Roosh Ventures, renowned for investing in technology startups across the globe, has entered Sifted’s ranking as the only Ukrainian representative. It took 43rd place in the list of the 50 best investors and lenders in France and the Benelux. This is the first and only case when a Ukrainian player has managed to enter such a prestigious list.
In addition, three of the fund’s portfolio companies — Folk, Gladia and Alma — entered the selection of the region’s most dynamic startups. This was stated by impact investor, Roosh Ventures co-founder, technology entrepreneur Serhiy Tokarev.
How the Fund Entered the Sifted List
Sifted, a European media outlet that covers technology ventures and startups, looks closely at the venture capital market and innovation news, and also compiles authoritative rankings of fast-growing companies. When evaluating a player, the assessment checks the impact of a player on the development of the local ecosystem, the intensity of completed deals, and the quality of the portfolio.
All three companies recognised by Sifted operate in different niches:
- Folk creates a next-generation CRM that gives control over business relationships to people themselves, rather than algorithms.
- Gladia develops AI infrastructure for transcription and speech analysis.
- Alma is scaling a powerful payment platform with a focus on responsible consumption.
“Ukrainian portfolio companies and a venture fund have made it to the best. This means that the place of registration is no longer a decisive factor for the competitiveness and scaling of venture capital. Most of the positions were earlier given to local funds, which makes the presence of Roosh Ventures something that stands out from the rest,” says Serhiy Tokarev.
The investor is confident that the venture fund’s approach to selecting projects is what ensured this result.
“What happened is not a coincidence. It cannot simply be referred to as a line in a ranking. We made it to the top 50 investors from France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg: this proves that venture funds from Ukraine are already playing in Europe’s top league,” adds the co-founder of Roosh.
The recognition of Roosh Ventures and its three portfolio companies reflects a broader trend: homegrown investment and technology teams are increasingly competing with their Western peers. For a businessman who operates in the field of technology, business, and social impact, the placement of his venture fund in a European ranking is evidence of the correctness of the strategy, not an end in itself.