Your investment in growth for impact
maze x is an early-stage funding programme for impact-driven newly-founded teams to multiply their execution capacity by 3x ahead of their first round of funding.
€200m
total investment raised by ventures in our portfolio
+100
ventures we have partnered with
+40%
ventures founded by non-male or mixed teams
30
different nationalities
Our offer includes
€100K ticket
To accelerate your product development, increase sales, and hire your first team members.
3-months of customised support
We will work in a sprint methodology to get the fundamentals of your business right.
The maze x hands-on program is supported by match, an initiative co-funded by the EU.
- Designated investment lead
- 3-week sprints customised to your most pressing needs
- Access to an international expert network
- OKR methodology
We will work together on
Go-to-market strategy
Business development
Fundraising
Growth levers
Impact measurement
We look for ventures that care about
Healthcare and wellbeing
The care models of the future building innovative solutions for the ageing population, mental well-being and social care.
Future of learning and work
The solutions reshaping the way we work and learn in a way that is more inclusive, equal and sustainable.
Sustainable production and consumption
Sustainable energy, food and mobility solutions improving how we consume and live in cities and beyond.
Ventures our team has worked with
We have worked with +100 early-stage ventures with sustainable business models tackling the greatest social and environmental challenges of our time.
GoParity
The first Portuguese crowdlending platform financing social and environmental projects using its community of investors focused on sustainable and financial impact.
Iconoclass
A sales school that trains students in the profession of business development in 4 months, with a guarantee of employment. Iconoclass is now based in France and the UK.
What founders say about us
Wholeheartedly - best in class. It's so valuable for us to collaborate with the whole team with full psychological safety and trust, also during hard times in business. Additionally great mentorship, hands-on advice, and being in the trenches during periods of raising really helps more than anything! Big thank you, Team! Rapha Allstadt, founder of tl;dv ★★★★★
Very well connected team. Also very close to top-tier funds (useful for future Series X). Highly supportive and bright. Helpful on demand, but won't tamper with your company. Impact driven with genuinely noble goals. Nikki Michelsen, co-founder of ohne ★★★★★
The investment decision-makers
All questions that will cross your mind
we are proud to have built an investment programme with founder-friendly terms. These are some of the most frequently asked questions. If there is something we have not covered, please email us at mazex@maze-impact.com
maze x provides a fixed-term investment of €100k for each venture that joins the program. Of this investment, €40,500 (+ VAT) is to be paid for the hands-on support and the rest is for you to use freely. The investment is made via a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) agreement, which converts into shares in the next funding round. maze x does not provide follow-on investments but offers support in the fundraising process. While joining the maze x program does not guarantee follow-on investment from Mustard Seed Maze (MSM) or other partners, there may be opportunities for follow-on investment.
We invest in very early stage impact ventures that follow the lockstep model, and have raised little to no capital before. Our focus is on companies operating in the European market, regardless of where they are based. We prioritize software investment opportunities, but there can be instances where we will invest in hardware companies.
In terms of impact, we remain open to various areas, but our focus areas are in line with the climate transition, digital transition, and demographic transition. Some of the specific VC verticals we are interested in include, but are not limited to, sustainable energy, circular economy, health tech, ed tech, femtech, elderly tech, future of work, smart cities, and mobility.
After the selection process and SAFE agreement signing, you will receive €100k. You are expected to transfer €40,500 (+ VAT) to MAZE Impact S.A to begin the individual hands-on support. You will work closely with our team to define in which areas your venture needs the most support, and the team will define a series of sprints directly tailored to your needs to address your business challenges. For 3 months, you will work with the team on an individual hands-on approach, and afterwards you will have continuous access to our platform.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EISMEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.