EUVC VC | E485 | Kamel Zeroual on Building Europe’s Next Powerhouse Seed Fund
Jun 6, 2025
In this conversation, Kamel Zeroual, GP of Varsity and seasoned venture capitalist, discusses building a pan-European seed fund from Paris with bold ambitions. He highlights Varsity's unique approach, blending operator expertise with an agnostic investment strategy across sectors like SaaS, fintech, and healthtech. Kamel elaborates on the challenges European entrepreneurs face in securing funding and why a €150M seed fund is crucial. His insights underscore the importance of mentorship and collaboration in nurturing startups to success.
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Founders' Diverse Backgrounds
- Kamel Zeroual and his co-founders come from extensive investment and operational backgrounds, with experience in over 100 startups.
- This diverse team launched Varsity to back innovative European startups with a strong founder-first approach.
Agnostic Yet Focused Thesis
- Varsity adopts a sector-agnostic but conviction-led approach focused on redesigning markets.
- Their investment thesis centers on partnering with visionary founders across SaaS, fintech, healthtech, and climate sectors.
Growing Pan-European Fund
- Varsity’s pan-European vision starts from Paris but aims to expand talent reach across Europe.
- They plan to grow by investing increasingly outside France and hiring local experts.