In December 2025, an announcement shook the European venture capital landscape with Hiro Capital launching its latest fund, Hiro III, and snapping up two high-profile additions to its team: Nick Clegg, former Deputy Prime Minister of the UK, and Yann LeCun, AI researcher and recently outgoing Chief AI Scientist at Meta. As a bootstrapping entrepreneur, this news caught my attention for several reasons. It represents a clear recognition of Europe’s emerging deep tech and gaming industries, but also highlights the persistent scaling challenges for startups in this region.
Why this matters to a female entrepreneur in Europe
As someone who founded Fe/male Switch with the mission of empowering women in STEM, I’m keenly aware of the barriers faced by entrepreneurs in Europe. There’s incredible innovation bubbling in AI, robotics, and gaming here, but scaling up these early-stage ideas is still tough. Many founders, especially women, struggle to find the significant capital needed to compete on a global scale. Hiro III seeks to bridge that funding gap with investments ranging from €5 million to €50 million, targeting what Nick Clegg referred to as “Europe’s profound dilemma.”
This resonates deeply because it’s a step toward leveling the playing field for European startups, ensuring homegrown talent doesn’t migrate to Silicon Valley or China. But what does it mean for founders like me, who’ve built startups from scratch without millions in VC backing? Let me break it down.
The fund and its focus
Hiro III aims to deploy €500 million across sectors like robotics, longevity, gaming, and spatial AI technologies. This isn’t just an opportunistic dive into lucrative domains but is backed by decades of industry knowledge. The firm’s founders, Luke Alvarez, Ian Livingstone, and Cherry Freeman, are veterans in gaming and tech, ensuring a strong foundation for identifying startups with high growth potential. Yann LeCun’s addition symbolizes a shift toward cutting-edge AI investment, while Nick Clegg’s expertise in policy and global affairs adds a dimension of strategic influence.
Hiro Capital’s track record is impressive, with previous investments supporting gaming startups and immersive tech platforms. If you're interested in diving deeper into why Hiro Capital is betting big on these sectors, the Hiro Capital official website gives insight into their portfolio and their thematic focus areas.
A look at female entrepreneurship: lessons and opportunities
Bootstrapping a startup in Europe as a woman can feel isolating, particularly when the VC ecosystem overwhelmingly favors male-led businesses. While Hiro Capital’s latest fund doesn’t explicitly focus on female founders, the move toward diverse sectors like longevity and immersive tech opens doors for women working in niche spaces.
Lessons from their approach
- Sector focus matters: Hiro III targets areas with transformative potential rather than traditional tech. Founders can learn from this by focusing their efforts where growth opportunities align with capital availability, think spatial AI, robotics, or immersive gaming.
- Building relationships translates: Adding Nick Clegg and Yann LeCun demonstrates the importance of integrating policy or sector-specific experts into your fundraising journey. For bootstrappers, networking might not land you world-renowned figures, but developing industry connections can open doors to funding and partnerships.
- Think investments, not grants: Unlike grant programs, VC funds demand accountability and scale. That’s the hardest lesson I’ve learned as a founder managing EU grants, there’s no direct stake in your growth. If you’re scaling, aim for capital with strings attached. Hiro III’s check sizes reflect scaleup realities, which are often ignored in Europe’s ecosystem.
Common mistakes made by European founders
When building and scaling startups, losing sight of scale, early, can be detrimental. These are the blunders I regularly see when mentoring fellow female founders:
- Focusing only on local networks: Europe’s fragmented ecosystems mean founders might succeed locally but fail globally without building beyond borders.
- Underestimating how capital changes dynamics: A €50 million check isn’t just money, it’s access to advisors, talent, and deeper market penetration opportunities. If that feels like a leap, it’s time to rethink your vision.
- Overcomplicating pitch decks: Hiro III proves that thematic clarity wins. Founders need concise, tailored pitches to stand out to investors.
The guide: Using large VC funds to grow your startup
If Hiro Capital’s new fund whets your appetite for investment, here’s how to prepare for VC involvement:
- Identify your long-term vision: European venture funds love scalable businesses in untapped markets. It’s key to balance your mission with market potential.
- Develop thematic alignment: If you’re building something in robotics or AI, look for funds like Hiro III actively investing in these niches.
- Pitch the team, not just the product: Founders often overlook how much investors rely on your operational strengths. Show how your experience and plans match their check size.
- Be statistical and concise: Demonstrate traction through numbers. Hiro III is looking for big plays; it’s not the fund for vague, pie-in-the-sky pitches.
If you’re bootstrapping, don’t panic. These principles also apply when acquiring small-scale capital, building partnerships, and presenting your roadmap, or, dare I say, making your first angel pitch.
What Hiro Capital’s move says about Europe’s startups
Nick Clegg and Yann LeCun aren’t joining just any VC, this is a fund keenly aware of Europe’s challenges. For female founders like me, that confidence in investing during a scaling bottleneck is inspiring. It’s easy to feel sidelined in a male-dominated startup space. Yet, every high-level decision to flood sectors like robotics and spatial AI shows why persistence, and tailored sector focus, can prevent your idea from stagnating.
If Europe truly wants to retain its bright minds instead of watching them migrate to the US for better funding opportunities, it needs more funds like Hiro III. Valuable insight lies in learning to align personal goals with broader funding trends, and using this alignment to fuel transformative growth.
For updates on how the fund develops or how to apply for VC-backed resources, check out this news update on Hiro Capital’s fund.
Conclusion
Hiro III brings hope to founders stuck in the scaleup challenge. Its €500 million commitment to boosting European tech is a timely reminder that opportunities exist, even for bootstrappers and female entrepreneurs who’ve felt left behind by traditional venture funds. Sharing this news is my way of saying that scaling isn’t about luck; it requires preparation, self-awareness, and calculated networking. And on days when you doubt yourself as an entrepreneur in Europe, remember: persistence breeds change. Like Hiro Capital, you can carve growth paths others didn’t dare to walk.
FAQ
1. What is Hiro III, the new fund launched by Hiro Capital?
Hiro III is a €500 million European venture capital fund aimed at supporting startups in sectors like robotics, spatial AI, longevity, and gaming. It is focused on bridging Europe's scaleup funding gap. Read more about Hiro III from Hiro Capital
2. Who are the notable additions to the Hiro Capital team?
Nick Clegg, the former Deputy Prime Minister of the UK and Meta’s President of Global Affairs, joined as General Partner, and Yann LeCun, a renowned AI scientist, is part of the advisory board. Learn more about Nick Clegg and Yann LeCun’s involvement on Tech.eu
3. What challenges does Hiro III aim to address for European startups?
Hiro III specifically targets Europe's funding gap in scaleup capital, enabling startups to grow internationally while retaining homegrown talent. Discover insights on the fund’s mission in Capacity Global’s article
4. What sectors will Hiro III focus its investments on?
The fund will focus on deep tech areas such as spatial AI, robotics, longevity, gaming, and next-gen technologies. Explore the focus sectors at Hiro Capital
5. Why is Nick Clegg’s role significant at Hiro Capital?
Nick Clegg’s expertise in global affairs and policymaking offers strategic influence, enabling startups to navigate regulatory challenges effectively. Learn about Nick Clegg’s perspective in Reuters' coverage
6. How does Yann LeCun's addition benefit Hiro III?
Yann LeCun brings academic depth and expertise in artificial intelligence, enhancing the fund’s ability to identify and support groundbreaking AI startups.
7. What is Hiro Capital's track record in venture capital?
Hiro Capital has previously invested in gaming, immersive technology, and metaverse platforms, showcasing its expertise and thematic focus. Check out Hiro Capital’s portfolio and past projects
8. How can female entrepreneurs benefit from Hiro III?
While the fund does not explicitly focus on female founders, its emphasis on emerging sectors creates opportunities for diverse innovators in niche fields like spatial AI and robotics.
9. What are the application criteria for securing funding from Hiro III?
Startups need scalable business models in untapped markets, a clear alignment with Hiro III’s thematic sectors, and strong operational strengths. Get detailed guidelines from Hiro Capital
10. What is the broader impact of Hiro III on the European tech landscape?
Hiro III demonstrates confidence in Europe’s startup ecosystem, addressing funding inequalities and preventing talent migration to Silicon Valley or China. Explore the fund’s potential impact in PR Newswire
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
