SMRK VC

What they fund

• Seed and Series A IT startups with $0.5–$1.5M single investments. [1]
• B2B and B2C tools for business and everyday use with obvious consumer value. [1]
• Products aimed at the global market with clearly formulated purpose. [1]
• Projects the team can understand and that fall within its IT competence. [1]

Investment thesis

SMRK VC is a Ukrainian venture fund investing in IT startups with obvious consumer value, focusing on seed and Series A rounds for global-market products. [1]

• Backs IT products at seed and Round A stages, investing $0.5–$1.5M per deal. [1]
• Targets ideas aimed at the global market that are genuinely important to consumers. [1]
• Prefers B2B and B2C tools for business and everyday use with clear, surface-level value. [1]
• Works only with professional teams that know their project inside out and resonate with the fund. [1]

Credibility: The fund's own site states its stage focus, cheque size, and selection criteria directly.

Value add

SMRK works alongside founders rather than replacing them, leveraging the team's own startup experience to help implement IT ideas. [1]

Fit verdict: Best for professional IT founders with a clear, globally-oriented product who want a hands-on but not controlling partner.

Founder diligence script:

• How do you define 'obvious consumer value' for my specific product? [1]
• What does your follow-on support look like after the initial $0.5–$1.5M? [1]
• How do you handle projects that evolve beyond your initial understanding? [1]

Portfolio focus

• Competera — AI-based software for price optimization. [1]
• Superorder.io — platform for traders. [1]
• Apostera — augmented navigation software for car HUDs. [1]
• Carbominer — hardware startup extracting CO2 from atmospheric air. [1]
• Deus Robotics — warehouse robotics for logistics. [1]

Notable investments & exits

• iblazr — brand created by a SMRK partner, sold worldwide in Apple Store. [1]

Strategic implications

SMRK's edge is its founder-led credibility in IT and a clear, narrow thesis that filters for global consumer value. Its main risk is the strict 'we must understand it' criterion, which may exclude adjacent or emerging tech. A signal that would change the read is evidence of follow-on capacity beyond the initial $0.5–$1.5M cheque.

Where they could go further

• Consider broadening the 'understanding' criterion to include adjacent AI or climate tech where consumer value is emerging. [1]
• Publish a clearer follow-on policy to attract founders needing Series B support. [1]
• Highlight specific value-add metrics (e.g., hiring, GTM) to differentiate from other seed funds. [1]