The EBRD’s Star Venture programme leverages the EBRD’s existing investment vehicles to help cultivate the start-up ecosystem.
Through the Early-Stage Innovation Facility ("ESIF"), the EBRD invests in selected venture capital funds (VC), helping develop the financing market for innovative enterprises.
The Venture Capital Investment Programme ("VCIP") enables the EBRD to co-invest directly in ambitious companies that use new digital technologies to grow in their local markets.
Finally, the EBRD has joined forces with the Enterprise Innovation Fund (ENIF), a VC fund fostering innovation in SMEs at various stages of development in the Western Balkans.
These investment instruments facilitate Star Venture’s close collaboration with some of the following regional VCs:
The first early-stage companies to join Star Venture have already made a successful debut on their respective markets. 13 start-ups in the SEMED region have mobilised about US$30 million in funding from over 20 venture capital funds since 2018.