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Key people at Hi5.
Hi5 was founded in 2016 by Anurag (Anu) Nigam (Co-Founder & VP of Marketing).
Hi5 is a software application based in Newark, Delaware, United States, designed to enhance company culture by measuring and promoting employee appreciation, goals, and overall happiness within organizations. The platform provides managers with comprehensive tools to track these critical metrics, enabling them to proactively foster a positive and productive work environment. Operating within the human resources and employee engagement software sector, Hi5 offers targeted solutions for companies seeking to improve internal dynamics and boost overall employee satisfaction. The organization currently maintains an employee count between 50 and 99 individuals, reflecting its operational scale and development capacity. Its reported annual revenue falls within the range of $1 million to $5 million, indicating its established market presence in the competitive HR technology space.
Key people at Hi5.
hi5 Ventures is a Kyiv-based venture capital firm specializing in early-stage tech companies from Eastern Europe, particularly Ukraine, with a $15M fund size and a hands-on approach to empower startups through capital, strategic guidance, and access to Tier-1 EU/US investors.[1][2] Its investment philosophy prioritizes "People first. Money second. Execution – always," focusing on founders who demonstrate honesty, revenue-generating potential, and strong execution while avoiding poor partners; it targets Pre-Seed, Seed, and Pre-A stages in sectors like B2C, SaaS, Apps, EduTech, AI/ML, Security, eSports, and AdTech.[1][2] With over 10 years of VC experience, $20M+ previously invested, 2 prior funds, and 10 successful exits, hi5 significantly impacts the Eastern European startup ecosystem by bridging local talent to global networks, including 50+ accelerators, 1000+ CEOs, 300+ experts, and 100+ mentors.[1][2]
Founded by General Partners Andrew Kryvorchuk and Leon Podobedov, hi5 Ventures draws on the team's extensive backgrounds in entrepreneurship, advisory, and portfolio management, backed by more than 10 years (and up to 15 years per some sources) in venture capital investments.[1][2][3] The firm emerged from their cumulative experience launching 2 previous VC funds and investing over $20M in startups, evolving its focus to early-stage Eastern European tech, especially Ukrainian seed-stage companies, amid regional growth in tech innovation.[2][3] Key pivotal moments include building a global partnership ecosystem and achieving 10 successful exits, solidifying its hands-on model.[1]
(Note: References to a separate "hi5" social network from older funding data in [4] appear unrelated, as it matches a distinct entity with $49M raised by 2011 and no VC firm characteristics.[4])
hi5 Ventures rides the wave of Eastern Europe's tech boom, particularly Ukraine's resilient startup scene in AI/ML, SaaS, Security, and Web3, fueled by talented engineers, lower costs, and post-2022 global interest in diversified sourcing beyond traditional hubs.[2][3] Timing aligns with increasing EU/US appetite for non-Western talent amid geopolitical shifts, enabling hi5 to leverage its Kyiv base for deals like Slise's Web3 ads and SOC Prime's threat detection.[2] Market forces favoring it include proven regional exits and hybrid remote models, while hi5 influences the ecosystem by funneling local MVPs to international scaling, reducing founder isolation, and promoting revenue-first models in high-growth verticals like AdTech and eSports.[1][2][3]
hi5 Ventures is poised to expand its $15M fund's impact through more Pre-A deals in AI/ML and Security, capitalizing on Eastern Europe's undervalued talent amid global VC rotation toward emerging markets.[1][2] Trends like Web3 integration (e.g., Slise) and AI-driven SaaS will shape its trajectory, potentially leading to a third fund and additional exits as portfolio firms like NarrativeBI and DeckRobot hit scale.[2] Its influence may evolve by deepening EU/US bridges, fostering a new generation of global Eastern European unicorns—reinforcing its core mantra of execution-first empowerment for early-stage builders.[1]
Hi5 was founded in 2016 by Anurag (Anu) Nigam (Co-Founder & VP of Marketing).
