14Peaks Venture capital firm based in Switzerland secures €28 million its first fund in capital commitments from an impressive consortium of limited partners (LPs), which include family offices in the US and Europe and well-known High Net Worth Individuals (HNIWs).
Founded in 2022 by Edoardo Ermotti, the fund's lone General Partner (GP), 14Peaks makes early investments in B2B SaaS firms (pre-seed to series A), with a focus on Fintech and the Future of Work.
The group now has 11 firms in its portfolio and is already making investments from its first fund. These include, among others, the finance and accounting platform FlowFi, the US-based HR/payment platform Rain, and the Swiss-based data collaboration business Tune Insight.
14Peaks is intent on investing in proprietary technology that has the potential to forge strong, defendable moats. This is during a period when artificial intelligence (AI) is still transforming the B2B landscape at a rapid pace and creating a race between established and new founders to be the first to harness the power of this new technology to business operations.
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In light of this, 14Peaks' focus on Fintech and the Future of Work is broad, encompassing everything from payment software and fraud detection to process automation and data sharing.
The goal of most venture funds is to raise money from as many limited partners as they can. Edoardo Ermotti approached fundraising in a different way. In 2019, he started making investments as a business angel prior to starting 14Peaks. He has helped more than 25 businesses to far and has made thoughtful limited partner investments in funds.
He also picked up experience at a London-based mid-market private equity business. Later, he moved to a family office, first located in Switzerland and then in the US, where he led and developed the early-stage investment business.
Edoardo Ermotti, founder of 14Peaks Capital said: “When I started 14Peaks Capital, I wanted to shake things up in how GPs and LPs work together. I’ve been on the LP side before, spoke to many GPs, and knew there was room for a different approach,” continuing with: “Each of the investors supporting 14Peaks is globally successful in their own right, giving our portfolio founders access, through us, to this curated hub of extensive experience and networks.”
Han Sahin, the co-founder of a Netherlands-based cybersecurity company, Threatfabric, that 14Peaks invested in last year, said: With a base in Europe and a vast network in the US, the fund also helps companies expand beyond their domestic markets whether venturing overseas from the EU to the US or across Europe. “14Peaks has been an incredibly supportive investor. Ever since we met them, the team has rolled up their sleeves and been very hands-on and proactive in transforming us into an organisation that can truly scale in an emerging market.”
Edoardo Ermotti, added: We’re looking forward to diving back in and supporting our founders as they chase their visions. In the past year, we’ve already seen positive changes in our portfolio companies, and we’re confident we can do even more as we expand our platform. Our hands-on approach and the power of our extensive network, fuelled by our tight GP-LP interactions, make us believe we’ll keep making a real impact for our founders in the years to come.”
Over the next few years, 4Peaks hopes to grow its portfolio from its initial fund to a total of 25 enterprises. Edoardo Ermotti and the team's primary goal in the meantime is continuing to concentrate on proving the effectiveness of their special model—not just to their LPs but also, and this is very important, to their founders.
About 14Peaks
14Peaks is an early-stage investor in US and European B2B SaaS firms. Fintech, Proptech, and Future of Work are the three main industries that SaaS focuses on.
From pre-seed to Series A, 14Peaks works as a partner with entrepreneurs, offering ongoing assistance in the form of funding, operational engagement, network access, and strategic counsel along the growth path.