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.

Peter Loukianoff

Venture Partner and Chairman

16 past transactions

Style DNA

Pre Seed Round in 2023
Style DNA is a personal styling application aimed at helping individuals enhance their fashion choices and build confidence in their appearance. The app integrates the knowledge of expert image consultants with advanced AI technology to provide tailored fashion recommendations. By analyzing users' body types, style preferences, and current wardrobes, Style DNA offers personalized outfit suggestions and shopping assistance. This service allows users to effortlessly discover colors, patterns, and fabrics that complement their unique styles, fostering a more efficient and enjoyable wardrobe management experience. The platform is designed to be accessible at any time and from any location, making it a valuable tool for fashion-conscious individuals seeking to refine their personal style.

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 Ltd., established in 2012 and headquartered in London, specializes in international money transfers. It offers affordable, secure, and swift personal and commercial money transfer services, primarily targeting migrant workers sending funds to their families abroad. The company operates as a licensed and authorized payment institution, regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and supervised by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC). TransferGo charges a fixed fee per transaction, along with a currency conversion fee ranging from 0.6% to 1.5%. Its digital account-to-account business model enables users to transfer money overseas with same-day delivery, making it an efficient and cost-effective solution for both individuals and businesses.

Kriya Finance

Venture Round in 2021
Kriya Finance is a business finance company based in the UK, specializing in providing flexible financial solutions to businesses through an online platform. Established as the country's first online marketplace for trading invoices, Kriya Finance enables companies to access working capital efficiently. The platform supports a variety of businesses by facilitating quick financing options, allowing them to manage essential expenses such as payroll, supplier payments, and the launch of new products or services. With a focus on leveraging technology coupled with personalized support, Kriya Finance aims to empower business owners to save time and enhance their growth potential. Since its inception, the company has made significant contributions to the financing landscape, advancing substantial funds to businesses across diverse sectors.

Upgrade

Series E in 2021
Upgrade Inc., established in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco with additional offices across North America, operates an online lending platform that combines access to personal loans and the Upgrade Card with free credit education tools and monitoring services. The company aims to provide affordable and responsible credit solutions to mainstream consumers, offering products such as personal loans and a unique credit card designed for use at retail locations nationwide. Additionally, Upgrade offers mobile banking products and educational resources to help consumers understand and manage their finances effectively.

Style DNA

Seed Round in 2021
Style DNA is a personal styling application aimed at helping individuals enhance their fashion choices and build confidence in their appearance. The app integrates the knowledge of expert image consultants with advanced AI technology to provide tailored fashion recommendations. By analyzing users' body types, style preferences, and current wardrobes, Style DNA offers personalized outfit suggestions and shopping assistance. This service allows users to effortlessly discover colors, patterns, and fabrics that complement their unique styles, fostering a more efficient and enjoyable wardrobe management experience. The platform is designed to be accessible at any time and from any location, making it a valuable tool for fashion-conscious individuals seeking to refine their personal style.

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 operates a modern card issuing and payment processing platform that enables businesses to create customized payment solutions using open APIs. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Oakland, California, with an additional office in London, Marqeta's platform allows users to build, issue, and manage digital, physical, and tokenized payment cards. The company provides a range of services including virtual cards, real-time fund transfers, spend controls, and data analytics solutions. Marqeta serves various industries such as e-commerce, lending, on-demand services, and digital banking by offering flexible and scalable payment infrastructure. It is certified to operate in 40 countries globally.

Coursera

Series C in 2015
Coursera, Inc. is an online education platform that provides access to a wide range of courses offered by over 140 universities and organizations globally. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Mountain View, California, Coursera serves more than 20 million registered learners with over 1,000 courses spanning various fields, including arts, business, computer science, data science, and personal development. The platform enables users to engage with educational content through video lectures, interactive quizzes, and peer-graded assessments, promoting both career advancement and personal enrichment. Coursera operates through three segments: Consumer, Enterprise, and Degrees, with the majority of its revenue coming from individual learners seeking practical skills and professional certifications. The company aims to make education affordable, accessible, and relevant, leveraging technology and data to enhance the learning experience.

Petnet

Debt Financing in 2015
Petnet, Inc. is a company that specializes in intelligent pet care devices, focusing on innovative solutions to enhance pet well-being. Its flagship product, the SmartFeeder, is an advanced feeding system that allows users to remotely manage their pets' feeding schedules, portion sizes, and food dispensing through smartphones, tablets, or laptops. The device provides notifications regarding feeding times, meal confirmations, food inventory, and battery life, ensuring that pets receive appropriate nutrition. In addition to the SmartFeeder, Petnet offers a pet analytics platform designed to help caregivers monitor and understand their pets' eating habits. Founded in December 2012 and based in Los Angeles, California, Petnet operates as a subsidiary of Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. as of June 2015.

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 e-books and audiobooks in Russia, commanding over 60% of the market share. Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Moscow, the company offers a vast catalog of approximately 260,000 e-books, including both licensed content and free titles. LitRes provides its services through various platforms, including mobile applications for iOS, Android, and Windows, ensuring accessibility across different devices. The platform attracts more than 1.5 million unique visitors each month, facilitating the purchase of over 150,000 e-books regularly. LitRes is recognized for its robust digital infrastructure and user-friendly experience, making it a key player in the Russian and CIS e-book market.

Moe Delo

Series C in 2013
Moe Delo is an online accounting software company that primarily serves the Russian market. It specializes in providing small and medium-sized businesses with comprehensive online accounting and tax services, complemented by professional consulting. The company focuses on automating bookkeeping processes, which helps entrepreneurs and micro-businesses efficiently generate financial reports and obtain expert accounting advice. By streamlining accounting tasks, Moe Delo aims to enhance the financial management capabilities of its clients, allowing them to concentrate on their core business activities.

Moe Delo

Series B in 2012
Moe Delo is an online accounting software company that primarily serves the Russian market. It specializes in providing small and medium-sized businesses with comprehensive online accounting and tax services, complemented by professional consulting. The company focuses on automating bookkeeping processes, which helps entrepreneurs and micro-businesses efficiently generate financial reports and obtain expert accounting advice. By streamlining accounting tasks, Moe Delo aims to enhance the financial management capabilities of its clients, allowing them to concentrate on their core business activities.
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