investments in Europe’s leading B2B technology scale-ups

• Smartfin closes its fifth fund (and third growth fund) at its €250m target.
• Backers of the new fund include returning private and institutional investors as well as new ones, including for the first time the European Investment Fund through its ESCALAR program.
• The new fund enables the firm to double down on investing in Europe’s most promising B2B technology companies, with now more than €600m in total investment commitments.
• Two recent investments with the new fund, dubbed Smartfin Capital III, have already been announced: CrazyGames and Emma.

Brussels, Belgium – 9 January 2025: Smartfin, a leading growth equity investor in European B2B technology companies, has successfully closed its third growth fund at its €250 million target.

This fund marks a significant milestone for the firm, with an introductory participation of the European Investment Fund (EIF) through its ESCALAR program to address the financing gap experienced by European high-growth companies.

The closure of its third growth fund brings Smartfin’s total investment commitments to over €600 million, only a decade after its founding in 2014.

The successful fundraise, notably in challenging market conditions, underscores the trust and confidence of both new and returning investors in Smartfin’s investment strategy and track record.

The new fund, dubbed Smartfin Capital III, will focus on growth-stage B2B technology companies across Europe, furthering Smartfin’s commitment to supporting transformative tech scale-ups that drive innovation and deliver long-term value.

Smartfin has already made its first two investments with the new fund: CrazyGames (a global browser-based casual gaming platform) and Emma (a leading multi-cloud management platform designed to streamline and optimize cloud infrastructure).

A Proven Track Record of Success

Smartfin Capital III is the firm’s fifth fund, building on the success of its two early-stage funds (Smartfin Ventures I & II) and two prior growth funds (Smartfin Capital I & II). In the past decade, Smartfin has established itself as a key player in the European tech ecosystem, with a portfolio of innovative companies that span multiple sectors.

Notable active and past investments across its funds include Deliverect, a leading provider of food delivery integration software; Bright Analytics, a consolidated management reporting platform;  Recharge, a global one-stop-shop branded payments platform; Hex-Rays, a specialist in reverse engineering software; Zivver, a secure communications platform for email, video and file sharing; Silverfin, a cloud-based platform transforming accounting workflows acquired by Visma; Theo Technologies, a global leader in video streaming technology acquired by Dolby; Newtec, a pioneer in satellite communications acquired by ST Engineering; and UnifiedPost, a publicly listed fintech company revolutionizing invoicing and payments for SMEs.

For more information on our portfolio, please visit https://smartfinvc.com/portfolio/.

These investments demonstrate Smartfin’s ability to identify and support exceptional growth companies, helping them scale and succeed in competitive markets. Smartfin’s approach combines strategic guidance, operational expertise, a long-term view and access to an extensive network, ensuring that portfolio companies are well-positioned to achieve their growth ambitions.

“This successful fundraise reflects the strength of our team and the confidence our investors place in us.” said Jürgen Ingels, Founding Partner of Smartfin. “The partnership with EIF, through the ESCALAR program, is an international quality stamp that reaffirms our commitment to backing exceptional entrepreneurs and fostering innovation in Europe’s B2B technology ecosystem. We are excited to continue building on our strong track record and scaling the next generation of tech leaders.”

EIF Partnership: A Stamp of Quality

The inaugural participation of the EIF in Smartfin Capital III through its ESCALAR program represents a significant endorsement of Smartfin’s investment philosophy and performance.

ESCALAR, established by EIF to provide growth financing to high-potential funds and companies, will enable Smartfin to expand its impact and support more promising ventures across Europe, while at the same time providing a stepstone in further institutionalizing its operations.

“Investing in scale-ups and technology is not just about fostering innovation; it’s about empowering the next generation of leaders who will drive Europe’s economic growth and global competitiveness. With Smartfin we want to support an innovation ecosystem where European technology companies and entrepreneurship can thrive,” commented Marjut Falkstedt, EIF Chief Executive.

About Smartfin

Smartfin is a European venture and growth capital investor, managing over €600 million in investment commitments and investing in early and growth-stage B2B technology companies. Smartfin has an open-ended investment philosophy and invests throughout Europe. Smartfin’s team combines a successful venture capital and private equity investment track record with extensive operational experience in setting up, building, and managing leading international technology companies. This differentiates Smartfin as an experienced and entrepreneurial, truly hands-on and value-added partner to its portfolio companies. For more info, please visit https://www.smartfinvc.com.

About EIF

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is part of the European Investment Bank Group. Its central mission is to support Europe’s micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by helping them to access finance. The EIF designs and develops venture and growth capital, guarantees and microfinance instruments which specifically target this market segment. In this role, the EIF fosters EU objectives in support of sustainability, innovation, research and development, entrepreneurship, growth and employment. For more info, please visit https://www.eif.org/index.htm.