Jet Investment, one of the largest Czech private equity and industrial real estate management companies, has launched a new fund dedicated to early-stage companies – Jet Ventures. The fund plans to invest €50 million in startups offering innovative solutions for the industry in the Central European region.
Jet Ventures is the first fund dedicated to early-stage companies launched by Jet Investment. Originating from the Czech Republic and operating in Central and Eastern Europe, the company currently manages assets worth €600 million. Until now, it has invested in mature manufacturing companies and industrial properties. With the launch of the venture fund, Jet Investment is expanding its investment areas to include companies whose activity in the technology sector helps to increase the competitiveness of industrial companies. The fund plans to collect €50 million for investment from individual and institutional investors.
“Having almost 30 years of experience in transforming mature industrial companies, it becomes a natural step in the development of our business to support young innovative companies, whose breakthrough technologies can drive the modernization and growth of the European economy,” says Igor Fait, Managing Partner and founder of Jet Investment. “Our mission is to strengthen the European industry, which lags behind the United States in the integration of advanced technologies with traditional sectors and is losing its competitive advantage. Central Europe, the industrial heart of the continent, offers a vast pool of technical and IT talents, combined with lower operating costs, making it an ideal incubator for innovative technologies.”
Among Jet Ventures’ investment targets are industrial companies developing advanced technologies using high-performance computing systems, big data, IoT (Internet of Things), artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep tech, and robotics. The fund plans to invest in the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, as well as in Germany and Austria. The fund is managed by Kamil Levinský – former head of České Radiokomunikace, a manager with experience in finance, sales and investments in startups, known in the Czech market for business transformations, and Roger Dorsch – a manager with over 20 years of experience in the financial industry, capital markets and the FMCG sector.
With the launch of the Jet Ventures fund, Jet Investment made its first investment of €1.25 million in the Czech startup PARTORY. The company, founded by brothers Milan and Jakub Malek, is a B2B platform using artificial intelligence and machine learning to streamline the procurement process for low-cost metal parts bought in bulk. Its clients include conglomerates such as Honeywell and ThyssenKrupp, and the company is also starting to collaborate with companies from the Jet Investment portfolio.
“As part of the Jet Ventures fund, we want to provide startups not only with capital and industrial knowledge but also with synergy with other Jet Investment companies, business cooperation, and the opportunity to test technologies in the real environment of our manufacturing companies,” says Kamil Levinský, managing partner of Jet Ventures.
Jet Investment has been present in Poland for several years. In 2022, it acquired Rockfin, an engineering services company for the energy sector. With three plants located in the vicinity of Gdańsk, Gorlice, and Bydgoszcz, Rockfin generates over 80% of revenues abroad. The Czech fund also indirectly owns the printing company Eurodruk-Poznań, and is currently analyzing the possibility of taking over more companies in Poland.
“The startups in which we will invest will have a unique chance to test and perfect their technologies within a group of dozens of industrial companies from the Jet Investment portfolio. The possibility of using these solutions in the real world and our support based on many years of experience will significantly accelerate their development and bring them closer to success,” says Marek Chłopek, Managing Director of Jet Investment’s Warsaw office. “Jet Investment is an experienced partner for companies, offering professional management, actions aimed at improving performance and market position, as well as international expansion. By creating regional champions, we contribute to the development not only of the companies themselves, but also of individual economies and the European industry.”
Jet Ventures Fund 1 – in brief:
– A fund for qualified investors
– Investment area: Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Austria
– Industries: Industrial B2B, advanced manufacturing systems, deep tech, IoT (Internet of Things), artificial intelligence and machine learning, cybersecurity, robotics and drones, 3D printing, supply chain technologies
– Planned fund size: €50 million
– Expected return on investment: 20% per annum
– Investment phase: pre-A round, A round, potentially B round
– Planned number of portfolio companies: 16-20
Source: https://managerplus.pl/jet-investment-zainwestuje-e50-mln-w-startupy-z-europy-srodkowej-95892
