Shape VC
Shape VC is a Kraków-based early-stage venture capital fund founded in 2018 that invests in startups with research and development components, using a small three-person leadership team covering investing, technical diligence, and deal sourcing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersKraków, Poland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Shape VC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Shape VC
- Website
- https://shape.vc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Shape VC is a Kraków-based early-stage venture capital fund founded in 2018 that invests in startups with research and development components, using a small three-person leadership team covering investing, technical diligence, and deal sourcing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Shape VC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259), Other Financial Vehicles (525990)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282), Investors, Nec (6799)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Geography-Focused Venture Capital (Regional/Emerging Markets) (FSANAAAE), Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)
Keywords
Where Shape VC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kraków
- HQ country
- Poland
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Shape VC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Shape VC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Shape VC is a Poland-based venture capital fund that provides early-stage equity capital to companies with research and development components. Founded in 2018 and operating from Kraków, the fund is run by a small partnership team that sources, evaluates, and invests in R&D-oriented early-stage startups, generating returns through equity appreciation and exits rather than recurring fees.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Shape VC
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles1 record
Shape VC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Shape VC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Speedinvest: Vienna-based early-stage European platform with dedicated deep-tech and industrial-tech funds. Broader geographic and sector scope, but competes for the same CEE and deep-tech deal flow as Shape VC.
- Earlybird Venture Capital: One of Europe's longest-standing early-stage venture firms with a Berlin base and CEE exposure. Larger and more institutional, but competes for technical early-stage deals across the region.
- Frederick Hsing-Shawn Wang / 500 Global (Emerging Europe): Global early-stage platform with CEE/emerging-market activity. Provides capital and program infrastructure at a scale that regional players like Shape VC must position against.
Direct peers
- Credo Ventures: Prague-based early-stage venture capital firm investing across Central and Eastern Europe. Directly comparable as a CEE-focused early-stage fund operating with a similarly lean team and regional origination model.
- Market One Capital: Poland-based early-stage fund backing CEE founders, often at pre-seed and seed. Comparable geographic focus, deal stage, and emerging-market fund size profile.
- Innovation Nest: Polish VC with operations in Kraków and Warsaw, investing in early-stage technology companies. Same geography, same stage, and a directly overlapping founder community.
- bValue Fund: Polish venture fund focused on early- and growth-stage technology companies out of Poland and the CEE region. Comparable regional scope and stage orientation.
- SATUS Starter: Warsaw-based early-stage fund backing Polish founders. Similar stage, geography, and emerging-market fund dynamics.
- Rubicon Partners / Rubicon Technology Ventures: Polish/regional VC focused on deep-tech and science-based startups. Highly comparable R&D-led thesis and regional footprint.
Regional players
- LAUNCHub Ventures: Sofia-based early-stage VC investing across Southeastern Europe and the wider CEE region. Comparable emerging-market orientation and stage, though slightly different sub-region.
Market position
Customer concentration
Shape VC social profiles
Digital presenceShape VC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Shape VC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Shape VC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Shape VC M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments30 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Shape VC
What does Shape VC do?
Shape VC is a Poland-based venture capital fund that provides early-stage equity capital to companies with research and development components. Founded in 2018 and operating from Kraków, the fund is run by a small partnership team that sources, evaluates, and invests in R&D-oriented early-stage startups, generating returns through equity appreciation and exits rather than recurring fees.
When was Shape VC founded?
Shape VC was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Shape VC based?
Shape VC is headquartered in Kraków, Poland, in the Europe region.
Who are Shape VC's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Speedinvest, Earlybird Venture Capital and Frederick Hsing-Shawn Wang / 500 Global (Emerging Europe). Direct peers are Credo Ventures, Market One Capital, Innovation Nest, bValue Fund, SATUS Starter and Rubicon Partners / Rubicon Technology Ventures. LAUNCHub Ventures is listed as a regional player.
Does Shape VC have an API?
No public API is recorded for Shape VC.
What industry is Shape VC in?
Shape VC's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B), with a secondary code of FSANAAAE, Geography-Focused Venture Capital (Regional/Emerging Markets). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.