About us
Founded in 2016 as the venture capital arm of UNIQA Insurance Group, UNIQA Ventures is a return-driven, independent financial investor. Our initial investments range from EUR 0,5m to 5m, with the strong intention to deploy follow-on investments. Today we are proud to consider ourselves as one of the most active VC funds in the CEE region.
Entrepreneurial Spirit
We understand entrepreneurial challenges, embrace innovation and constantly strive to supporting each portfolio company.
Domain expertise
We provide in-depth industry knowledge in FinTech, InsurTech and Digital Health.
Strong network
UNIQA Ventures has built a strong portfolio with exceptional founders and is well-connected to major European VC players and exit partners. Beyond that we offer an exceptional insurance industry network.
Independent investor
We are a return-driven venture capital investor.
Uniqa Ventures
UNIQA Ventures is a return-driven, non-strategic venture capital investor with the single LP to the fund being UNIQA Insurance Group. Our portfolio, currently consisting of more than 40 tech startups and two unicorns, has seen 8 exits since 2016.
Backed by a strong financial investor we are a small but dedicated entrepreneurial team on a mission to provide smart growth capital. Our investment comes with the additional benefit of deep domain know-how in Financial Services, Insurance and Healthcare as well as a strong network in our core markets of Austria/DACH region and central and Eastern Europe (CEE).
Our Investment Focus:
- Target Verticals: FinTech, InsurTech, Digital Health
- Target Stages: Series A and beyond (early growth stage)
- Target Geography: Europe incl. CEE
- Business Models: Embedded Finance Solutions; mainly B2B or B2B2C, selectively proven B2C models
MEET THE UNIQA VENTURES TEAM
There is a digital revolution taking place right now and neither the insurance business nor any other sector is going to stay the same - and that‘s just fine!Andreas Nemeth
Andreas is an entrepreneur, innovator and the CEO & managing partner at UNIQA Ventures GmbH, the venture capital fund backed by UNIQA Insurance Group AG, with a clear vision to pioneering corporate venture capital investing in CEE.
He invests in a wide range of technology companies including InsurTech, FinTech and Digital Health and is also on the board of Finabro and bsurance as well as a founding partner of Health Hub Vienna, a HealthTech Accelerator program focusing on digital health startups.
Andreas’s prior career experience spanned both startup and public companies, including Netway AG, caibon.com / CA~IB, brokerjet / Erste Group and Allianz Group. He joined UNIQA in 2011, as Head of Group Controlling in charge of group-wide strategic planning, performance and cost management and M&A transactions. In 2016 he was announced Head of Group Strategy & Innovation to drive radial innovation through venture capital investments and startup cooperation.
Andreas holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration and a PhD from University of St. Gallen, Switzerland and received executive training from Harvard Business School.
Christoffer Dejaco joined UNIQA Ventures as in September 2023.
Christoffer holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Vienna University of Economics and Business and completed the MSc double degree program between Copenhagen Business School and Bocconi University in Economics and Management of Innovation and Technology.
During a six-month internship at KPMG Austria, Christoffer gained valuable management consulting insights focusing on financial advisory. Prior, he completed an internship for an Austrian self-storage company, where he supported the operational team. Throughout various university projects, Christoffer collaborated with start-ups from different disciplines, where he contributed to their growth journeys.
In his spare time, Christoffer challenges himself in multiple sports disciplines and enjoys spending time in nature.
Martin Komnacky joined UNIQA Ventures in October 2023.
Martin holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Vienna University of Economics and Business and a master’s degree in international political economy from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
Before joining UNIQA Ventures, he worked as an economic analyst for the European Commission, where he drafted economic reports and macroeconomic forecasts. Martin has also gained a first insight into venture capital through working as a venture scout for First Momentum Ventures, a German pre-seed fund specializing in deep tech sectors, and did several internships in the sphere of banking, insurance and development finance.
In his spare time, Martin enjoys playing tennis, hitting the ski slopes in the Austrian Alps and travelling.
Camilla joined UNIQA Ventures’ investment team in November 2023 as an Investment Associate, with a primary focus on FinTech, InsurTech, and Digital Health.
Before joining the team, Camilla served as the product owner of Market Data at Bitcoin Suisse, a leading Swiss crypto startup. Her professional experience further encompasses process automation and optimization, gained at Roche Diagnostics and a Portuguese hospital. During her studies, she immersed herself in safety and risk analyses in rocketry with the Academic Space Initiative Switzerland (ARIS) in Zurich. Additionally, she delved into brain data analyses within the field of psychedelic-assisted therapy at the Swiss startup Reconnect. This diverse background naturally fueled her fascination with venture capital and startups, ultimately leading her to UNIQA Ventures.
Camilla holds a BSc in Mechatronics/Robotics, obtained an MSc in Biomedical Engineering in Austria and Portugal, and pursued a secondary Master’s degree in Neural Systems and Computation at UZH/ETH in Zurich, Switzerland.
In her spare time, Camilla enjoys hosting dinner parties, mountain biking, and playing tennis.
Veronika joined UNIQA Ventures team in February 2024, stepping into the pivotal role of Office Manager. She is primarily responsible for ensuring smooth day-to-day office operations, enhancing team satisfaction, collective cooperation, and orchestrating memorable team events that bolster team spirit.
Before gracing Ventures team, Veronika garnered a wealth of experience across diverse industries. She served as a trusted Personal Assistant to a prominent executive in the real estate sector in Vienna. Additionally, her journey also led her to Sofitel the Palm Dubai, where she honed her skills in customer satisfaction and quality management, contributing to the esteemed reputation of the establishment. Besides, she brought her experience to La Tour Hotel in England, assuming the role of Team Leader and guiding her team with finesse and dedication.
Veronika holds a Bachelor´s degree in Business and Multicultural Psychology, a testament to her commitment to understanding the intricacies of human behavior and cultural diversity. Her academic background has equipped her with a unique insight into navigating complex business processes while fostering inclusivity and understanding among individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Veronika finds joy in culinary exploration, delighting in the creation of new recipes to share it with friends and family during lively gatherings.
She also derives immense joy from tending to the needs of her three sons, as well as caring for her beloved cats and dog.
Carlo Cozzi joined UNIQA Ventures in April 2024. Carlo holds a bachelor’s degree in International Economics and Management from Bocconi University and completed a MSc double degree program between Vienna University of Economics and Business (where he gained a MSc in Strategy Innovation and Management Control) and University of Technology Sydney (where he gained a Master in Business Administration).
Driven by a passion for innovation and emerging technologies he is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence at Johannes Kepler University in his spare time.
During a one-year working experience at iubenda, Carlo, as a intern first and as a junior business analyst later, gained valuable insights in the finance controlling realm, creating reports, analyzing data, and identifying opportunities for financial and operational improvement. Prior, he completed an internship at BOYY, a luxury brand, where he supported the finance team.
Throughout various university projects, Carlo collaborated with consulting companies and strategy departments from corporates operating in different fields.
In his spare time, Carlo enjoys reading, hiking and cooking with friends.
Albert joined Uniqa Ventures as Investment Analyst in 2021 and focuses on investments in the FinTech, InsurTech and Digital Health verticals.
Before joining Uniqa Ventures, he worked at Robeco, where he invested in sustainable, publicly traded companies within the IT and Consumer Staples sectors.
Albert also gained experience in mergers and acquisitions at i5 Invest and Heal Partners, where he was involved in multiple M&A and fundraising transactions in the DACH and CEE regions. Apart from his investment analyst and investment banking roles, he also spent time as a business developer at a Rotterdam-based eCommerce software startup.
Albert holds a Master’s of Science in Financial Economics from Erasmus University Rotterdam.
In his spare time he likes bouldering, playing guitar and playing chess.
What drives me is empowering game changers and being a reliable and hands-on partner in the value creation process.Georg Ioannidis
Georg is managing partner at UNIQA Ventures GmbH, the venture capital fund backed by UNIQA Insurance Group AG.
He invests in tech-driven late seed and early growth companies in the FinTech, InsurTech and Digital Health space and is member of the supervisory board of Twisto Payments and in the advisory board of Eversports. Georg is a travel enthusiast with strong analytical background and entrepreneurial mindset.
Before setting up UNIQA Ventures, Georg gained hands on experience in international sales development and M&A projects across the CEE region as manager and executive assistant to the CSO at UNIQA International AG. He developed into a senior management role focusing on sales strategy and sales performance management for the international business of UNIQA group. Before joining UNIQA, Georg had worked in Munich at Siemens AG in the field of portfolio and technology management and multinational sales.
Georg graduated from Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, Austria, with a master in International Business (Commerce) focusing on finance / investment banking and international commercial law. In a PhD program at Institute of Management at University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, he specialized in strategy, systemic management and organizational design and was a repeat member of the preliminary jury to the St. Gallen Wings of Excellence Award.
Bori is an international venture capitalist from Hungary who joined UNIQA Ventures in 2022 as an investment manager. Her focus at the fund will be primarily on investing in innovative health tech companies.
Before joining UNIQA Ventures, she worked closely with start-ups and investors as an investment manager at Speedinvest and Hiventures, an EUR 300 million Budapest-based fund.
Bori holds an MBA from CEU Business School, she also studied international relations and business management at Corvinus University of Budapest and Nottingham Trent University in the UK.
In her free time Bori enjoys spending time with her young son and discovering new culinary places in Vienna.
Lukas Steindl joined UNIQA Ventures’ investment team in June 2022.
His focus in the fund will be scouting and investing in promising Fintech, Insurtech and Digital Health companies.
Lukas holds a business degree from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. The focus within his Master in Business Innovation studies were startup and technology entrepreneurship with a thesis on Corporate Venture Capital.
Lukas already gained professional experiences at the venture capital fund of Raiffeisen Bank International, Elevator Ventures, and at the strategy consulting firm Accenture.
In his spare time, Lukas enjoys playing tennis, race biking and exploring new wineries.
Before joining UNIQA Ventures in June 2022, Martina has spent 5 years at VICF – M&A advisory in Prague. There she supported and later managed projects in different industries (including tech) and became well versed in deal execution, transaction negotiations and relationship building with founders and CEOs. Martina is a graduate from Copenhagen Business School with a MSc degree in Advanced Economics and Finance. Since start-ups and the tech industry in general have always been her passion, Martina also acted as a start-up mentor and adviser at several notable incubators in Prague. After University, she started her career as innovations specialist working at the crossroads of tech and finance at Booking.com in Amsterdam.
Martina also co-founded a YMCA chapter in her home country, which is a non-governmental, non-profit organization focused on youth empowerment. The organization today employs two employees, is powered by a strong team of volunteers and serves more than hundred young people in the area of their personal and professional development. For this work, Martina was awarded as the Next Generation Woman Leader by McKinsey in 2016.
In her free time Martina loves to spend time in nature, experiment with healthy cooking in the kitchen, play the piano and learn new languages.
Kevin joined UNIQA Ventures in July 2022. Prior to his role as Investment Manager he has been working in Berlin as a M&A Senior Associate at IEG, a leading international tech investment banking boutique specialized in mergers and acquisitions, financing and investments.
Before that he gained thorough experience as M&A Analyst/Associate at Clairfield International, a corporate finance firm that specializes in cross border mergers and acquisitions. Kevin also acted as Entrepreneur in Residence at Eversports, one of the most popular SaaS solutions and marketplaces for sports providers and the booking of sports activities. He holds a MSc degree in Financial Management from Utrecht University with a specialization in Entrepreneurial Finance as well as a BSc in Business Economics from Vienna University of Economics and Business. In his free time, Kevin loves to go hiking, skiing, ski touring and learning new things.
Andrew James
Finance and Operations LeadAndrew is Finance and Operations Lead at UNIQA Ventures GmbH. In his position, he oversees all the funds financial topics spanning controlling, reporting and regulations, as well as day to day operations.
Before joining UNIQA Ventures, Andrew has gained profound hands-on experience in the startup world with completely building up the Finance department as Head of Finance and Controlling at Adverity GmbH, while also leading it through 3 successful series (B-D); with a total funding of 136 Mio. EUR.
Andrew has additional corporate experience from Erste Bank and OMV, with positions that included Risk and Controlling respectively.
Andrew graduated from University of Calgary with a focus on Finance and has continued his education with the completion of all three levels of the CFA examination.
In his personal life, Andrew is passionate about raising his son, bouldering, and cycling.
Careers
UNIQA Ventures is looking for a Visiting Analyst (all genders)
Unsolicited Application – Venture Capital Fund (all genders)
The UNIQA Group
is one of the leading insurance groups in its core markets of Austria and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). With approximately 40 companies in 18 countries, the UNIQA group serves about 16 million customers.
Through the combination of UNIQA and Raiffeisen Versicherung, as the two strongest insurance brands in Austria, the insurance group holds a strong position in the CEE Markets.
EUR 6 bn
revenues
16 m
customers
18
countries
UNIQA Ventures GmbH
Company address
Untere Donaustrasse 21
1020 Vienna, Austria
Office address
Praterstrasse 1, Space 13
1020 Vienna, Austria
FN: 373721 s
Handelsgericht Wien