Diversity in every deal: How AtVenture decides where to invest

People ask us all the time what AtVenture actually invests in, and how we make those decisions. The short answer is we invest with one principle:

Diversity in every deal.

That principle shapes the kind of companies we back, who we back them with, and how we get to a yes or a no. Here is what that looks like in practice, and why we built it this way.

What we invest in

Our investment thesis is deliberately specific: Europe-based startups; (pre) seed stage; open across sectors and business models, with no thematic restriction; founding teams, investor syndicates, or both that reflect diversity broadly across gender, background and geography; rounds typically under €1M; and businesses that do no harm to people or planet.

Note what is, and is not, in that list. We do not screen for one industry or one founder profile. We screen for two things: a stage where capital and conviction make a real difference, and a deal that broadens, rather than narrows, who gets funded.

How we decide

A thesis is only as good as the process that runs against it. Every investment we make goes through Investment Committees, structured in two layers. In our sector-focused committees, angels with relevant domain expertise assess opportunities first. Their input feeds into our general Investment Committee, where a broader group reviews the opportunity and makes the final call on which startups will pitch to the entire AtVenture Angels community. Deep expertise sharpens the diligence; broader perspectives stop us from over-indexing on what one room happens to find exciting in a given week.

Why this is also how we teach

This is the same process you go through inside the Angel Accelerator and the Angels Community. You do not just learn about investing; you actively go through the process of building your investor profile, evaluating real decks, asking real questions, and ultimately making real investment decisions together.

What this looks like for you

Join our free Introduction to Angel Investing & Q&A webinar. Or, if you already know this is the year, the June Angel Accelerator cohorts are now open — both online (16 June) and in-person (18 June). Both include a one-year AtVenture Angels membership, so you start participating in the community, the events and the dealflow from day one.