What's in a name?

Kaya is one of very few words that has a universally positive meaning, being the Hopi word for elder sister, Turkish word for rock, or Japanese word for sanctuary. That one word encapsulates a lot of what we hold dear: openness, reliability, and accessibility.

KAYA resets expectations of what a VC should be:
a supportive, enabling presence rather than a self-interested asset accumulators who show up only when there is credit
to claim or exits to celebrate.

Global reach meets local presence.

The Central and East European (CEE) region is home to category-defining companies across multiple sectors. KAYA (f.k.a. Enern) has been part of the fabric of this ecosystem since its very beginning and grew alongside it.

Ten years and €500m AUM later, Enern remains a holding for diverse investments while KAYA is conceived as a separate, focused successor of Enern Tech for all things venture capital, with 40+ investments and latest fund of €90 million.

What we stand for:

Candor:

no BS, please.

Our way of operating emphasizes substance over style. Founders can count on us leaving drama out of the boardroom.

We pass no judgment or blame, we simply want to come together and help make the best decisions for the business.

Fortitude:

we lead with positivity.

It’s amazing what people can accomplish when an environment of positivity and confidence acts as wind in their sails.

The founders we back have next-level intensity and grit in the face of adversity, but it is in the near-death situations for a company, which inevitably occur, when our extra latitude and support can help. If things go off-track, we double our efforts to fix it. 25 out of 27 companies which we invested in, no matter how early, have received follow on-funding.

Responsibility:

let's focus on making the world a better place.

ESG standards are key to our returns-driven approach. We want our portfolio companies to make a positive impact beyond creating financial value, and, similarly, our behaviour as investors acknowledges the acute need to reverse global warming and create an environment where individuals from all backgrounds come close to realizing their full potential.
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Five out of six investment team members are 1st generation immigrants in their country of residence. We work closely with Included VC to help members of underrepresented communities enter venture capital and support more diverse deal flow. There's much more to be done and we will keep you updated on our progress as we work towards it.

Change is good