Skybound Venture Capital has
announced the launch of its founder-led venture capital fund focused on
deeptech startups, securing a $38 million oversubscribed first close anchored
by the European Investment Fund.
Based in Athens, Skybound was founded
by Thaleia Misailidou, who previously worked at Marathon Venture Capital and
has been active in the Greek deeptech ecosystem, alongside George Varvarelis,
co-founder of Augmenta, which was acquired by CNH Industrial.
Skybound invests in pre-seed and
seed-stage companies developing technically complex software and hardware
across areas including infrastructure, advanced computing, bioengineering and
frontier technologies. The fund plans to write initial cheques ranging from
$500,000 to $2 million while maintaining a concentrated portfolio strategy with
significant follow-on reserves for selected companies.
Skybound describes its investment
approach as founder-led and operationally focused, targeting companies building
defensible technologies with long-term industrial and societal impact, with the
aim of supporting founders from the earliest stages of company formation.
Commenting on the launch, Thaleia
Misailidou said the team’s experience as both founders and investors shapes
Skybound’s focus on backing technically ambitious founders developing original
technologies before broader market adoption.
Europe doesn’t need another
passive fund, it needs investors who understand the grind, move at founder
pace, and go all-in when they believe. We back founders with a massive chip on
their shoulder. The ones obsessed with atoms, not just bits,
added George
Varvarelis.
The fund’s first investment was in
Neurosoft Bioelectronics, a company developing scalable and minimally invasive
brain-computer interfaces. According to Skybound, the investment reflects the
fund’s focus on technically complex companies combining scientific research
with scalable commercial applications.
Looking ahead, Skybound plans to
focus on founders developing technologies that could reshape industries over
the coming decade, particularly across deeptech and frontier technology
sectors.