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How one venture firm is investing in an increasingly fragmented world
The world today is riven by cultural differences, political divisions, and geopolitical disputes — a challenging environment for any investor hunting for startups that can grow large enough to deliver venture-scale returns.
Kompas VC has developed a regionally sensitive strategy to help it navigate, and invest in, this fragmented world. And it’s putting fresh capital towards this approach with a new €160 million fund ($187.5 million), the firm told TechCrunch.
“We see the world really falling into three main spheres of economic activity, of political activity — the U.S., Europe, and China,” Sebastian Peck, partner at Kompas VC, told TechCrunch. “We certainly see today that these three domains follow very, very different trajectories.”
Kompas has staked its reputation on backing startups that tackle core industrial competitiveness challenges, from manufacturing and supply chains to critical infrastructure and sustainability. Those themes haven’t disappeared, but different regions emphasize them to varying degrees.
“There was a lot of enthusiasm around these themes back in 2021,” Peck said. “In 2026, we’re in a very, very different paradigm. It’s all about AI, it’s all about fast growth, very explosive growth. A lot of big topics that we partially play to but also are not really part of what we stand for.”
“Our focus is in the physical world, anything around producing physical goods,” he added, saying that Kompas focuses on startups working on decarbonization, productivity, and risk management. “We’ve found our niche.”
That niche turns out to be pretty broad. Reshoring is en vogue in nearly every market, and depending on the startup, those markets typically have more than enough scale for a firm like Kompas.
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Though dwarfed by some venture funds these days, Kompas’s newly raised second fund should give it ample opportunity to lead early stage rounds with checks ranging from €3 million to €5 million.
As a European fund, Kompas has access to a range of founders and startups in the region. But it must weigh how global fragmentation might limit the potential for some to deliver venture returns. Peck cites prefab housing as an example. The approach is widely used in Scandinavian countries, but it isn’t as common in Germany or the rest of Europe, let alone the United States.
“It feels like such an intuitive solution. It’s a product that is effectively an industrial product. It should be highly scalable,” he said. Ultimately, the reason it doesn’t resonate outside Scandinavia has more to do with “cultural conditioning” than the technology itself, he said. “In that industry, if the U.S. isn’t the market you can go to, you need to look very, very carefully at whether there’s a large enough addressable market.”
The fragmentation extends beyond housing. For example, in Europe, sustainability is still broadly attractive, in contrast to the U.S., where the theme doesn’t have the cachet it did several years ago.
Still, a lot can change quickly, Peck acknowledges. “We are investing over 10-, 15-year horizons. That’s a few legislative periods to bridge, and sometimes things swing in unexpected directions.”
The shifting landscape poses a challenge, but also an opportunity for a smaller investor like Kompas. “I think there’s a great space for highly focused, highly specialized, smaller funds like ours to be the first check-in and bring sweep up certain themes and certain founders,” Peck said.
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Weightlifting Federation President Ibrahim Abdul Reveals Five Factors Behind Nigeria’s Recent Heroics In Egypt
The president of Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF), Dr. Ibrahim Abdul has revealed five factors that helped the country’s contingent excel at the recent African Senior Weightlifting Championship in Ismailia, Egypt, Sports247 reports.
While reflecting on the historic outing, Abdul praised the lifters for their courage and determination, then noted the impact played by proper preparation, adequate welfare and support by all stakeholders.
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Abdul also thanked top shots of National Sports Commission (NSC) for their support and pointed out that the nation’s lifters confirmed that the country remains a strong force on the continent.
The NWF boss noted the role played by NSC’s chairman, Mallam Dikko as well as the director-general, Honourable Bukola Olopade, who visited their camp during the competition.
He also acknowledged that proper preparations and adequate motivation also helped the contingent excel at the championship, where the women’s team placed first wirh a totat of 12 gold medals.
He further described the feat as a strong indication that Nigerian sports can attain greater heights with proper preparation, unflinching support and adequate motivation of the country’s athletes.
His verdict came after Nigeria’s contingent of 10 lifters got one of the country’s most impressive outings on the continental stage, winning a total of 29 medals – 14 gold, 13 silver and two bronze – during the championship.
Abdul further added that the performance was due to total commitment, discipline and fighting spirit displayed by the lifters throughout the competition.
He posited extensively, “This performance is a clear statement that Nigeria remains a major force in African weightlifting. Our athletes showed courage, determination and excellence against the best on the continent.
“The results from Egypt prove that with adequate preparations, proper welfare and continuous encouragement from stakeholders, Nigerian sports can compete favourably anywhere in the world. The future of weightlifting and indeed Nigerian sports is very bright.”
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APC RETURNING OFFICER DECLARES PLATEAU SPEAKER WINNER OF MIKANG HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PRIMARY ELECTION
The Returning Officer for the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly Primary Election in Mikang Local Government Area, Hon. Muhammad Auwal Hamza, has officially declared Rt. Hon. Naanlong Daniel Gapyil winner of the party’s primary election for the Mikang State Constituency.
Announcing the results shortly after the conclusion of the exercise, Hon. Hamza stated that Rt. Hon. Naanlong Daniel Gapyil, having satisfied all constitutional requirements and guidelines governing the conduct of the election, was duly returned as the APC flag bearer for the forthcoming House of Assembly election.
According to the results announced by the Returning Officer, Rt. Hon. Naanlong Daniel Gapyil polled a total of 5,606 votes to defeat his closest rival, Tindi Nkat, who secured 1,201 votes.
Hon. Hamza commended party stakeholders, delegates, and supporters for their peaceful conduct, unity, and political maturity throughout the exercise, describing the primary election as transparent, credible, and successful.
He further appreciated officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as various security agencies, for their professionalism and commitment in ensuring a peaceful and orderly electoral process.
The APC primary election in Mikang was conducted under tight security and witnessed massive participation by party faithful across the constituency, with supporters celebrating the emergence of Rt. Hon. Naanlong Daniel Gapyil as the party’s candidate.
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