Following the previously announced strategy, the Helix Ventures Partners FIZ fund, co-managed by MCI Management SA and Helix Ventures Sp. z o.o., registered in May 2009, is executing its first investments. The agreement, negotiated in 2009, was signed in January 2010.
The invested amount will reach around 1 mil. PLN and will be allocated to the mSejf project.
âSince the beginning of operations at the end of May 2009, we have analyzed over a hundred potential projects, from which we have chosen two that we believe are the most promising, both due to the technology and outstanding business models. One of them is mSejf. An essential element of the whole process involved recruiting the project leaders, who by large determine the success of an investment. We were able to engage an experienced entrepreneur, Mr. RafaĹ Plutecki, to manage this project.â â said MaĹgorzata Walczak, Fund Manager HVP FIZ.
mSejf Project
mSejf offers software as a service, enabling to backup (make a emergency copy) data online and â what is most important â simple and fast data recovery in case of data loss (computer failure, damage or theft). The application is automated; the data is transferred over the Internet and stored on secure virtual servers. The data is encrypted both during transfer and storage, guaranteeing complete online data protection. The service is aimed at both individual users and companies, which do not own data storage solutions or employ a mobile workforce. The agreement was signed with XSolve Group.
âAccording to our plans, at the end of 2009, we managed to execute an investment that aligns with the previously announced strategy of the HVP FIZ fund. The mSejf project deserves to be called innovative and is aimed at the Polish and European market. In 2010we intend to continue realizing our strategy and focus on investing in innovative projects with a regional and global range.â â said Dariusz Wiatr, President and Owner of Helix Ventures Sp. z o.o.
In 2010, the Fund intends to execute four additional investments and does not preclude capital engagement of more than 2.0 mil. PLN in a single project.
âHelix Ventures Partners FIZ is one of the two first VC funds created with the participation of the National Capital Fund SA. The investment strategy of NCF portfolio funds focuses on early stage and high growth potential projects.â â said Piotr Äwik, Investment Director of the National Capital Fund.
HVP FIZ is an investment fund co-financed by three investors: MCI Management SA (12 mil. PLN), private investor â Dariusz Wiatr (8 mil. PLN) and the National Capital Fund (20 mil. PLN). The fund was established with a 10-year lifespan. The projected value of a single transaction will reach up to 1.5 mil. EUR. HVP FIZ is a Venture Capital fund, whose strategy assumes investments in early stage projects in the areas of Internet, software, mobile technologies and electronics. The Fundâs resources will provide capital funding for small and medium Polish companies, especially innovative ones, with a high growth potential, which due to their relatively small size have problems to obtain financing. The HVP FIZ fund was created to aid entrepreneurs who found themselves in this situation. The key team members of Helix Ventures Partners FIZ include Dariusz Wiatr and MaĹgorzata Walczak. NCF financing principles allow for preferential treatment of commercial investors in a fund, in which NCF is an investor.
The National Capital Fund
The National Capital Fund SA (KFK) is a fund of venture capital (VC) funds. The activities of NCF consist in investing in VC funds, which provide capital support to small and medium Polish companies, especially innovative companies, running research and development operations and companies with a high potential for growth. The NCF was established on 1 July 2005, by virtue of the Act on the National Capital Fund, by the Polish government in order to reduce the capital gap phenomenon, consisting in low supply of VC capital in the segment of small and medium companies. Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego is the 100% capital shareholder of the Company. The resources for statutory operations of the NCF come from the national treasury, EU structural funds and other sources, e.g. from foreign institutions. (www.kfk.org.pl)