I joined Enern (KAYA’s predecessor) at the end of 2013 and just before Covid 19 hit, I lived on the road between Prague and Berlin. 

Since studying computer engineering, I have always been intrigued by technology. I spent two summer internships developing software for traders but later got lured into the world of finance in London.

I love supporting founders in the early stages of a company build-out. In particular, I like businesses that automate workflows, increase efficiency and connect otherwise disparate data in both consumer and enterprise segments. I am also passionate about proptech and how technology enables new ways of living & working. Right now I am exploring agritech and sustainable methods of farming and food production. In general I am curious about how stuff works and new things that advance us forward.

During my time at KAYA, I led investments into Nestpick, Supernova, Accomango and Wallmine among others.

Originally I am from Slovakia, although I feel at home pretty much everywhere with good food, interesting people and a working wifi. Prior to moving to Prague, I lived in London, Barcelona and Paris.

Most of my free time is spent doing activities with my feisty jack russell Chilli, including cycling and hiking in the summer and all types of skiing in the winter time. I am also an avid reader (Twitter & Kindle) but most importantly I enjoy having a great conversation and spending quality time with family and friends. 

My name is Franzi and I am the Talent Partner at KAYA. 

After studying Psychology, I have spent most of my working experience in talent and people operations roles in European fast scaling Startups (Stylight, AirHelp, Peakon). I am also an ICF-accredited executive coach with years of experience coaching clients at Torch.

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My aim at KAYA is to support founders, leaders and people teams in all things people and talent. A specific focus is on scaling organizational culture, implementing diversity and attracting and retaining the best talent.

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I am based in Lisbon, where I live with my husband Henrik, daughter Aya, and a Portuguese poodle Hazel and a new family addition arriving in summer. My colleagues and clients describe me as emphatic and driven and appreciate my directness and practical tips.

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I believe that success is driven by strong execution and perseverance of founding teams rather than unique ideas. That’s why I remain open minded to any 2.0 or 3.0 disruptions even in areas which may look oversaturated. While I am particularly interested in financial services, retail and real estate I am curious to discuss hard problems in any industry. 

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Trends come and go! Rather than surfing the hype-wave I tend to follow solutions that can significantly improve the quality of humans’ life, in both private and professional areas. I love exploring new business models and innovative distribution strategies.

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Since I joined KAYA (f.k.a. Enern) in 2015, I have helped develop investments in Twisto and Slevomat and led investments in Footshop, Intiaro and Nautal. Prior to joining venture capital, I spent a decade in finance, amongst others working for GE Capital in the areas of consumer finance and real estate.

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Besides Prague where I am based with my family, I enjoy spending my time in Iberian region. Over any weekend you can find me enjoying (sport) activities with my 2 daughters.

At KAYA

I joined Enern Group in 2019, initially sharing my time and focus between VC (KAYA)  and  renewable energy related projects. In 2022 I pivoted fully to the VC arm. My role in KAYA is to provide our LPs with an accurate view of our portfolio development via investor and financial reporting. Furthermore, I am in charge of all administrative work related to capital calls, investments and distributions in the exit event. Founders can expect me to reach out on topics related to investment data gathering and reporting.

I am excited about the automation and digitization of the processes which can significantly increase our time efficiency.

Before KAYA

While studying for my Master’s in Business Valuation at VSE in Prague, I joined one of the most powerful players in the asset management market in the region as a part of their consolidation team. In parallel, I worked on a part-time assignment in a start-up with the finance team. After this experience, I decided to join a “BIG4” company in risk consulting. Two years there gave me a more standardized view of solving problems.

Beyond KAYA

In my leisure time, I like engaging in sports activities such as beach volleyball, tennis, skiing and yoga, or watching documentaries. I am a foodie – always curious about the gastro events in the city and new cool places to eat and drink with a nice vibe. Last but not least, I love spending time with my family, friends, and my dog Dante😊.

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I learned the importance of being resourceful early on. As a teenager, I spent many summers in Germany doing odd jobs in construction and carpentry. I managed to finance my high school studies in India and college in the US entirely through ‘minimum wage’ work and scholarships, and I am extremely grateful for the people who took a chance on me back then.

Sports has been a huge part of my identity. I played competitive sports from a young age. In tennis, I competed against eventual Grand Slam players and in ice hockey, I was on the first line of a team that produced two NHL veterans. I love the exhilaration of a tight match, the camaraderie among teammates, and the devotion that athletes and their supporters carry in their hearts.    

Resilience over efficiency. The wake-up call that was covid19 has demonstrated in dramatic fashion the need for people to gain resilience, both physical and mental. Resilience for our planet means primarily decarbonization, in particular technologies that enable electrification and more conscious consumption – topics I have a great deal of interest in.  

Everything I learned was because I screwed up. Some people learn from others’ mistakes, I had to make my own – repeatedly. Being the CFO of a fast-growing software start-up Priori Data, I made many costly rookie mistakes. I learned the hard way, and as a result I thoroughly empathise with how challenging it is to be a founder, especially a first-time one.

What matters most are strong relationships. Whether in personal life or at work, I strive to be transparent and non-judgmental. If I have any talent in life, it’s to spot exceptional individuals, and once I do see them, my hope is that we can over time form a relationship that withstands the test of time.

Individuals shape companies. Leaders are like community organizers: corralling, pushing, persuading, all the while inspiring people. I witnessed first-hand the strong leadership of a 50,000-employee firm at Morgan Stanley in the crisis of 2008, later on a 500-person firm at KKR led by its iconic co-founders, before I then became part of a handful of senior managers at Priori Data, and a veterinary care venture Tierarzt Plus Partner, both in Berlin.

My biggest professional joy is seeing our founders succeed in their missions and for our investors to reap exceptional returns on the capital they entrusted us. I love doing that together with my friends and colleagues at KAYA.

I love consumer businesses with particular interest in next-generation service providers and businesses with strong network effects. I led investments into DocPlanner, Booksy, Rohlik, or Slevomat. 

I work closely with businesses within continental Europe. As I like to say that I support teams born within 2-hour flight time.

I founded Enern Venture Capital in 2011 and continue as a General Partner of KAYA (successor of Enern VC).

Prior to partnership, I lived and worked in multiple locations such as San Francisco, or Moscow while with McKinsey & Company.

I live with my family in Prague. I painted for many years, now I'm learning to play piano and expand my horizons via executive education at Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

I joined KAYA in 2022, while still studying Computer Science at Charles University in Prague. Given my background, one of my main responsibilities is to ensure that every technical process in our fund runs smoothly and efficiently.

Apart from coding and thinking about different ways of sourcing new startups, I also focus on evaluating more technical deals and keeping up with the current trends in artificial intelligence.

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My path to VC was however far from obvious. With my initial aim to become a scientist, I participated in research on freshwater helminths first and evolutionary relationships among yeast proteins next. That was already close enough to programming, that I explored further after one summer internship in consulting, when I implemented a tool for solar energy prediction, and co-created a popular search engine for Czech podcasts. Speaking of podcasts, I already tried hosting one myself.

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My whole life has been closely connected to sports. I used to compete in table tennis and played football in all youth categories - I even participated in training camp at FC Bayern Munich. So it's no wonder that in my free time, you will usually find me playing football with my friends, running, cycling, or disentangling Twitter threads.

I initially joined KAYA in 2018 after my internship at BCG while still studying Math at University. During these two years as an analyst, I had a chance to go on a secondment with Twisto, one of the portfolio companies (exited to Zip.co), where I was helping with “smarter” growth.

At that point in my career I soon realised that I want to start something from scratch and on my own. Together with my childhood friend Patrick we founded Accomango, a B2B SaaS-enabled marketplace that connects industrial companies with accommodation providers. Due to market conditions, Accomango shifted from being a software-only company to a tech-enabled real estate operator and still continues under Patrick’s leadership.

After my founder’s journey, I discovered the fascinating world of web3 and with the help of my mentor Ondra from Miton, I was able to study and research it. I had the opportunity to work with several companies from Miton C portfolio. These include liquid staking protocol Marinade.finance, which is the biggest project on Solana based on TVL.

My journey from a young student in VC through time spent at startups (including being a co-founder) helped me gain valuable perspective & insights into product, fundraising, hiring/ layoffs, and all the related growth pains that founders have to go through. The circle has closed - I am back where I started - at KAYA VC. I am convinced that my journey enabled me to become a better partner for ambitious and courageous founders building next category-defining products.

When not speaking to the latest startups, you can find me in the mountains. I love running, hiking, and road cycling in the summer and I do cross-country skiing and alpine skiing in winter. I am also a passionate cook and a foodie. I love talking to curious and ambitious doers discussing how technology can change the current status-quo, increase productivity and also bring more happiness.