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HomeStartupCapital meets innovation: 12 buyers shaping Malta’s startup ecosystem

Capital meets innovation: 12 buyers shaping Malta’s startup ecosystem


Enterprise capital is a essential driver of innovation, and in recent times, Malta has carved out a spot for itself on the European map of startup funding. Its strategic location, worldwide enterprise hyperlinks, and government-backed initiatives have made the island an more and more engaging base for each founders and buyers.

The nation welcomes a number of occasions all year long to push innovation ahead, such because the Malta Startup Pageant occurring on 22-24 October 2025, which brings collectively founders, buyers, and ecosystem leaders to rejoice entrepreneurship, or the EU-Startups Summit, going down on the island for the third time in a row on 7-8 Could 2026, attracting Europe’s most promising startups and enterprise capital companies, reinforcing Malta’s rising status as a Mediterranean hub for creativity, expertise, and innovation.

On this article, we spotlight 12 buyers anchored in Malta which can be actively supporting native and worldwide startups. Their approaches range, however collectively they exhibit the rising maturity and world attain of Malta’s innovation financial system.

APEIRON

Apeiron Funding Group is the non-public funding agency of entrepreneur and investor Christian Angermayer. Headquartered in Sliema with groups additionally in New York, London, Berlin, and Abu Dhabi, the agency applies a world multi-strategy strategy with a main give attention to the US.

Apeiron invests each immediately in revolutionary corporations and as an anchor LP with minority GP stakes in rising asset managers, whose funds collectively handle round $5 billion in exterior capital. The group has a robust emphasis on life sciences, fintech, and frontier applied sciences, guided by a mission to assist daring founders and rising managers shaping a future the place expertise permits longer, more healthy, and extra fulfilling lives.

go-ventures

GO Ventures is the company enterprise arm of GO plc, Malta’s main telecommunications supplier with over 500,000 clients. Established to again technology-driven startups, the fund offers capital and strategic assist in alternate for fairness, specializing in revolutionary options that stretch past conventional telecom boundaries.

With the mission of “Serving to Nice Concepts Develop”, GO Ventures affords startups not solely monetary funding but in addition entry to deep sector experience and an in depth community of nationwide and worldwide contacts. By leveraging the infrastructure and sources of GO plc, it creates distinctive alternatives for founders to check, scale, and join with company companions throughout Malta and past.

growth-ventures

Progress Field Ventures is a Malta-based early-stage enterprise capital agency with a portfolio of over 57 corporations and 62 investments up to now, together with 5 profitable exits. The fund primarily invests at seed and pre-Collection A levels, specializing in fintech, private finance, gaming, and lead technology sectors the place Malta has world relevance.

Based by entrepreneurs with a monitor document of beginning, constructing, and exiting ventures, Progress Field affords way more than capital. Its hands-on strategy focuses on empowering administration groups by way of strategic recommendation, performance-driven steerage, and value-adding providers. By combining monetary funding with industrial perception, Progress Field Ventures helps formidable founders scale back dangers, speed up progress, and scale internationally.

Ikigai-Ventures

Ikigai Ventures was based by Maltese entrepreneur Eman Pulis, finest often known as the driving power behind SiGMA Group. The seed-stage fund invests globally, however with sturdy ties to Malta by way of its founder and LP base. Ikigai Ventures backs early-stage startups throughout gaming, fintech, and frontier applied sciences, in search of daring founders with the potential to reshape their industries.

Past capital, Ikigai helps founders with entry to tech hubs in Belgrade and Noida, a community of greater than 10,000 business contacts, and bi-annual mentorship retreats aligned with main SiGMA occasions. The group consists of skilled operators and buyers who present strategic steerage, working experience, and worldwide publicity to assist startups scale.

Malta-Enterprise

Malta Enterprise, the nation’s nationwide financial growth company and headline sponsor of the EU-Startups Summit, operates a spread of funding schemes that complement non-public funding. Its Begin-up Finance and Enterprise Begin programmes supply non-dilutive capital to early-stage companies, serving to them develop merchandise and attain market readiness. These devices are designed to fill gaps in conventional enterprise financing and scale back danger for each founders and co-investors.

Whereas not a VC agency within the conventional sense, Malta Enterprise performs an important position within the ecosystem by catalysing non-public funding. By reducing obstacles for younger corporations, it permits extra startups to achieve the stage the place they’ll appeal to enterprise funding, making it a cornerstone of Malta’s assist infrastructure.

Malta-VC

Launched in 2024, Malta Enterprise Capital (MVC) is a €10 million government-backed fund with workplaces in Sliema. Its mandate is to co-invest alongside non-public buyers in high-growth digital and technology-driven companies, offering the capital wanted to strengthen Malta’s innovation pipeline. Backed by Malta Authorities Investments, MVC represents a major step in formalising the native enterprise ecosystem.

The fund is sector-agnostic however has a robust give attention to technology-enabled options. By supporting startups at early levels, MVC goals to create long-term worth for the Maltese financial system whereas serving to corporations place themselves internationally. Its arrival has crammed a spot in Malta’s funding panorama and made institutional capital extra accessible to founders.

Optimizer-Invest

Optimizer Make investments is a enterprise capital agency based in Malta in 2012 by a bunch of Scandinavian IT entrepreneurs. The agency focuses on early-stage investments in on-line companies, together with fintech, digital marketplaces, and gaming-related ventures. With workplaces in Malta, Stockholm, and London, it combines capital with operational experience to assist founders construct scalable corporations.

Since its launch, Optimizer Make investments has revamped 25 investments, achieved three IPOs, and accomplished greater than 30 M&A transactions with over €1 billion in merger worth. Its portfolio consists of corporations reminiscent of Skilling, The Recreation Day, and different fast-growing digital companies, reflecting its give attention to creating long-term worth in technology-driven sectors.

PeakBridge

PeakBridge is a Valletta-based enterprise capital agency centered on FoodTech, investing from seed to Collection B in corporations creating scalable and protectable applied sciences throughout areas reminiscent of AI, elements innovation, and various proteins. The fund targets startups addressing main challenges within the world meals system, with local weather and well being influence on the core.

With a group unfold throughout seven international locations, PeakBridge combines FoodTech funding experience with deep operational and monetary expertise within the agri-food sector. As a member of the Edmond de Rothschild Non-public Fairness partnership, it really works carefully with main meals corporates, buyers, analysis institutes, and FoodTech hubs worldwide to assist portfolio corporations and drive systemic change in meals.

PEVCA

PEVCA Malta (Non-public Fairness & Enterprise Capital Affiliation – Malta) is the nationwide affiliation representing the nation’s non-public capital business, bringing collectively fund managers, direct buyers, institutional buyers, household workplaces, {and professional} service companies. Performing as a central hub for Malta’s non-public fairness and enterprise capital ecosystem, the affiliation promotes collaboration, data alternate, and sustainable progress whereas advocating for a regulatory framework that helps innovation and entrepreneurship.

Its members make investments throughout numerous sectors, together with startups, expertise, sustainable finance, and innovation, with examples reminiscent of TUM Make investments, which focuses on property growth, automotive, and healthcare. By fostering a stronger capital-raising tradition and serving as a bridge between buyers, founders, and policymakers, PEVCA Malta performs a key position in positioning the island as a sexy hub for personal funding and enterprise capital exercise.

QAMAR

Qamar Ventures is an funding initiative based by Alexandre Dreyfus, the entrepreneur behind blockchain and sports activities pioneers Chiliz and Socios.com. Primarily based in Malta, the agency plans to speculate €10 million to spice up the nation’s digital panorama throughout media, expertise, leisure, and sports activities. With over 20 years of expertise spanning expertise, gaming, and blockchain, Dreyfus brings a world perspective and a confirmed monitor document of innovation, together with constructing the world’s first Fan Tokens and a fan engagement ecosystem by way of Chiliz.

Qamar Ventures goals to “illuminate the long run” by backing transformative concepts and fostering innovation that bridges native and world markets. Its mission centres on driving Malta’s progress in digital industries by way of strategic investments, acquisitions, and partnerships, empowering the island’s entrepreneurial ecosystem whereas selling a digitally related and forward-looking financial system.

Ubunto-Ventures

Ubunto Ventures is a MedTech-focused funding initiative tied to MedTech World, the Malta-based world healthtech convention. The agency invests in startups creating revolutionary medical applied sciences, aiming to enhance affected person outcomes whereas additionally producing sturdy industrial returns. Its positioning inside MedTech World ensures that portfolio corporations profit from a large worldwide community.

By combining capital with entry to the broader MedTech World ecosystem, Ubunto Ventures creates visibility and progress alternatives for its startups. Its give attention to well being innovation makes it one among Malta’s few sector-specific buyers, serving to place the island as a participant in world healthtech.

VentureMAX

VentureMax Group is a Sliema-based funding agency centered on startups and disruptors within the iGaming sector. Based in 2016, the group combines capital with business experience to assist each early-stage ventures and established companies aiming to scale.

Along with investing, VentureMax develops its personal manufacturers and works carefully with portfolio corporations to drive progress in digital leisure and expertise. Its technique is centred on constructing the subsequent technology of iGaming leaders whereas strengthening Malta’s place as a world hub for the business.

By the best way: In the event you’re a company or investor in search of thrilling startups in a selected marketplace for a possible funding or acquisition, try our Startup Sourcing Service!



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