Investment Focus
what we’re looking for?

Ticket size:
EUR 0.5 - 1.0 M
initial investment, with capacity for follow-on

STAGE:
Seed - Series A

Geo:
Central Europe

Vertical:
Enterprise Software, Industrial Tech, Sustainable Transformation

What excites us?
Founders with global ambition, deep domain knowledge, and the grit to build enduring companies. We love working with teams that think cross-border from day one and are eager to leverage our US and Japan networks to scale internationally.

FAQ

Who is ff Red & White?

ff Red & White is a Central Europe-focused venture capital fund backed by strategic corporate investors from Japan. We invest in companies developing differentiated technologies across industrial tech, enterprise software, sustainable transformation, and healthcare. Our investment team consists of experienced professionals from the US, Poland, and Japan, bringing deep cross-cultural expertise to every partnership.

What are you looking for when investing in startups? What are your investment criteria?

We back founders who think globally from day one and have the ambition to scale internationally. We look for startups building technologies that offer clear advantages over existing solutions—whether in cost, performance, or user experience. The founding team should have unique insights derived from deep domain expertise or firsthand experience with the problem they're solving. While we invest early, we still seek evidence of market demand, such as strong user engagement, pilot customers, or other pre-revenue signals of product-market fit.

Do you have specific geographic preferences?

We primarily focus on startups based in Central Europe, particularly in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Germany, and Austria. We also consider investing in founders from the region who are part of the diaspora.

What is your typical ticket size? What are your target stages?

Our initial ticket size ranges from EUR 500k to EUR 1m. We primarily target seed and Series A stage companies, but we can also consider investing in Series B and beyond for the right opportunities. We also keep meaningful reserves to support our portfolio companies with follow-on investments as they scale.

Do you lead investment rounds?

Yes—we can lead or participate in funding rounds depending on the opportunity and our conviction level. We've led or co-led approximately 50% of the rounds we've joined; in other cases, we've taken on supporting investor roles.

How do you support your portfolio companies? What makes your support unique?

Beyond the standard support VCs offer, we offer support tailored to international expansion. With offices in New York and Warsaw, and deep relationships with leading corporates in Japan, our support includes: – Introductions to potential customers across key markets – Operational guidance for market entry and scaling, particularly into Japan – Strategic partnership and business development support.

What makes ff Red & White different from other funds?

Three things stand out: – Our team and LPs span Poland, Japan, and the US—we specialize in taking European technologies global. -- We bring real commercial relationships with Japanese blue-chip companies, which can be transformative for the right startups. -- We don’t invest to chase trends. We back companies with deep tech or domain moats and the potential to lead globally in their category.

Do you invest in hardware or capital-intensive startups?

Yes, selectively. We are comfortable with hardware and capital-intensive models where there’s clear product differentiation, defensibility, and a path to high margins or significant strategic value. We’ve backed robotics, advanced wireless, and energy systems startups, and understand the nuances of scaling these types of companies.

What’s your process like—from first meeting to investment?

We aim to move efficiently. Typically, our process includes an initial conversation, followed by a deeper dive into the team, product, traction, and vision. We’ll usually bring in our extended network for diligence, particularly if we see potential for strategic partnerships. When conviction builds, we move quickly. A full process can take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks depending on round dynamics.

Investment Focuswhat we’re looking for?

FAQ

Investment Focus
what we’re looking for?