Serhiy Tokarev’s Roosh Ventures becomes the only Ukrainian investment fund in Sifted ranking

The Ukrainian venture fund became the country’s only representative in Sifted’s prestigious ranking, while three of its portfolio companies — Alma, Folk, and Gladia — were included in the list of the region’s fastest-growing startups.

Roosh Ventures, the venture fund of impact investor Serhiy Tokarev, ranked 43rd on Sifted’s list of the top 50 investors and lenders in France and Benelux. The fund became the first and only Ukrainian player to make the list. At the same time, three Roosh Ventures portfolio companies — Alma, Folk, and Gladia — were included in the publication’s selection of the region’s most dynamic startups.

Sifted specializes in analysis of the European startup and venture capital market and is considered one of the continent’s key industry media outlets. Its ranking of the most influential investors is based on a combination of criteria: deal activity, portfolio quality, and the player’s impact on the development of the local ecosystem.

The appearance of a Ukrainian fund among Western Europe’s most active investors shows that the jurisdiction of registration is no longer the defining factor in the scale and competitiveness of venture capital. Local European funds traditionally dominate such rankings, which makes the presence of a player from outside the region stand out against the broader landscape.

All three recognized companies operate in different technology niches. Alma is developing a Buy Now Pay Later payment platform focused on responsible consumption. Folk offers a next-generation CRM system that puts the management of business relationships back in the hands of the user rather than the algorithm. Gladia is building AI infrastructure for speech transcription and analysis, already integrated into thousands of products across different countries. This mix — from fintech and business tools to artificial intelligence solutions — reflects the fund’s broader investment priorities.

The investor himself links the result to Roosh Ventures’ approach to selecting projects.

“What happened is not a coincidence or just a line in a ranking. Roosh Ventures entering the top 50 investors in France and Benelux means one thing: Ukrainian funds are already playing in Europe’s top league — not catching up but competing. The fact that three of our portfolio companies entered the Sifted 100 at the same time confirms our main bet: we invest not in markets, but in the people who change those markets,” says Serhiy Tokarev.

The fund’s result reflects a broader trend in which Ukrainian technology and investment teams are increasingly competing with Western players on a level playing field. For Tokarev, whose work brings together business, technology, and long-term social impact, inclusion in the European ranking is not an end goal, but a confirmation that the fund’s strategy is working.

Background

Roosh Ventures is a venture fund investing in technology startups in Europe and other regions of the world. The fund’s founder, Serhiy Tokarev, is an impact investor and technology entrepreneur, co-founder of SET University and founder of Tokarev Foundation. His areas of focus include artificial intelligence, education and human capital, health tech, and technologies that drive long-term change in society.