Backing top founders before the world finds them.
We invest pre-seed to Series A in exceptional founders from tech-rich but undervalued ecosystems - and land them in Silicon Valley. 30 years in the Valley, 20 on the ground at home.
Sourced through our Labs · De-risked through our Studios · Scaled by the Fund
What our startups have done. Quietly, for over a decade.
Our startups generated more revenue, raised more investment, won entry into more top accelerators and produced more exits than all the larger (mostly government-sponsored) programs in the CIS … combined.
Global talent is everywhere. Capital and big markets are not.
This gap is our alpha. I8GV solves this cross-border inefficiency. We are venture capital for a multipolar world.
Breakout technology companies are not exclusive to Silicon Valley. 50% of founders of leading U.S. startups are born outside the U.S. - even higher for unicorns.
Talent-dense regions with leading scientific traditions and tech education (like the CIS) are undervalued due to smaller markets, valuations, exits and less efficient capital.
The limiting factor is not innovation - it is access, translation and trust.
Fund × Labs × Studios = a persistent alpha engine.
We meet companies earlier, de-risk them properly and help them scale. By the time we invest, we already know the company - and they know us.
Often the first institutional capital. If we can't lead, we help find the right lead and build the syndicate.
We see companies 12-36 months before traditional funds, and invest before valuations reflect global potential.
Global category leaders emerging from undervalued ecosystems.
At least $5K/month for the past 6 months, or strong user growth (>15% m-o-m).
Existing clients in the home market that prove problem-market fit and validate the technology - or a truly unique deep tech.
A view of the market they plan to enter (western <> BRICS) and how the product maps onto it. Near the moment of global inflection.
Strong engineering or scientific foundations - AI, data / fintech infrastructure, developer tools, deep tech.
Our startups know hardship and are resilient. Strong technology and early traction with significantly lower capital requirements.
Curious, interesting, well-travelled, extremely smart. Our relationships are for life, not transactional.
Before you send the deck.
The criteria above, turned into a yes list and a no list, so you can tell in a minute whether this is the right door.
Usually a fit
- Pre-seed or seed, heading for a Series A
- $5K a month in revenue for six months, or users growing more than 15% a month, or a deep-tech inflection
- Customers at home who prove the problem is real
- A map of the market you mean to enter, and a sense of when
- Engineering or science that would take others years to copy
- A lot done with not much money
Usually a pass
- An idea with no customers yet and no technical edge
- A product built for the home market, with no plan to leave it
- Growth that needs a great deal of capital before it proves anything
- A first institutional round at Series A or later. We follow on there; we rarely start there
Every check is a first chapter.
Fund I was the angel years - real exits, real lessons. Fund II continues the work. LPs see the full portfolio in their dashboard.
What partners and investors say about us.
“I8GV helps build the playing field, then invests in the players.”
“They do amazing work bringing early-stage startups and venture funds from emerging markets onto the world stage.”
“They’re a small group, work under the radar and are really good at what they do.”
The details.
Pre-seed and seed, often as the first institutional capital, with follow-on into the best companies at Series A. If we cannot lead, we help find the right lead and build the syndicate.
Tech-rich, undervalued ecosystems - primarily the CIS, increasingly the corridors: Armenia, MENA, LatAm and East Asia. They land in the United States and Europe.
No. Most of our companies come through Labs and the Studios because that is where we get to know each other - but a strong company with local proof can pitch directly.
The Studios - operations, sales, fundraising, PR, tech and design in the new market - plus warm introductions to customers and investors, and a network of operators for life.
Usually 12-36 months before a company appears on a traditional fund's radar - through programs, events and referrals in the home market.
Yes - in syndicates on individual deals, and alongside the fund. Write to invest@i8gv.com. Our LPs see the portfolio and the pipeline in their own dashboard.
We don't just write checks - we change trajectories.
- Faster entry into international markets - local partners, customers, distribution.
- Credibility in new markets. Warm intros to customers and investors.
- Increased probability of category leadership and outsized exits.
- Real operators, not theory.
- A lifelong global network.
Your portfolio, continually updated.
Limited partners sign in to see how their portfolio is performing, the reports, and the startups in the pipeline that match their interests and regions.
Dashboard sign-in - coming soon