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Key people at Shape VC.
Shape VC functions as a Poland-based venture capital fund, investing in early-stage technology companies. The firm specializes in ventures leveraging hardware as a core solution or exhibiting substantial research and development focus. Shape VC provides seed and pre-seed capital, guiding companies from pre-traction through to product-market fit.
Maciej Frankowicz is a prominent figure associated with Shape VC, articulating the fund's strategic approach. The firm was established from the insight that significant early-stage potential exists within nascent technology companies requiring substantial R&D, especially in hardware and deep tech. This understanding led to its formation to support foundational innovations.
Shape VC partners with early-stage startups presenting compelling technological concepts, particularly in hardware-intensive or R&D-driven fields. The fund aims to nurture its portfolio companies through initial growth and development. Its long-term vision is to cultivate a vibrant ecosystem of innovation by identifying and backing crucial technological advancements from inception.
Key people at Shape VC.
Shape VC is a Poland-based venture capital firm founded in 2018, headquartered in Kraków, specializing in seed and early-stage investments up to €250,000 in startups with strong R&D components, particularly those leveraging hardware, IT, IoT, and deep tech.[1][2][4][5] Its mission centers on partnering closely with founders to scale ideas from pre-traction through product-market fit, targeting sectors like hardware startups, wearables, consumer electronics, embedded systems, automation, and robotics.[1][2][4] With 18 portfolio companies and a hands-on approach, Shape VC contributes to the Central European startup ecosystem by fueling innovation in hardware-intensive tech, bridging gaps in regions like Poland, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, and Belarus.[1][4]
Shape VC was established in 2018 in Kraków, Małopolskie, Poland, at Aleja 3 Maja 9, as a new VC fund focused on early-stage hardware-leveraging companies.[1][2][4] Key details on founding partners are not specified in available sources, but the firm has grown to around 4-5 employees, emphasizing deep tech and R&D-driven investments.[2][4] Its evolution has centered on hardware acceleration, IoT, and emerging technologies, expanding from a Poland base to support startups across Central and Eastern Europe, helping them achieve early revenue and prototypes.[4][5]
(Note: One source mentions San Francisco and London bases focused on tech/internet, but this conflicts with primary Poland-centric descriptions and appears less authoritative.[3])
Shape VC rides the wave of deep tech and hardware resurgence in Europe, where R&D-intensive startups in IoT, robotics, and automation address global demands for automation, edge computing, and sustainable tech amid supply chain shifts.[1][2][4] Timing aligns with CEE's rising startup hub status—Poland's tech scene booms with talent and lower costs—countering Silicon Valley dominance and capitalizing on EU funding for innovation.[4] Market forces like hardware shortages post-pandemic and IoT growth favor its thesis, while Shape influences the ecosystem by de-risking early hardware bets, fostering regional talent retention, and competing with giants like Andreessen Horowitz or Sequoia through niche expertise.[2]
Shape VC is poised to expand its 18-company portfolio amid CEE's hardware boom, potentially increasing deal flow via EU deep tech grants and IoT/AI convergence. Trends like edge AI, robotics scaling, and nearshoring will amplify its influence, evolving it from niche player to key bridge for European hardware founders seeking global traction—reinforcing its core promise of turning R&D ideas into market leaders.[1][4]
