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Key people at Curiosity Partners.
Curiosity Partners was founded in 2021 by Alek Vernitsky (Co-founder & Managing Partner).
Curiosity Partners is an independent creative solutions agency based in Cincinnati, Ohio, that provides integrated strategy, creative, media, and analytics services to a variety of corporate clients. The firm operates under a traditional agency services model, generating revenue through long-term client retainers and project-based marketing campaigns. The agency develops advertising initiatives for various consumer brands, maintaining a client roster that includes recognizable names such as Procter & Gamble, Native, Roto-Rooter, and Baby Brezza. As of 2021, the organization maintained a workforce of approximately 50 employees and expanded its operations by securing 10 new enterprise clients during the previous year. The firm restructured its leadership team at the start of 2021 by elevating three senior executives to equity partners to support its ongoing operational growth. Curiosity Partners was founded in 2010 by Matt Fischer and Greg Livingston.
Curiosity Partners was founded in 2021 by Alek Vernitsky (Co-founder & Managing Partner).
Key people at Curiosity Partners.
Curiosity Venture Capital is an Amsterdam-based venture capital firm founded in 2021 that invests in early-stage, AI-first B2B software companies across the Benelux, Nordics, and Baltics regions.[1][2][4][5] Its mission centers on backing ambitious, diverse teams that apply AI, machine learning, and data technologies to create value for businesses and society within four key socio-economic themes: Trusted Society (LegalTech, Privacy, Cybersecurity), Sustainable Living (PropTech, Energy, ClimateTech), Future of Work (Enterprise SaaS, HRTech, DevOps), and Future of Commerce (Fintech, Marketing & Sales Automation, Logistics).[2][4] The firm's investment philosophy emphasizes community-driven support, targeting companies with proven product-market fit and positive customer traction, while providing hands-on operating assistance through a network of expert advisors and portfolio founders who co-own the fund.[1][2][4]
Curiosity has raised €26 million toward a €30 million target for its debut fund from 75 LPs, including high-net-worth individuals, tech entrepreneurs, and Dutch government backing via the RVO Seed Capital initiative; it has deployed €8 million into 10 companies across six countries, with portfolio firms securing €16 million in follow-on funding and achieving a net IRR of 31% in 1.5 years.[2] This track record positions Curiosity as an emerging player in European VC, amplifying its impact on the startup ecosystem by fostering AI innovation in high-growth Northern European tech hubs.[2][3]
Curiosity Venture Capital was founded in 2021 by Herman Kienhuis and Maurice Beckand Verwee, two experienced operator-investors with backgrounds in technology and healthcare investments, having executed over 50 early-stage deals across North America and Europe.[1][3][5] The firm emerged amid rising AI adoption, evolving from a focus on data-driven innovation to a specialized thesis on AI-first B2B software that addresses pressing socio-economic challenges.[1][4] Key early traction included rapidly raising €26 million from a diverse LP base of 50 high-net-worth individuals, 25 tech entrepreneurs, and public funding, enabling €8 million in deployments to 10 portfolio companies like Strise.ai, Orq.ai, Deeploy, and BeCause within 1.5 years.[2]
The fund's community model—where advisors and portfolio founders become co-owners—reflects the founders' hands-on ethos, drawing from their operator experience to provide pragmatic support beyond capital.[1][2][4] This evolution has solidified Curiosity's footprint in thriving hubs like the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.[3]
Curiosity stands out in the competitive European VC landscape through these key strengths:
Curiosity rides the AI-first software wave transforming B2B sectors, capitalizing on Europe's regulatory edge (e.g., EU data standards) and Northern tech hubs' talent density amid U.S. competition.[1][2][4] Timing is ideal post-2023 AI boom, with market forces like enterprise AI adoption, sustainability mandates, and digital work shifts favoring its themes—its portfolio exemplifies LLM Ops (Orq.ai) and AI experimentation tools driving efficiency.[1][2] By investing €8 million across six countries and catalyzing €16 million follow-ons, Curiosity influences the ecosystem as a bridge-builder, empowering diverse founders, amplifying regional AI scaleups, and proving high returns (31% IRR) in a tough market to attract future capital.[2][3]
Curiosity is poised to close its €30 million fund and expand into 20-25 investments, leveraging its 31% IRR and LP momentum to launch follow-on vehicles amid sustained AI demand.[2] Trends like agentic AI, regulatory-compliant GenAI, and socio-economic shifts (e.g., climate tech, cybersecurity) will shape its trajectory, with its community model scaling influence across Europe.[1][2][4] As Northern hubs mature, Curiosity's operator-led approach could evolve it into a category leader, humanizing VC while delivering outsized returns—echoing its debut success in demystifying AI for societal good.[2][4]
