Navigating the European startup scene as a female founder involves more than just pitching new ideas; it’s about understanding where funding trends are headed and who’s supporting them. Recently, 6 Degrees Capital, a venture capital firm with roots in London and Antwerp, announced closing a €154M fund. For entrepreneurs like me who’ve bootstrapped startups through highs and lows, this milestone isn’t just impressive, it’s a signal worth digging into.
What’s Behind the €154M Fund?
To start, 6 Degrees Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm focusing on fintech, enterprise software, and artificial intelligence. With teams based in London and Antwerp, they’re zeroing in on investments across Europe, aiming to fill gaps in the Seed to Series B funding stage. The fund’s focus ranges from midsize initial investments (€1M to €5M) to follow-on cash injections of up to €15M for standout companies.
What’s notable isn’t just the size of the fund but the speed and focus with which this eight-person team made it happen. Their early bets on startups like Conveo, a platform based on AI research, and FlatPeak, which deals with energy tech, highlight where their confidence lies: in disruptive innovation with a clear business case.
Learn more about their strategy by visiting 6 Degrees Capital’s portfolio overview.
Funding in Europe: Who’s Writing the Cheques?
The list of backers for Fund III is exciting if you’re someone like me who often wonders where the “big money” is sourced. Fund-of-funds, sovereign wealth funds, and financial institutions lead the charge here, joined by family offices and high-net-worth individuals from across Europe. It’s reassuring to see a variety of investment partners, as this usually indicates resilience during volatile times.
Why Does This Matter for Women Entrepreneurs?
Let me share a personal take. As someone building a startup from scratch, I often hear about huge sums of money entering the European startup ecosystem, but rarely see these funds trickle down to diverse founders. Data tells a hard truth: women-led startups still struggle to secure a fair share of venture capital. But resources like this fund, which prioritizes early-stage businesses, carry tacit potential for female founders to grab investors’ attention, and hopefully, some of their euros too.
Real Takeaways for Founders
1. Don’t just chase funding boxes, paint your picture. One overriding theme from 6 Degrees Capital is their emphasis on creating relationships with trailblazing founders who have a detailed idea of what they want to build. Venture capital isn’t about fitting snugly into someone else's boxes, it’s about demonstrating measurable conviction in your vision.
2. Look past fintech hype. While fintech captures headlines, 6 Degrees is diving deep into enterprise software platforms and AI. Think beyond the obvious, especially if your business leverages artificial intelligence. The field is broad, but innovations in areas like personalized tech solutions could be worth an inquiry into what you’re doing.
3. Secure your first check thoughtfully. They’re allocating up to €5M in early-stage investments, potentially pouring larger sums for follow-ups. This isn’t patient capital, but sustained funding for founders who know their stuff deeply. Make sure you can show how you plan to scale effectively.
4. Geography is a strength, not a limitation. European startups often feel limited by geography, but firms like 6 Degrees Capital emphasize scalability and “hopping borders” in search of talent, markets, and resources. It’s not just possible, it’s encouraged.
Common Mistakes to Dodge
Over the years, I’ve learned, often the hard way, about how to approach VCs, and how not to. Some pitfalls everyone should actively avoid, especially when dealing with early-stage funds:
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Focusing too much on the prize. The funding number can “dazzle,” but remember that the deal includes expectations on delivery. Think beyond raising the money; plan for the relationship that follows.
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Weak positioning in your pitch. It’s not enough to have a good idea. You need a strategy. Founders can get tunnel vision with product technicalities but fail to convey their future prospect clearly and concisely.
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Scaling without validation. I often work with first-time founders eager to build, grow, and launch, without truly testing market fit with proper user feedback. Ensure your idea solves a quantifiable problem before asking for a check.
Lessons Learned: Hope for Future Female-Led Ventures
Discovering this story reminded me of the reason Fe/male Switch exists as an incubator for women in tech: the talent is there; the opportunity isn’t always obvious. There’s an audacity in being a female founder, especially in male-dominated spaces like fintech or AI. Few investors will be your early believers, but once you’ve proven yourself, others often follow quickly.
Take inspiration from the fund’s contrarian approach. They don’t wait around for the next unicorn discovery. Instead, they aim for founders who challenge assumptions and pour themselves into scaling something that seems unproven but worth the risk. If you’re setting out to convince an investor, adopt this mindset: build with intentionality, validate aggressively, and lean in with confidence.
A Few Tips for Founders Pitching Now
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Clarity first: When your idea comes up for discussion, simplicity wins over technical jargon. Offer memorable soundbites in your pitch deck.
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Timelines matter: Share why now is critical for your business and why delaying would mean missing opportunities. Urgency is key.
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Know your growth story: Investors will look for signs of sustainable scaling. If Series A is on your radar, lay out achievable metrics for progression.
Closing Thoughts
Money, and the people who give it, are central to our survival as founders. For women building businesses in this part of the world, the announcement of 6 Degrees Capital’s Fund III is important. It brings perspectives, possibilities, and a reminder. The landscape and the players may shift, but the script remains the same: know what you want from your startup, why anyone should care, and how to get there with boldness paired with transparency.
If you’re an entrepreneur hoping to raise funds in fintech, enterprise software, or AI, check out 6 Degrees Capital’s investment page.
FAQ
1. What is 6 Degrees Capital and their focus areas?
6 Degrees Capital is a European Venture Capital firm based in London and Antwerp. They specialize in early-stage investments from Seed to Series B in fintech, enterprise software, and AI sectors. Visit 6 Degrees Capital
2. How much was raised for Fund III?
6 Degrees Capital recently closed their Fund III, raising a total of €154 million to invest in emerging startups. Read about the €154M fund on Tech.eu
3. What is the typical investment size for Fund III?
The fund invests between €1M and €5M in initial rounds with follow-on investments up to €15M per company. See 6 Degrees Capital’s Fund Info
4. What are some companies they've already invested in?
6 Degrees Capital has made investments in startups like Conveo, an AI research platform, and FlatPeak, an energy-focused tech company. Check out 6 Degrees Capital’s portfolio
5. Who are the backers of the €154M fund?
The fund is backed by fund-of-funds, sovereign wealth funds, financial institutions, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals from across Europe.
6. What makes 6 Degrees Capital's strategy unique?
Their strategy emphasizes conviction-driven investing, first-principles research, and working closely with founders. They focus on founders’ deep commitment and business scalability.
7. Why is this fund significant for female entrepreneurs?
With limited venture funds reaching women-led startups, funds like this offer opportunities for diverse founders to gain critical early-stage support.
8. What are some common mistakes founders should avoid when pitching to VCs?
Founders often make errors like focusing only on funding figures, failing to validate market fit, and presenting pitches lacking clarity or scalability strategies.
9. How can founders benefit from 6 Degrees Capital's geographical approach?
6 Degrees Capital encourages startups to scale beyond geographical borders to access talents, markets, and broader resources. Learn more about their investment approach
10. What sectors should founders focus on for securing investment from 6 Degrees Capital?
The firm prioritizes investments in fintech, enterprise software, and AI, with a specific interest in novel and disruptive technologies. Explore their focus areas
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.
