Geek Ventures

SXSW 2025 was an exciting time for Geek Ventures, with our team deeply involved in championing global entrepreneurship. One of the highlights was our Managing Partner, Ihar Mahaniok, speaking alongside Chris Do (Founder, The Futur?) and Han Shen (Founding Partner, iFly.vc) at Bridging Talent & Capital: The Future of Global Entrepreneurship, hosted by Born Global Community in partnership with Global Innovation Embassy. Key Takeaways: ? Investing in immigrant founders is a global advantage - Diverse perspectives lead to groundbreaking innovation ? Scaling beyond borders requires strategic networks - The right mentorship and investor connections can make all the difference ? Venture capital is becoming more global - Access to funding is expanding, but founders must be proactive in building relationships ? Breaking into major investment networks is possible - Even with zero connections, persistence, traction, and storytelling can open doors. Thank you to Dr. Sunny Shuoyang Zhang and Lucas Chaya del Pino for hosting this event, as well as partners Rent in TEX, Midwest House, Frontier Collective, Business Iceland, The Z Label, TechCrunch, Tech Ranch, Funded House, and TrueLeap Inc. Special thanks to Sarah Romanko, Elijah May, Lauren M. Postler, MSSW, Salvatore Grignano, Robert Pieroni, Christian (Chris) Mahoney, Willy Verbrugghe, Yang Cheung, Ariel Serber, Mabast Ahmad, Leonel Kachie Takoudjou, Thiago Pinto dos Reis, and Kinjal Kothari. SXSW continues to prove that global innovation thrives when talent meets capital. #VentureCapital #SXSW #Founders #Startups #Austin

We're excited to share that our Managing Partner Ihar Mahaniok will be re-joining the judges' table at The Feedback Loop on March 18th in NYC! If you haven't been, it's a live event where early-stage founders pitch their startups and get real, no fluff feedback from investors. No slides, no scripts- just straight talk on what works and what doesn't. Ihar will be on stage with Sherveen Mashayekhi, breaking down pitches and chatting with founders. If you're building something (or just love seeing how the startup world works), we hope that you will join us. RSVP here: https://lu.ma/lxs852l1 #VentureCapital #Startups #Founders #EarlyStage #NYC

Thank you to everyone who attended our side event during SXSW on March 8 in Austin! This curated event for founders and investors featured networking opportunities, along with a panel of outstanding speakers: ? Martin Tobias, Managing Partner of Incisive Ventures, has raised over $500M for companies where he served as CEO and invested in 70+ startups. He also backs renewable energy and tech through Element 8 and supports philanthropy via his family foundation. ? Nikos Iatropoulos, Managing Partner of IA Global Ventures, focuses on funding foreign-born entrepreneurs in the U.S. A serial entrepreneur, he previously led Rex Tech Ventures, scaled Kairos Ventures' assets fivefold, and has launched 10 tech companies. ? Dan Hnatkovskyy, CEO and co-founder of Jome, leads a marketplace for buying new construction homes, recently raising a $9.8M Series A. Originally from Ukraine, he was featured on Forbes 30 Under 30 Austin and previously exited Brainify B.V. ? Alyssa Padron, Program Manager at Village Capital, supports diverse entrepreneurs through accelerators and venture programs. She leads the US Women in Tech accelerator and the Resource program, helping startup founders and Entrepreneur Support Organizations grow. Moderated by Ihar Mahaniok, Founder and Managing Partner of Geek Ventures, our speakers discussed what makes immigrant founders uniquely positioned for success, shared how investors are backing the next generation of immigrant-founded startups, and provided tips for immigrant founders to overcome regulatory challenges. We couldn’t have hosted our Austin event without the help of EisnerAmper, Incisive Ventures, and Neuvation Ventures, and are looking forward to hosting more events like these! Photo Credits: Ahyeon C. #VentureCapital #Startups #Founders #Austin #SXSW

WOW. What an epic discussion at #BornGlobal! A massive THANK YOU to our incredible speakers Chris Do, Ihar Mahaniok, and Han Shen, the amazing Lucas Chaya del for organizing, and to everyone for joining us in person AND online. ?? On the rooftop - STAGE. ?? Off the chart - INSIGHTS. ?? Over the moon - MOMENTUM. Such a fun and powerful conversation tackling one of the biggest challenges to build the Future of Global Entrepreneurship: Bridging Talent & Capital, packed with personal insights and actionable advice! Here are some of the biggest takeaways: ?? Bonus of being foreign born: access to global talents in scaling Ihar Mahaniok shared the challenges facing #immigrant entrepreneurs such as lack of network connections, while highlighting their unique advantage to tap into global human capital based on his investment into 1oo+ startups including unicorns and a decacorn and 100x exits. ?? Superpower of turning adversities into opportunities: follow your calling Chris Do shared his personal evolvement and unconventional evolvement from student to an Emmy-winning designer and an educator empowering the next generation of creative entrepreneurs and leaders to achieve their full potential. ?? Underdogs and underserved markets: untapped billion dollar opportunities Han Shen highlighted why investors should look beyond the usual trends and into high-impact, underserved industries, just like his portfolio companies Weee! and UMe Tea expanding from ethnic to mainstream markets. ?? Shout out to Ariel Serber for facilitating the discussion online and to everyone who joined us from around the world on the TrueLeap Inc platform in the spirit of universal accessibility! ?? Thanks to our partners and supporters: Texas House Funded House Elijah May The Futur? Geek Ventures Sarah Romanko iFly.vc Jessica Sophia Wong Yorkseed Joshua Ness YJ Lin Robert Pieroni Jesse Martinez Ichan Stall Connie L. Luthy, PhD, MBA ?????? Jessica Bola?os ??This is not the end—it’s another beginning. Stay tuned for more valuable programs and meaningful connections! ?? Were you there with us? Drop a note and let's connect. ?? What was your biggest takeaway? Drop it in the comments! #GlobalEntrepreneurship #Innovation #VentureCapital #TrueLeap #Startups #Creatives Photo credit: ZAM Clicks Tao Hoang Sandip Bordoloi, Ph.D. Jessica Sophia Wong

Extremely excited to be invited on the Health Panel at Founder X gathering! I am humble to be sharing the stage with Martin Tobias (Managing Partner, Incisive Ventures), ?? Mercedes Bankston (Managing Director of Founder Institute Silicon Valley, Advisor at Loyal VC) and Sunil Sharma (VC Investor, Super Connector). Thank you Ferdinand Mühlh?user ?????? (MD at Founder Institute Germany) for being our moderator today! Truly an eventful day ahead!

?????? I'm THRILLED to invite you to our #BornGlobal #Austin event on 3/10 An EPIC Conversation on Talent, Capital, and Global Scale! Join us for a groundbreaking panel discussion during #SXSW at #TexasHouse with some of the most influential voices in venture, creative, and global startup growth: ?? Speakers: ?? Chris Do – Emmy-winning designer, entrepreneur, and founder of The Futur?. A master at building global creative communities. ?? Ihar Mahaniok – Managing Partner, Geek Ventures. Two 100x exits, early investor in a Decacorn. ?? Han Shen – Founding Partner, iFly.vc. Investor backing globally-born entrepreneures. ?? Welcome Remark: Lucas Chaya del Pino - Board of Director, Born Global Community; Owner, Rent in TEX ?? Host: Dr. Sunny Shuoyang Zhang - CoFounder and Board Chair, Born Global Community; Founder & Chief Evangelist, TrueLeap Inc. ?? March 10, 2025 | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM ?? 315, Lavaca St, Austin, TX (Texas House) Following the Investor Brunch at Funded House ?? Expect real insights, bold strategies, and powerful takeaways on: ? Challenges and opportunities facing immigrant & international founders ? How globally born entrepreneurs can scale beyond borders ? The investor’s playbook for funding global entrepreneurship ? Why education, mentorship & communities are key to startup success Shout out to Lucas Chaya del Pino for organizing! Thanks to our partners Funded House Global Innovation Embassy and so many more for the full blown celebration of Global Innovation Day! ?? Entrepreneurs, investors & innovators joining SXSW from all over the world—this is YOUR session! ??FREE event with Limited spots—RSVP now at the link in comments below to join the movement shaping the future of global entrepreneurship. Special thanks to Sarah Romanko Elijah May Lauren M. Postler, MSSW Salvatore Grignano Robert Pieroni Christian (Chris) Mahoney Willy Verbrugghe Yang Cheung Ariel Serber YJ Lin Mabast Ahmad Leonel Kachie Takoudjou Thiago Pinto dos Reis Kinjal Kothari #SXSW2025 #VentureCapital #Investment #Startups #GlobalInnovation #TrueLeap #TheFutur #GeekVentures #iFlyVC

Thank you to everyone who attended our NYC Founders & VCs meetup on February 25 in New York! This curated event of 100 highly selected founders and investors featured networking opportunities, along with a panel of outstanding speakers: ? Alex Iskold, Founder and Managing Partner at 2048 Ventures: Alex has been investing in Pre-seed startups for the past 7 years across the US at 2048 Ventures. In the past, he ran the Techstars NYC program for 5 years and invested in 100 startups, founded GetGlue – a leading social TV network, and founded Information Laboratory. ? Akriti Dokania, Partner at Ridge Ventures, investing in Seed and Series A revenue-first enterprise software companies: Previously, Akriti was an investor at Octopus Ventures and was part of the Deep Tech pod focusing on everything from AI/ML automation to Quantum Computing.? Prior to this, she built a B2B business focused on accounting in the retail space in India. Moderated by Ihar Mahaniok, Founder and Managing Partner of Geek Ventures, our speakers shared how they have built large successful companies while prioritizing impact. We couldn’t have hosted the Q1 installment of our regular NYC Founders & VCs Meetup without the help of Brown Rudnick LLP, and are looking forward to hosting more events like these! #VentureCapital #Startups #Founders #EarlyStage #NewYork

We’re so excited to share that MadeMeBuyIt has been acquired! We first invested in MadeMeBuyIt in 2023, and have loved seeing their growth over the past few years. Congratulations to Benjamin Kosinski and the rest of his team, as they join forces with Wayflyer. #VentureCapital #Startups #Founders #Acquisition #eCommerce

Join us at Geek Ventures’ Austin event: The Immigrant Founder Advantage - Investing in Global Talent! We just hosted an event in NYC with Alex Iskold (Partner, 2048 Ventures) and Akriti Dokania (Partner, Ridge Ventures), and are looking forward to another successful event in Austin. Immigrant founders outperform in venture-backed startups, yet they often face unique hurdles in fundraising, scaling, and navigating immigration policies. We’re bringing together top investors and immigrant entrepreneurs to discuss: ? What makes immigrant founders uniquely positioned for success ? How investors are backing the next wave of immigrant-led startups ? Fundraising strategies & overcoming regulatory challenges Date: March 8th from 5:00-7:45pm CST Location: Secret Venue a few miles from Downtown Austin Speakers: ? Ihar Mahaniok, Founder and Managing Partner of Geek Ventures; Seed Investor in Five Unicorns ? Nikos Iatropoulos, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer at IA Global Ventures; Serial Entrepreneur ? Dan Hnatkovskyy, CEO and co-Founder of Jome; $16.5M raised and 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 Austin ? Alyssa Padron, Program Manager at Village Capital; Worked with 100+ startups This is the event for those who are looking to tap into one of the most dynamic segments of the startup ecosystem. Spots are limited - apply to attend here: https://lu.ma/wmlt1te6 #SXSW #ImmigrantFounders #VentureCapital #Startups #Networking

= Speaker spotlight! = On Tuesday, 2/25, Akriti Dokania joins us on the panel, where we will be discussing building AI-first companies in 2025. Akriti is a Partner at Ridge Ventures, investing in Seed and Series A revenue-first enterprise software companies. Previously, Akriti was an investor at Octopus Ventures and was part of the?Deep Tech pod focusing on everything from AI/ML automation to Quantum Computing.?Prior to this, she built a B2B business focused on accounting in the retail space in India. Looking forward to this conversation. If you are an early stage investor, or a founder that raised at least $1M, join us in NYC on Tuesday - RSVP at https://lu.ma/xspvyhqj!