Czech Investment Manager Orbit Capital Launches €100 Million Fund To Back Tech Companies

The fund aims to support tech companies in Central and Eastern Europe that are often overlooked by traditional banks.

Key investors in this round include the European Investment Fund (EIF), Česká Spořitelna, and the Rentea pension fund (part of Partners Group). Smaller investors can also join through Conseq. This second fund builds on the success of Growth Debt I, which raised €40 million.

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Orbit Capital partner Radovan Nesrsta, had the following to say: “Our firm has introduced Venture Debt – a new type of funding for our region that is attractive to young, fast-growing companies as well as already mature companies that do not yet meet the conditions for traditional bank financing.

“Venture Debt financing is up to four times cheaper for Founders and their investors than if they had to dilute their shares again. Our investors will also benefit: the portfolio of the first fund shows that we can deliver a return of 15%, combined with robust downside protection.”

In addition to its debt fund, Orbit Capital also manages the Growth Equity I fund, which currently includes two unicorns in its portfolio. Across its funds, Orbit provides growth-stage companies with funding between €3 million and €10 million.

“I am pleased that we are bringing this innovative concept to the pension fund company, which will allow our clients to invest in a new and interesting way that was previously only available to a limited group of wealthy investors. In this way, we are fulfilling one of Partners’ visions, which is to make financial products accessible to all clients without distinction and to simplify them,” says Petr Borkovec, director of the Partners Group.

Since its founding, Orbit Capital has been led by venture capital investor Radovan Nesrsta. The core team also includes partners Lukáš Macko, Wiktor Namysl, and Jerzy Rozlucki. The firm operates out of offices in Prague, Czechia, and Warsaw, Poland.

“We are providing crucial support to Orbit Capital in its mission to provide alternative financing to innovative companies in Central and Eastern Europe,” says EIF Chief Executive Marjut Falkstedt. “This investment will not only provide much-needed financing to SMEs and small Mid-Caps but also promote innovation, contributing to the region’s economic growth and competitiveness.”

Orbit Capital has invested in 15 Central European companies through its venture debt fund. Notable investments include Czech online supermarket Rohlík, FinTech app Twisto, fraud detection startup ThreatMark, AI-driven call center platform CloudTalk, and Slovak-based yacht rental platform Boataround.

“Through this fund, we aim to provide indirect access to venture debt for companies and startups that may not qualify for traditional bank loans but show strong innovation potential and promising business models. We believe this investment also contributes to the broader goal of supporting the second economic transformation – a strategic effort to enhance the long-term competitiveness of the Czech economy,” added Jan Seger, Director of Financing and Advisory at Česká Spořitelna.

The debt fund mainly supports companies that have already built a solid reputation and are either generating or nearing positive cash flow, but still aim to accelerate their growth. According to Orbit Capital, the strong performance of its first fund played a key role in attracting major institutional investors to back its continued journey.

Lukáš Macko, who became a partner at Orbit Capital last year, added the following: “For the second fund, we plan to follow a strategy that will apply what we learned from the first. Although venture debt is a common way of financing fast-growing technology companies in Western markets, we are a pioneer in our region. During the first five years, we managed to build a venture debt infrastructure from the ground up and also the trust of company founders. In the second fund, we will use these foundations to help as many companies as possible.”

About Orbit Capital

Founded in 2019, Orbit Capital is a venture capital firm focused on supporting technology scaleups. With its first fund, Growth Debt I, the firm helped investors back young tech companies while filling a key gap in debt financing often faced by startups in Central and Eastern Europe.