• ZAKA VC expands into North America with a new Silicon Valley office and Filip Orth as principal
• The fund continues backing early-stage startups in healthcare, life sciences, and deep tech globally, which aligns with Mr Orth’s expertise
• ZAKA VC sees its mission in bridging European and North American tech ecosystems and fostering innovation and partnerships

This January, the famous Prague-based fund ZAKA VC (invested in Webel, among others) announced strengthening its presence in the North American continent by setting up an office in Silicon Valley. To oversee and guide the fund’s operations in the US and Canada, the VC firm enlists the help of Filip Orth, of Cleevio fame, as ZAKA VC’s new principal.

The name ZAKA is an abbreviation of the names of the fund’s two founders Peter Zálešák and Dr Ján Kasper who started it in 2020, leveraging their investment expertise to support early-stage startups. Mr Zálešák had prior experience in startup investments, while Dr Kasper, originally focused on sectors like retail, energy, and real estate, was introduced to venture capital by his daughter Valentina.

Since its inception, ZAKA VC has backed over 60 pre-seed and seed-stage startups across 20+ countries, specializing in healthcare, life sciences, and deep tech. A third of its portfolio is already based in the US or Canada (Lime Therapeutics, for example). The firm’s expansion into North America aligns with its mission to help European entrepreneurs scale globally. 

‘We were naturally approaching this vision, step by step. The final trigger was our 6-week stay in Silicon Valley. The decision to enlist Filip Orth was made simply and naturally, without any complicated hiring process,’ Dr Kaspar comments.

Introducing Mr Orth

ZAKA VC’s new North American principal tells ITKeyMedia that his initial point of getting interested in the Tech/Startup/VC World was the movie Pirates of Silicon Valley, which depicted the beginnings of Apple and Microsoft including their founders. The pivotal moment came when he moved to Silicon Valley for his studies. Literally in his first month at the university, he learned about the VCIC competition and got curious to join the university team and learn more. After qualifying for the competition in all 4 years, his interest developed continuously through additional engagements, extracurriculars, and work opportunities.

Beyond sports such as tennis or soccer, Mr Orth enjoys DJing and mashing up different songs to see if they work in front of a crowd. Among his favorite reads he points out Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen.

Investment Interests

ZAKA VC’s investment philosophy will be no different in North America: The fund is looking for Pre-Seed and Seed companies in Healthcare, Life Sciences, and DeepTech. This is perfectly in line with Mr Orth’s interests who admits to being quite excited about digging deeper into DeepTech and Industrial Tech, particularly within Quantum Computing, Robotics, and—of course—AI.

‘Beyond that, I think there’s a lot of promising innovation taking place in Healthtech and Life Sciences, especially BioTech—one of our dominant sectors, that we’ve invested in. We live in such a globalized world that I don’t think it would be fair to say there are only a handful of specific sectors or technologies which have the potential for transatlantic investment,’ Mr Orth adds.

Are there any foolproof ways for a startup to win Mr Orth’s attention?

‘Whatever it may be, it has to be sticky—whether it’s a unique elevator pitch, a cool demo, story or a different creative way to present something exciting, it has to catch one’s interest. This holds true especially when it’s in-person or via LinkedIn, email can get a bit mundane and it’s hard to identify the potential in a long text. In-person is the best because you get the unfiltered version of the founders, which can play to the advantage of this startup,’ the principal shares.

The New Principal’s Role

ZAKA VC’s goal is to establish an effective bridge between Europe and North America. Mr Orth’s role in this comprises two primary components: creating dealflow and fundraising for ZAKA’s next fund. Additional responsibilities include building the foundations for the firm’s Silicon Valley office and supporting existing portfolios with an emphasis on the North American market.

‘We established a partnership with SlovakPRO, and Filip`s responsibility is, among others, to represent us at various events in North America. Also, a part of our team is planning to spend some time in Silicon Valley in 2025 with the aim to cherish current partnerships and create new ones,’ Dr Kaspar adds.

Transatlantic collaboration between tech ecosystems in North America and CEE—fostered by major players like Prague’s ZAKA VC—provides a systemic boost to innovation, knowledge exchange, and access to diverse markets. By connecting the ecosystems, both companies and investors gain the resources and networks needed to scale internationally. Strengthening these ties enhances global competitiveness, supports technological advancements, and drives economic growth on both sides of the Atlantic.