StartLabs

Investment decisions are led by General Partner Nebojša Veron, a serial software entrepreneur and CTO who draws on over 20 years of development experience across five technology startups. The firm lists two additional general partners with backgrounds in European technology investing and the Serbian Private Equity Association, though their names are not disclosed on the website. A wider mentorship panel from Google, 500 Startups, and Mithril Capital advises portfolio companies but does not appear to sit on an investment committee.

StartLabs sources primarily from the Western Balkans, with a focus on Serbia, by running events, workshops, and meetups featuring US-based guests to activate the local startup community. The firm's dual-office presence in San Francisco and Belgrade creates a physical pipeline connecting Southeast European founders to Silicon Valley networks. Its website frames this as a private-sector catalyst for an ecosystem it describes as embryonic.

StartLabs operates as a hybrid: it makes direct seed investments — up to $50,000 per company — but attaches a six-month residency program that includes office space, daily one-on-one mentoring, incorporation support, and legal setup. This residency requirement, combined with portfolio companies working physically alongside StartLabs partners, gives the fund an accelerator-like operational layer that extends beyond a typical capital-only early-stage fund.

StartLabs describes its entry point as helping startups achieve initial traction and reach a point where they can raise true seed rounds from other investors. The firm provides additional hands-on help after the six-month program as needed, but does not specify whether it reserves capital for follow-on participation. Its public materials emphasize introductions to Silicon Valley boosters, angels, and VCs for subsequent funding.

StartLabs invests exclusively in startups from Southeast Europe, with a clear operational footprint in Serbia and the broader Western Balkans region. Its dual-office structure — San Francisco for US investor access and Belgrade for on-the-ground sourcing and residency — reflects the firm's thesis that Balkan founders benefit from a bridging mechanism into Silicon Valley venture networks.