We see our investments as long-term partnerships - Michal Sikyta, Soulmates Ventures

Michal Sikyta is a Managing Partner at Soulmates Ventures, a VC fund and accelerator investing in sustainable innovations across Europe. They backs founders with a global vision and strong drive who are developing solutions to tackle major challenges across areas such as air, water, energy, the circular economy, food and agriculture, mobility, education, and healthcare. Among others, they have invested in eAgronom - we previously interviewed the startup’s CEO, Robin Saluoks.

For Michal and his team, sustainability must be deeply embedded in a startup’s business model, not treated as an add-on. Equally important is the founder’s mindset: they look for individuals who combine a strong vision with the ability to listen, adapt, and execute effectively.

“We see our investments as long-term partnerships, working closely with founders to help them scale their business successfully. Our acceleration programme is one of the ways we do this. It is available exclusively to our portfolio companies, not mandatory, but hands-on and focused on delivering tangible value, reflecting the entrepreneurial background of our core team.

We focus primarily on Seed and Series A stages, with initial tickets of up to €3M and total exposure of up to €5M through follow-on investments.”

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Clarity, he adds, is essential, regardless of how complex the solution might be. Founders must be able to communicate their ideas in a simple and compelling way. This, in his view, is what makes a pitch stand out:

“You need to be able to explain it clearly — what exactly it is, what problem it solves, and why it should be interesting for a VC fund. A strong pitch should convince us that you are building a real must-have solution, have assembled an outstanding team, and have a credible strategy for scaling and succeeding globally.”

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At the same time, he notes that confidence can sometimes tip into overconfidence, a trait that can quickly turn investors away:

“Founders need to show drive and conviction in what they are building, but the ability to reflect critically and listen is not a weakness. This does not happen that often, but when overconfidence appears, it can quickly close the door with some investors.”

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When it comes to investment decisions, Michal emphasizes that they do not see sustainability and profitability as competing priorities. Instead, they look for opportunities where the two reinforce each other:

“We focus on solutions where the two go hand in hand. Thus, for us, the most compelling opportunities are those where addressing a real sustainability challenge is directly linked to strong commercial potential.

From our portfolio, for example, Rightcharge is simplifying EV charging for businesses and accelerating the transition to electric mobility, while Antiverse is advancing next-generation antibody discovery and improving the efficiency and success rate of drug development. These are very different industries, but in both cases, strong commercial potential is directly linked to solving meaningful, real-world challenges.”

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Sustainability, he adds, is not a one-off assessment. Instead, it is an ongoing process that evolves alongside the company. To ensure real impact, the team works closely with founders to track progress, manage risks, and continuously refine their approach as the business scales.

“This also brings value to the company itself, helping founders better steer the company, increase transparency, and build trust with customers and partners.

As an Article 9 SFDR fund, we operate within a comprehensive and structured sustainability framework. Thus, our process starts with evaluating each startup’s alignment with clearly defined sustainability objectives, as well as its scalability and economic viability, followed by dedicated due diligence, and continues with ongoing monitoring after the investment.

Each portfolio company must contribute to a specific environmental or social objective and demonstrate that it does not cause significant harm in other areas. We track this through a combination of defined KPIs, including Principal Adverse Impact indicators, and broader value creation metrics linked to recognised frameworks such as the SDGs and IRIS+.”

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Looking ahead, Michal is particularly excited about developments in the energy sector, which he describes as both dynamic and full of opportunity:

“Personally, I find the ongoing developments in the energy industry particularly interesting. It is a very dynamic and, at times, turbulent space that brings diverse opportunities for startups.

We are seeing strong momentum across areas such as energy supply, storage, grid flexibility, demand management, and optimisation, often enabled by digital and AI-driven solutions. 

At the same time, AI is not only a tool in this space but also a driver — its rapidly growing energy consumption is increasing pressure on existing infrastructure and accelerating the need for more efficient and resilient energy systems. This includes, for example, better use of distributed energy resources, smarter grid management, and new approaches to balancing supply and demand.

I am convinced that sustainable innovations will play a central role in shaping this industry, particularly in the context of ongoing geopolitical instability.”

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In a landscape shaped by multiple overlapping challenges, including geopolitical instability, the rapid advancement of AI, and increasing climate pressures, Soulmates Ventures places strong emphasis on the founders behind the startups:

‍“In particular, their drive, skill set, and ability to navigate a changing and uncertain environment, both today and in the future. At the same time, we look closely at the defensibility of the solutions and how companies build and maintain a competitive edge in such a landscape.”

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Finally, we asked Michal to share one piece of advice for founders building impact startups in Europe today:

‍“If Europe wants to remain relevant globally, we need bold founders tackling sustainability challenges, now more than ever. Don’t get discouraged by the complexity and uncertainty of the current environment. Crises always bring opportunities — identify them and act on them. We are ready to back you as a long-term partner!”

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Thank you, Michal Sikyta!