Lighthouse Ventures
Lighthouse Ventures is a Prague-based early-stage venture capital firm that invests €200,000 to €1 million in idea- and seed-stage technology startups across B2B software, fintech, and AI, with a geographic focus on the CEE region and a portfolio of 40+ companies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersPrague, Czechia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Lighthouse Ventures does
Lighthouse Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic, founded in 2019. The firm invests €200,000 to €1 million per company in technology startups at the idea and seed stages, with an investment focus on B2B software, fintech, and AI across European-based teams, anchored geographically in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region. Lighthouse Ventures manages two funds: Fund I was launched in 2019 with Presto Ventures as the main private investor, and Fund II was launched in 2024 with institutional backing from the Czech ESIF Fund of Funds, the European Investment Fund, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic (financed under the European Regional Development Fund via OP EIC). The firm is registered as Lighthouse Ventures GP s.r.o. (IČO: 07500912) and is managed by Founding & Managing Partner Michal Zálešák, Founding Partner Ravit Avidor, Partner Vladislav Vintner, and Partner/COO Robert Reich.
The firm has assembled a portfolio of 40+ companies across three fund vintages with notable investments including DecisionRules (no-code decision automation), Edmund AI (manufacturing AI), Merchantee (e-commerce marketplace intelligence), Ranketta (AI visibility measurement), BeatpulseLabs (AI training data infrastructure), FaceUp (compliance and anonymous reporting SaaS), QurieGen (drug discovery), Boost.space (data integration), Outfindo (AI product guidance), Prodeen (food compliance), Deplace AI (robotics testing), Deepmark (AI watermarking), FleetFox (fleet management marketplace), and TRIFFT Loyalty. Four exits have been realized: Pekat Vision was acquired by Datalogic (Milan-listed) for approximately 400 million CZK, Persoo was acquired by Luigi's Box, and Foxdeli and Investown are listed as exited companies on the firm's website.
Lighthouse Ventures follows standard VC revenue mechanics — management fees on committed capital plus carried interest on realized exits — and differentiates itself through an international partner team with expertise in entrepreneurship, M&A, media and marketing, technology, and operations. The firm supplements its capital with a deep portfolio-support stack of partnerships with AWS Activate (up to $100k credits), Google for Startups Cloud (up to $350k), Microsoft for Startups (up to $150k Azure), NVIDIA Inception, Snowflake for Startups, Stripe Atlas, HubSpot, Zendesk, Mixpanel, and Remote, alongside regional startup-hub partnerships (ESA BIC Prague, BIC Plzeň, i&i Prague, Inovačné centrum Košického kraja) and recurring co-investment with Gi21 Capital. Deal flow is sourced through startup hubs, tech universities, and the Prague Startup Centre, with investments screened via an online application portal at lhv.vc.
Lighthouse Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lighthouse Ventures
- Legal name
- Lighthouse Ventures GP s.r.o.
- Website
- https://lhv.vc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Lighthouse Ventures is a Prague-based early-stage venture capital firm that invests €200,000 to €1 million in idea- and seed-stage technology startups across B2B software, fintech, and AI, with a geographic focus on the CEE region and a portfolio of 40+ companies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lighthouse Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds / Multi-Manager Platforms (FSANAAAJ)
Keywords
Where Lighthouse Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Prague
- HQ country
- Czechia
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Lighthouse Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Management Fees: VC firms typically charge management fees on committed capital (2% of fund size annually is standard in the industry). Fund II started in 2024.
- Carried Interest (Carry): VC firms earn carried interest (typically 20%) on profits from successful portfolio exits. PEKAT VISION was acquired by Datalogic for approximately 400 million CZK, demonstrating successful exit mechanics.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Lighthouse Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lighthouse Ventures operates early-stage venture capital funds that invest €200,000 to €1,000,000 per company in technology startups at the idea and seed stage in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region. The firm provides seed capital in exchange for equity ownership and supplements the financing with professional mentorship, access to an international business network, and support for global expansion. Portfolio focus areas are B2B software, fintech, and artificial intelligence, with over 40 portfolio companies across Fund I (2019) and Fund II (2024).
Product overview
Lighthouse Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests €200k to €1m in technology startups at idea/seed stage, focused on the CEE region with global vision in B2B Software, Fintech, and AI. The firm manages a portfolio of over 40 companies across multiple technology verticals including AI/machine learning, SaaS platforms, fintech, and enterprise software. Key portfolio companies include: DecisionRules (no-code decision automation), Edmund AI (manufacturing AI), Merchantee (e-commerce marketplace intelligence), Ranketta (AI visibility measurement), BeatpulseLabs (AI training data), FaceUp (compliance SaaS), QurieGen (drug discovery), Boost.space (data integration), Outfindo (AI product guidance), Prodeen (food compliance), Deplace AI (robot testing), Deepmark (AI watermarking), FleetFox (fleet management), and TRIFFT Loyalty (customer loyalty). The firm also achieved successful exits including Pekat Vision (acquired by Datalogic), Persoo (acquired by Luigi's Box), and Foxdeli.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lighthouse Ventures Seed VC Fund Early-stage venture capital fund investing €200,000 to €1,000,000 per company in idea- and seed-stage technology startups in the CEE region, in exchange for equity ownership and supplemented by mentorship, network access, and global expansion support. Focus areas include B2B software, fintech, and AI.
- Lighthouse Ventures Fund II Second flagship early-stage venture capital fund of Lighthouse Ventures, launched in 2024 with support from Czech ESIF Fund of Funds and the European Investment Fund, deploying €200k–€1m per startup in CEE-based technology companies with backing from European structural funds.
Quantifiable outcome
- PEKAT VISION acquired by Datalogic for ~400 million CZK in less than 3 years from initial investment
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Lighthouse Ventures
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Lighthouse Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability9 records
Lighthouse Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Inovačné centrum Košického kraja (ICKK)minorInnovation center helping Košice region increase innovative potential through talent development, acceleration programs, and supporting SME internationalization.
- AWS ActivatecoreAWS offers startups invested by Lighthouse Ventures up to $100k in promotional credits for 12 months, plus opportunities to qualify for additional credits.
- Google for Startups CloudcoreGoogle program offers up to $350,000 in Google Cloud Credits, access to mentors, special streams for AI and Web3 startups, and up to $12,000 Enhanced Support with 1-hour response time.
- Microsoft for Startups Founders HubcoreProvides up to $150,000 in Azure credits with benefits varying by startup stage (Ideate, Develop, Grow, Scale). Includes mentorship, GitHub, Visual Studio Core, Microsoft 365, and Dynamics 365 tools.
- NVIDIA InceptioncoreFree program providing access to cutting-edge technology, NVIDIA experts, VC connections, and co-marketing support. Portfolio companies can receive priority visibility to VCs for funding opportunities.
- Snowflake for StartupscoreSnowflake offers credits to reduce business expenditures, engineering support for architecture and AI/ML workloads, co-marketing opportunities, and community collaboration with other early-stage companies.
- StripecoreOfficial Stripe Partner offering €30,000 fee-free processing and 50% discount on Atlas Incorporation Fee for both new and existing Stripe users.
- ESA BIC PraguecoreEuropean-wide network providing financial, technical and business support for innovative business concepts using space technologies. Part of regional startup ecosystem.
- BIC Plzeň – Business and Innovation CentreminorSupporting establishment and development of innovative new businesses in Pilsen region since 1992. Works within international networks supporting business and innovation.
- i&i PragueminorAccelerating proof-of-concept stage projects in Medtech, Diagnostics and Drug discovery. Focus on discovery, pre-seed or seed phase projects with excellent innovative potential.
- Secret (SaaS Discounts Platform)minorExclusive platform benefits including $1,000 AWS credit, $2,000 Airtable credit, $2,000 Freshworks credit, 12 months free Sendinblue, $1,000 Algolia credit, 6 months free Typeform, 6 months free Hotjar.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Lighthouse Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lighthouse Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceLighthouse Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lighthouse Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Lighthouse Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lighthouse Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments67 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lighthouse Ventures
What does Lighthouse Ventures do?
Lighthouse Ventures operates early-stage venture capital funds that invest €200,000 to €1,000,000 per company in technology startups at the idea and seed stage in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region. The firm provides seed capital in exchange for equity ownership and supplements the financing with professional mentorship, access to an international business network, and support for global expansion. Portfolio focus areas are B2B software, fintech, and artificial intelligence, with over 40 portfolio companies across Fund I (2019) and Fund II (2024).
Is Lighthouse Ventures a public or private company?
Lighthouse Ventures is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Lighthouse Ventures founded?
Lighthouse Ventures was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Lighthouse Ventures based?
Lighthouse Ventures is headquartered in Prague, Czechia, in the Europe region.
How does Lighthouse Ventures make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest (Carry).
Does Lighthouse Ventures have an API?
Yes. DecisionRules, a portfolio company of Lighthouse Ventures, offers a no-code business rules engine with seamless API integration for scalable execution across industries including finance, insurance, e-commerce, logistics, and healthcare. Developer documentation is at www.decisionrules.io.
What industry is Lighthouse Ventures in?
Lighthouse Ventures's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAJ, Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds / Multi-Manager Platforms. Its NAICS code is 52394 and its SIC code is 6282.