Lighthouse Ventures

🏆 They did it! QurieGen wins the RAISE Summit 2026 in Paris! 🚀

Out of more than 1,500 AI startups globally, our portfolio company QurieGen has officially taken home the top prize at "RAISE the Stakes," powered by Google for Startups and Google DeepMind!

After advancing from the Top 100, to the Top 10, and finally pitching live on the Master Stage in the Top 3, QurieGen secured the #1 spot.

This is a massive global validation of their groundbreaking work. QurieGen is building a revolutionary TechBio platform—using AI Virtual Cell models and proprietary single-cell multi-omics data to push the boundaries of drug discovery.

We are incredibly proud to back this team and are looking forward to see what comes next! 👏

We are thrilled to share that our portfolio company, QurieGen, has been selected as one of only two startups to advance to the Super Finals on the main stage at the prestigious RAISE Summit in Paris!

Competing in the highly selective Google & Google DeepMind track, the team successfully advanced from over 1,000 initial applicants into the Top 10, and now into the final two. This is a massive validation of QurieGen's groundbreaking work in AI-driven drug discovery.

The final pitch takes place on the main stage tomorrow. Huge congratulations to the entire team on this remarkable milestone!

We’re proud to share that Edmund, one of our portfolio companies, has successfully raised €2.5 million to further expand its AI-powered debugging platform for industrial maintenance. ⚙️

Edmund is tackling a critical challenge in manufacturing—helping teams diagnose and resolve machine issues faster, reduce downtime, and preserve operational know-how through AI.

This milestone will support their international growth and continued product development, bringing smarter maintenance solutions to more industrial players across Europe. 🌍

Congrats to the Edmund team on this important milestone. 👏

Full article 👉:

Czech startup Edmund raises €2.5 million to expand its AI debugging platform for industrial maintenance | EU-Startups Edmund, an Ostrava-based startup developing an AI-powered debugging platform for industrial maintenance, has raised €2.5 million in funding to support

On April 21–22, 2026, the Wolves Summit will take place in Warsaw — and Lighthouse will be there.

Looking forward to connecting, sharing ideas, and meeting great people from across the ecosystem. If you’re attending, let’s meet!

https://www.wolvessummit.com/

🔥 Spaceti is making waves with Nvidia!

Imagine asking AI for company recommendations… and it picks a Czech startup that ends up landing a contract with one of the world’s biggest tech giants 🤯

That’s exactly what happened to Spaceti 👇
Their technology now helps manage and optimize Nvidia’s office spaces—and the collaboration is expanding globally.

👉 Another proof that Czech startups have true global potential 💪

Read the full story:

Doporučil je ChatGPT. Český startup získal zakázku od technologického obra Nvidie Někdo od ní chce tipy na rychlou večeři, nejhodnotnější společnost světa požádala umělou inteligenci, aby jí navrhla firmy, které mohou zlepšit fungování

We’re incredibly proud that our portfolio company FaceUp and the entire team behind it have achieved an outstanding milestone.

FaceUp won 1st place in the EY Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 in the Czech Republic. 🏆

This recognition reflects years of hard work, vision, and determination from the founders and the whole team. It’s inspiring to see their journey and the impact they continue to create.

Huge congratulations to Jan Sláma, David Spunar, Pavel, and the entire FaceUp team. We’re proud to be part of your story and excited to see what comes next. 🚀

More in the LinkedIn post.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/janslama_ey-za%C4%8D%C3%ADnaj%C3%ADc%C3%AD-podnikatel-roku-2025-activity-7435228672543997952--x4W/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAABSkUEABnjMersLFNXDSb5pNmWCh2JppVdU

We’re proud to share exciting news from one of our portfolio companies.

FaceUp was listed as one of the top GRC vendors in G2’s 2026 awards! 🏆

Out of 1,703 products in the category, FaceUp ranked #29 based on verified customer reviews — a strong validation of the team’s hard work and the value they deliver to customers.

Congratulations to the entire FaceUp team on this fantastic achievement! 👏

Best Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Products for 2026 | G2 Looking for the Best Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Products for 2026? G2’s annual Best Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Products list is here to help you make the best decision for your business.

🚀 Registrations for SWEET & SALTY AI are now open!

A program designed for AI startups with a working prototype, where you’ll gain expert feedback, join a bootcamp powered by Unicorn Attacks, and get access to the Zurich AI Festival.

And that’s not all — the team with the highest potential will receive a €10,000 investment.

⏰ Don’t miss this opportunity! Apply by February 21 at 👉 www.ickk.sk

A warm welcome to our new Head of the Advisory Board 🎉

We’re excited to welcome Damir Špoljarič as the new Head of the Advisory Board for startup activities at Lighthouse Ventures.
Damir is an entrepreneur through and through – he built Vshosting from the ground up and successfully led it to an acquisition by an international investor. 🚀 🌍 💡 He also brings extensive experience in building data centers, cloud services, and investment projects both in the Czech Republic and abroad.

Now he’s bringing his know-how to us – and we’re looking forward to seeing how far we can take the startup scene together! 🤝

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Lighthouse Ventures Invests in Ranketta — Helping Brands Thrive in the Era of AI Search

We’re excited to announce our investment in Ranketta, a fast-growing AI platform that helps e-commerce and D2C brands measure and improve how their products are represented across AI-driven search and shopping experiences. Ranketta has just raised €1 million in a pre-seed round, led by Lighthouse Ventures with participation from Gi21 Capital.

🚀 Why we invested in Ranketta
- AI search is transforming consumer behaviour: Up to 50% of consumers already use AI search to make purchasing decisions, and 44% now rely on it more than traditional Google search.

- A major visibility gap for brands: While most brands invest in SEO, very few understand how their products appear in AI-generated answers. Ranketta addresses exactly this blind spot.

- Unique technology with immediate value: Ranketta measures brand visibility across tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and emerging AI shopping engines, providing actionable insights on how to improve rankings and product discovery.

- Early traction proves the need: Within just two months of launch, over 20 European brands are already using Ranketta, and the company is generating early revenue — a clear sign of strong market demand.

https://tech.eu/2025/11/27/ranketta-receives-eur1m-to-improve-ecommerce-brand-performance-in-ai-search/