Start Ventures

Start Ventures is a Lisbon-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2016 as the venture arm of Banco de Investimento Global (BiG), one of Portugal's established investment banks. Operating globally with a strong European footprint, the firm focuses on B2B startups innovating within the financial services ecosystem -- specifically fintech, insurtech, regtech, and cybersecurity. Its structural backing by a licensed bank gives portfolio companies direct access to banking infrastructure, regulated-industry relationships, and enterprise sales expertise that few independent VCs can offer. Start Ventures concentrates on seed and Series A rounds, deploying checks in the $500,000 to $3 million range into B2B software companies navigating regulated industries. Across 13 disclosed investments, the firm has backed companies including Coverflex, an employee benefits platform; Countingup, a UK small-business bank; Zango, a regtech and compliance specialist; Ethiack, a Portuguese cybersecurity company; and WeatherPromise, a parametric weather insurance platform for the hospitality and leisure sector -- the firm's most recent investment, made in December 2025. The firm's philosophy reflects its banking parentage: patient, long-cycle engagement with founders building regulated B2B software, rather than a push for rapid growth at the expense of compliance and commercial durability. Partner Joao Freire de Andrade leads the investment team alongside analysts who bring specialist depth in fintech infrastructure and ESG. Start Ventures views its bank-backed position not as a constraint but as a competitive advantage -- one that opens doors for portfolio companies in enterprise procurement, regulatory approval processes, and strategic partnership development across the European financial services landscape.