linked sourcing and sector expertise
Managing partners Radim Kocourek and Miloš Sochor will run the fund, drawing on JIC’s track record in areas such as cybersecurity, space technology, precision instruments, defence and dual-use technologies, and semiconductors. Unlike many CEE funds that source deals primarily on the open market, JIC Ventures expects to access startups through its own incubation and acceleration programs, supported by proximity to universities.
“In the last five years alone, companies supported by JIC have achieved exits worth €640M,” said Petr Chládek, CEO of JIC, adding that the fund is intended to help create more globally successful companies and strengthen Europe’s competitiveness.
Related
