Fund profile / Czech Republic

JIC Ventures Fund I

Stage
Pre-Seed
Fund size
€16.3M
Focus
Cybersecurity, Deep Tech, Semiconductors and Space
Signals
Published
Share
N°01 / About

About JIC Ventures Fund I

JIC Ventures is a €16.3M pre-seed/seed fund (€13M first close) targeting CEE deep tech founders in cybersecurity, space tech, semiconductors, precision instruments, and dual-use technologies. Backed by CTP, Česká spořitelna, and South Moravian Region. ~20 companies planned.

N°02 / Thesis

Investment Focus

Location / RegionCzech Republic
Funding StagePre-Seed
Industry Focus
Cybersecurity
Deep Tech
Semiconductors
Space

Investor Signals Profile

active

Sweet Spot

CEE-based PhD or engineering founder in deep tech needing first €1M institutional check

CEE deep tech
dual-use & defense
pre-seed first check
semiconductors & space
engineering-led founders

Bullish Signals

€13M+ already closed from 40 LPs including CTP and Česká spořitelnablog
€1M first check fills real CEE funding gap; few competitors in this nicheblog
NATO spending and European sovereignty agenda create tailwinds for dual-use betsblog
20-year JIC deal flow and founder relationships institutionalized into dedicated vehicleblog
14+ portfolio companies across deep tech, biotech, SaaS, spaceexternal
Exited founders as LPs and advisors — rare alignment signalexternal
University spinoff pipeline: Masaryk, BUT, CEITEC partnerships activeexternal
Portfolio spans 14+ named companies incl. GINA (50 countries, UN)website
Fast term sheet to close: weeks, not monthswebsite
Biotech bets: CasInvent, AI|ffinity, Myco — diversified deep science exposurewebsite
Lead investor role: sets pace, stays hands-on throughout growthwebsite
Pre-investment mentoring available via JIC programs before raisingwebsite
Aiviro AI agents: 35% cost savings — commercial traction validationwebsite
Leading with courage tagline; Brno-born 20+ year ecosystem foundationwebsite
JIC expert network: top CEOs, CTOs, CFOs strategic guidance accesswebsite
Customerscore.io AI scoring for B2B churn prevention; proven valuewebsite
Groundcom satellite comms: global infrastructure play from CEEwebsite
Myco biotech: sustainable packaging from mycelium; ESG + commercewebsite
NenoVision LiteScope: 3D nanoscale imaging breakthrough spinoffwebsite
Wereldo logistics optimization: 20% cost savings; real B2B tractionwebsite
AI|ffinity protein 3D modeling via NMR+AI; Masaryk/CEITEC spinoffwebsite
GINA rescue software: 50 countries, UN peacekeeping missions deployedwebsite
Radim Kocourek: 20+ yrs startup support; known for focus & idea radarwebsite
Miloš Sochor: 15+ yrs startups, ex-banker, Y Soft Ventures MPwebsite
Investment process streamlined: pitch → meet → term sheet → DD → investwebsite
Domain expertise depth in cybersec, SW/HW, space, semiconductors, precisionwebsite
CasInvent cancer-resistance breakthrough; Masaryk spinoff with patented moleculeswebsite
Yedem employee mobility: parking + ridesharing + electromobility integrationwebsite
Eterny asset/finance management: secure wealth tracking + inheritance planningwebsite
Symfio CFO-powered SaaS: financial planning, reporting, AI team roadmapwebsite
Arbo greenery 3D modeling: detect dangerous trees, prevent unnecessary fellingwebsite
Localazy auto-localization tool: software translation at scale for developerswebsite
FaceUp portfolio founder validates advisor credibility and network reachwebsite

Contrarian Signals

Deep tech CEE exits historically slow; may take decade longer than expectedblog
Fund too small and Czech-anchored for founders needing pan-European scaleblog
Portfolio mix includes SaaS/logistics — thesis breadth may dilute focusexternal
Eterny, Symfio, Wereldo stretch beyond deep tech corewebsite
Pitch deck max 4MB cap — signals lean ops, not institutionalized processwebsite
Yedem mobility/logistics add more non-deep-tech breadth to portfoliowebsite
Arbo greenery/forestry software tangential to core tech thesiswebsite
Localazy translation tool dilutes focus from hardware/nanotech/biotechwebsite

Founder Do's

Be CEE-based (CZE/SVK priority) with strong technical or PhD background
Target deep tech, cybersecurity, space, nanotech, biotech or B2B SaaS
Come at pre-seed or seed — earlier and riskier = better fit
Leverage JIC ecosystem: lab access, university ties, EU grant readiness
Show global potential + path to Series A; have traction over slides

Founder Don'ts

Don't pitch B2C consumer internet or non-deep-tech plays
Don't expect US late-stage intros — wrong value-add profile
Don't come post-Series A or with heavy commercial traction — too late

59 signals on JIC Ventures Fund I

33 bullish · 8 contrarian · 5 pitch do's · 3 don'ts · 10 GP profiles, each with its source. From €9/month, cancel anytime.

Facts

Fund Overview

Fund Size€16.3M
Saves0
People

Key People

Radim Kocourek, Miloš Sochor

Radim KocourekManaging Partner
Miloš SochorManaging Partner
Milan ŠimekFund Advisor (SW/HW)
Marek PolčákFund Advisor (Space/Dual-use)
Lukáš MaňásekFund Advisor (B2B Sales)
Martin ZadražilFund Advisor (Nanotech/HW/SW)
Ondřej KrajíčekFund Advisor (HW/SW)
Jan NeumanFund Advisor (SW) & Portfolio Founder
Juraj ŠabatkaFund Advisor (SW)
Karel OblukFund Advisor (Cybersecurity)
Backers

Known LPs

CTPCorporate / Strategic
Diocese of BrnoFoundation / Endowment
+4 more LPs in LP Radar
N°04 / See also

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