Cathay Innovation
Overview
Cathay Innovation is a multistage venture capital firm affiliated with Cathay Capital, investing in founders building transformative businesses across Europe, North America, Asia, Latin America, and Africa. The firm connects entrepreneurs with investors and a network of leading Fortune 500 corporations to help startups scale and transform industries with consumer-to-enterprise and AI solutions in commerce, fintech, digital health, and mobility/energy. Founded in Paris in 2015, Cathay Innovation now manages over €2.5 billion in assets under management with offices in San Francisco, Berlin, Madrid, Shanghai, and Singapore. The firm has invested in over 120 startups, including Chime, Pinduoduo, Glovo, Wallbox, Owkin, Getaround, Ledger, ZenBusiness, Alma, and Descartes Underwriting. In May 2025, Cathay Innovation closed its third venture capital fund at $1 billion, marking it as the largest AI-dedicated fund out of the European Union. The fund focuses on vertical AI solutions in four key sectors: digital health, fintech, consumer, and mobility/energy. To date, the fund has made 14 investments, with half of them based in Europe. The firm was named the largest French private VC investor per capital deployed into local startups in 2024. Cathay Innovation's investment strategy emphasizes creating durable relationships with the industrial European ecosystem while maintaining strong bonds with international innovation hubs such as China and the U.S. This approach aims to connect emerging startups to real-world industry leaders looking to transform through cutting-edge innovation. The firm's platform unifies technology investment across continents, investors, entrepreneurs, and leading corporations to accelerate startup growth with access to new markets, invaluable industry knowledge, and introductions to potential partners from the start.
Investment Focus
- Entrepreneurial vision
- Technological innovation
- Scalability
- Sustainability
- Global market potential
- High-growth companies utilizing AI to advance industries in ways that are locally grounded, globally scalable, and socially positive.
Portfolio Companies
Reach Cathay Innovation directly
Verified work email, phone and LinkedIn for the full team — one spreadsheet, one payment, yours to keep.
Unlock full contacts →Frequently asked questions about Cathay Innovation
What sectors does Cathay Innovation invest in?
Cathay Innovation invests in Financial Services, Technology, Healthcare, Energy, Consumer Goods and Real Estate, and is based in San Francisco, California, United States. Cathay Innovation is listed as a venture capital in the ConnectSafely investor database.
What stage does Cathay Innovation invest at?
Cathay Innovation backs companies at Seed, Early Stage, Series A, Series B, Growth and Late Stage, writing cheques of 5M - 100M.
Which regions does Cathay Innovation invest in?
Cathay Innovation invests across United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong and Japan.
Who are the partners at Cathay Innovation?
Team members listed for Cathay Innovation include Daniel BALMISSE (Managing Partner Cathay InnoSquare FoF) and Brian Schwarzbach (Vice President (VC)).
What companies has Cathay Innovation invested in?
Cathay Innovation's portfolio includes Trifacta, Pinduoduo, Ledger, Chime, Glovo, Wallbox, Lumi and Alma.
How do I contact Cathay Innovation?
Cathay Innovation's contact details — including phone and LinkedIn — are listed in the ConnectSafely investor database, along with its website and the LinkedIn profiles of its partners.
Last updated · Source: ConnectSafely investor database
