Black River Ventures

Black River Ventures is a venture capital investment firm based in Barcelona, Spain, founded in 2013. The firm focuses on supporting passionate entrepreneurs who are building innovative companies that have the potential to disrupt their industries. Black River Ventures primarily invests in early and growth stage technology companies in Europe and the United States, particularly within sectors such as financial services, data analytics, artificial intelligence, software, IoT, and related services. With a keen interest in the European market, which boasts an online audience of over 400 million, the firm seeks to partner with visionary teams that aspire to become industry leaders. Black River Ventures aims to provide smart capital for long-term growth by drawing on the collective experience and expertise of its team.

Loukianoff, Peter N.

Venture Partner and Chairman

16 past transactions

Style DNA

Pre Seed Round in 2023
Style DNA is a personal styling app created to empower millions of people around the world to look and dress with confidence. The Style DNA pocket stylist encompasses all aspects of personal styling, wardrobe management and shopping assistance — guiding users to discover what colours, patterns and fabrics would best suit them. It does this by combining the expertise of world-renowned image consultants with cutting-edge AI technology to offer personalized fashion recommendations in an instant, at any time and in any place.

Vesttoo

Series C in 2022
Vesttoo Ltd is a financial technology company based in Tel Aviv, Israel, founded in 2018. It operates an artificial intelligence-driven platform that serves as a marketplace for non-catastrophe insurance-based risk transfer and investments. The platform enables the transfer of risk between insurance companies and institutional investors, providing innovative insurance-linked investment opportunities for asset managers. By facilitating risk transfer to the capital markets, Vesttoo offers insurers a cost-effective and efficient alternative to traditional reinsurance, with the capacity to handle a variety of Life and Property & Casualty insurance risks. Its proprietary AI technology streamlines processes such as deal structuring, risk modeling, and index calculation, while also enhancing liquidity in the insurance market. Vesttoo collaborates with industry leaders to create transparent and data-driven reinsurance transactions and has been recognized in various prestigious fintech accelerators. The company's team comprises professionals with expertise in financial engineering, technology, and risk management, further strengthening its position in the market.

TransferGo

Series C in 2021
TransferGo is a global money transfer company that provides a cost-effective solution for migrant workers to send money to their families abroad. By employing a digital account-to-account business model, it allows users to transfer funds internationally without incurring unnecessary bank fees. The company operates as a licensed payment institution, ensuring secure transactions under the supervision of relevant financial authorities. TransferGo’s platform enables users to make transfers at significantly lower costs compared to traditional banks and cash bureaus, often with same-day delivery. The service charges a fixed fee for transfers and a currency conversion fee ranging from 0.6% to 1.5%, making it an attractive option for both individuals and businesses looking to pay suppliers internationally.

Kriya Finance

Venture Round in 2021
Kriya is the new name for MarketFinance. The company is a fintech platform that provides access to payments, credit, and working capital through seamless integrations and instant credit decisions. Founded in 2011, Kriya has helped businesses collect over £20 billion in B2B payments, and advanced over £3 billion worth of credit through working capital and business loans. Kriya is backed by Barclays, Santander InnoVentures, European venture capital fund Northzone (invested in Klarna, iZettle, and Trustpilot), private equity group MCI Capital (also invested in iZettle, Azimo, and Gett), and Viola Credit.

Upgrade

Series E in 2021
Upgrade, Inc. is an online lending platform based in San Francisco, California, with additional offices in Phoenix, Montreal, and Chicago. Founded in 2016, Upgrade provides access to personal loans and the Upgrade Card, offering consumers affordable credit options. The Upgrade Card combines the benefits of traditional credit cards with the responsible lending characteristics of installment loans, available at numerous retail locations in the U.S. In addition to lending services, Upgrade offers free credit monitoring, alerts, and educational tools designed to help consumers understand and manage their finances effectively. By combining financial products with educational resources, Upgrade aims to promote responsible credit use among mainstream consumers.

Style DNA

Seed Round in 2021
Style DNA is a personal styling app created to empower millions of people around the world to look and dress with confidence. The Style DNA pocket stylist encompasses all aspects of personal styling, wardrobe management and shopping assistance — guiding users to discover what colours, patterns and fabrics would best suit them. It does this by combining the expertise of world-renowned image consultants with cutting-edge AI technology to offer personalized fashion recommendations in an instant, at any time and in any place.

nu3

Venture Round in 2016
nu3 GmbH is an online retailer specializing in nutritional food, health supplements, fitness, and beauty products. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Berlin, Germany, the company also provides nutritional advice and maintains a blog offering technical tips and guidance. nu3 features a diverse range of products, including its own branded items and those from other brands, catering to consumers interested in functional foods for weight management, sports nutrition, and overall health. The platform aims to consolidate various health products into a single marketplace, making them accessible and affordable for customers. Additionally, nu3 operates a subsidiary in São Paulo, Brazil, further expanding its reach in the health and wellness sector.

Marqeta

Series C in 2015
Marqeta, Inc. is a payment card issuing and processing platform that enables businesses to create and manage customized payment solutions. Founded in 2010 and based in Oakland, California, Marqeta offers a range of services, including virtual cards, real-time fund transfers, and spend controls, all powered by open APIs. This flexibility allows clients from various sectors, such as e-commerce, digital banking, and lending, to rapidly develop and deploy their own card programs without relying on traditional banking infrastructure. Marqeta's platform supports various payment options, including digital, physical, and tokenized cards, and is certified to operate in 40 countries. The company primarily earns revenue through processing and ATM fees associated with the cards issued on its platform.

Coursera

Series C in 2015
Coursera, Inc. operates an online education platform that partners with over 140 universities and organizations globally, providing access to more than 1,000 courses across various fields, including business, computer science, data science, and arts. Established in 2012 and headquartered in Mountain View, California, the platform serves over 20 million registered learners, offering courses that facilitate career advancement and personal development. Coursera's offerings include video lectures, interactive quizzes, and peer-graded assessments, making education accessible to individuals worldwide. The company's business model encompasses three main segments: Consumer, Enterprise, and Degrees, with the majority of its revenue generated from the Consumer segment, which caters to individual learners seeking practical skills and certifications.

Wine in Black

Series C in 2015
Wine in Black GmbH is an online retailer specializing in premium wines, including red, white, champagne, sparkling, rosé, and sweet varieties. Founded in 2011 and based in Berlin, Germany, the company aims to cater to wine enthusiasts by offering a curated selection of wines sourced directly from top winemakers. This direct cooperation allows Wine in Black to provide customers with access to unique and antique wines at competitive prices. As of December 31, 2019, it operates as a subsidiary of Viva Wine & Spirits Ab.

nu3

Venture Round in 2014
nu3 GmbH is an online retailer specializing in nutritional food, health supplements, fitness, and beauty products. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Berlin, Germany, the company also provides nutritional advice and maintains a blog offering technical tips and guidance. nu3 features a diverse range of products, including its own branded items and those from other brands, catering to consumers interested in functional foods for weight management, sports nutrition, and overall health. The platform aims to consolidate various health products into a single marketplace, making them accessible and affordable for customers. Additionally, nu3 operates a subsidiary in São Paulo, Brazil, further expanding its reach in the health and wellness sector.

Talentory

Series B in 2013
Talentory is an international recruitment platform that facilitates connections between employers and recruitment agencies, as well as talent management suppliers. Launched in 2009 and based in Zurich, Switzerland, the platform enables employers to specify their hiring criteria and publish job openings across a network of specialized recruitment agencies. Employers have the flexibility to choose which agencies to collaborate with, allowing them to source candidates through approved partners. By streamlining the recruitment process, Talentory aims to help companies efficiently find suitable candidates and expand their teams with minimal hassle.

LitRes

Series A in 2013
LitRes is a leading online retailer of Russian language e-books and audiobooks, holding over 60% of the market share in Russia. Founded in 2005 and based in Moscow, the company offers a vast catalog of approximately 260,000 titles, including both licensed and free e-books. LitRes distributes its content through various mobile applications compatible with iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and other platforms, making its services accessible to a wide audience. With more than 1.5 million unique visitors each month, the platform facilitates the purchase of over 150,000 e-books, catering to the diverse reading preferences of its users.

Moe Delo

Series C in 2013
Online accounting SaaS company focused on Russian market. Provides small and medium businesses with online accounting and tax services, supported with professional consulting.

Moe Delo

Series B in 2012
Online accounting SaaS company focused on Russian market. Provides small and medium businesses with online accounting and tax services, supported with professional consulting.
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