Creative Thinking Ventures

Creative Thinking Ventures is a micro-venture capital fund based in Albertville, France, founded in 2009 by Marnix Groet. The firm specializes in pre-seed financing of business ideas, investing in very early-stage startups and innovative small and medium enterprises across France and Italy. Groet brings 25 years of experience in international business, investments, and venture capital to each engagement, operating from a base in the French Alps. The fund focuses on greentech, garden technology, and sustainable development, writing checks of $5,000 to $50,000 at the idea and pre-seed stages — among the earliest capital available to founders in the region. With 7 portfolio companies across cleantech and agritech, Creative Thinking Ventures operates at the frontier where business ideas meet environmental impact. The fund's concentrated size is a deliberate feature: Groet works directly with each entrepreneur on analysis, consulting, and reporting to help develop viable strategies. Creative Thinking Ventures' philosophy centers on generating value through creativity in resolving customer problems and developing new markets. The firm backs founders who are building businesses where green innovation and commercial traction can reinforce each other from the very first days of company formation.