SMOK Ventures

What is SMOK Ventures?

SMOK Ventures is a U.S.-based venture capital fund with its headquarters located at ul.

Bohomolca 15, Warsaw, Poland. They specialize in investing in pre-seed and seed-stage startups, focusing primarily on entrepreneurs based in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the diaspora, with an intent to build future industry leaders in the software and gamedev space.

SMOK Ventures aims to bridge Silicon Valley to CEE, leveraging its experience as former founders to support startup founders in creating multi-million-dollar global software enterprises. Their investment range lies between $50,000 and $500,000, with a sweet spot of around $250,000.

Their primary industries of interest include Software (Web Marketplace SaaS, etc.), FinTech and Financial Services, Sales and Marketing, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data, Gaming and eSports, Analytics, Developer Tools, Future of Work, Human Resources, Nanotechnology, and Women-Focused ventures.

They are not interested in non-software startups or startups from outside the EU unless the founders are willing to set up in Poland.

SMOK Ventures has a philosophy of working with serial entrepreneurs who possess a history in the industry, a transparent and global mindset, and a deep understanding of their industry. Displaying a commitment to transparency and swift action, they express a preference for entrepreneurs with a proven leadership history, including both successful exits and failures, which they believe indicates potential for future success.

As part of their selection process, they look for a culture fit with SMOK, ensuring a fruitful and collaborative long-term partnership. Their portfolio showcases their diverse investments, emphasizing their belief in the CEE region's potential to produce the next generation of global billion-dollar startups.

80% of follow-on funding in their startups comes from Silicon Valley, Western Europe, and Asia, underlining their focus on global expansion and domination.

What they say:

Polish/American VC fund investing in early stage tech startups from CEE region.

What we look for: We invest in pre-seed and seed stage CEE-based startups building future industry leaders in software and gamedev space.

How we help: We’re a hands-off investor who gets involved when called for by the founders. Our founders mostly appreciate our help in fundraising and connecting them to people in our network around the globe. We’re best connected to the tech ecosystems in Silicon Valley, Asia, Western Europe, that’s why 80% of money raised by our portfolio companies comes from.