December was entirely dedicated to putting the final touches on our venture-building program. From selecting our future founders to arranging an exciting new edition of the program (we’re keeping the details under wraps for now… there are still several days left until Christmas!) and completing an incredible list of challenges from our fantastic mentors, it was a month packed with purpose!
We wrapped up our whirlwind “Around the World in 10 Days” (not 80!) bootcamps—an exhilarating journey unlike any other! If you missed it, be sure to check out last month’s newsletter for all the details. No Phileas Fogg or Passepartout here—just the dedicated Vento team, a few brilliant alumni, and sharp-eyed external assessors. The reward? Not a £20k bet with London’s Reform Club, but something far more impactful: shaping the future of 40 extraordinary founders who will launch startups through our program
As December draws to a close, we’re gearing up for the exciting launch of the program on January 13th. But before the adventure officially kicks off, we’re taking a well-earned holiday break to recharge and get ready for what’s to come!
🌎 News from Vento
Our portfolio keeps growing. Here’s a sneak peek on one of our latest deals:
Circlemind
What does Circlemind do? Traditional Retrieval-Augmented Generation techniques relies on vector databases, which often fail to capture complex relationships and deliver contextually accurate results. Circlemind, a YC-backed startup, introduces a groundbreaking platform combining knowledge graphs and the PageRank algorithm, enabling large language models to retrieve deeper, more precise insights for advanced content generation.
Who? The three founders combine their exceptional expertise. Antonio Vespoli, former Software Engineer at AWS, brings real-time streaming technology expertise and a Master’s in AI and Machine Learning from Imperial College London. Luca Pinchetti, a University of Oxford graduate, contributes deep technical knowledge from his research on biologically-inspired neural networks. Yuhang Song adds a proven track record in AI research and entrepreneurship, including a J.P. Morgan AI Research Award, a Nature Neuroscience paper, and co-founding Fractile, which raised $15M before a successful exit.
🔮Wisdom Pills from our Network
Everyone loves a good speech, especially when it’s packed with inspiration. That’s why Italian Tech Week is always a highlight. This year, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, shared his insights on the importance of pursuing bold, high-risk, high-reward ventures. His words left us all motivated to stay committed to innovation, reminding us that the hardest paths often lead to the most meaningful progress.
This year’s Italian Tech Week featured an inspiring talk by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, who shared his perspective on pursuing high-risk, high-reward endeavors. His message resonated deeply, emphasizing the importance of resilience, focus, and commitment to deep technological progress, even in the face of challenges.
Here’s what we learned:
Embrace the long game. Altman acknowledged the difficulty of working on ambitious, groundbreaking ideas that take time and demand immense personal energy. "Yes, it’s going to be hard. Yes, it’s going to take a long time. It’s going to be a little demotivating and a little distracting to see other people get more success sooner on ideas that are maybe easier," he shared. However, he underscored the value of perseverance in pursuing the “big unlocks” that truly make the world better.
Focus on high-risk, high-reward opportunities. Altman highlighted that the most meaningful progress often comes from ventures that are not the "quick win." These efforts, while challenging, drive innovation and shape the future: "Investing in deep technological progress, even though it’s often not the quick win, is such an important part of the win," he said.
Altman’s insights are a reminder that pursuing bold, transformative ideas is essential, not just for personal success but for the betterment of society. His words challenge us all to stay committed to innovation, even when the path is uncertain or the rewards distant.
🫵 We want you! (Openings)
Looking for growth opportunities? Our companies are looking for bright individuals.
Give it a shot!
Anthropos is looking for a Business Development Rep for EMEA.
BonusX is looking for a Business Development Intern
Lexroom is looking for a Junior Software Engineering.
🤝 The Network Effect (only for our Portfolio Companies)
We are not just a fund: we are a partner. And we support our founders to the best of our abilities. How do we do it? Well, among other things we create synergies with companies to offer dedicated perks and help our founders work better, spending less!
🚨 Leverage the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform with AWS. Benefit from $5,000 AWS Cloud credits and $1,500 AWS Business Support credits.
🗂️ Optimize customer management with Brevo. With Vento, you can have 75% off your annual marketing plan.
📊 Improve your customer relationships through Zendesk. Perks include six months of free access to Zendesk Suite and Zendesk Sales CRM.
To get to these perks and 50+ other partnerships we have in place:
✨ The 3 Ls: Learned, Loved, Laughed
🤓 Learned
Big Ideas in Tech 2025 - a16z;
The AI revolution is running out of data - Nature.
😍 Loved
Jensen and Nvidia have been cooking, here’s the Jetson Orin Nano Super;
Jeff Bezos on raising Amazon’s seed round - proof that some 'No’s' age like fine wine… or billion-dollar regrets;
Aiming to saddle up your unicorn 🦄? Here are some stats that could be helpful.
😂 Laughed
Last month, we introduced you to our newest team member: Reginaldo, the corgi-shaped plushie and our official Hand Warmer Extraordinaire, Stress Reliever, and All-Around Good Vibes Specialist. (Yes, his title keeps growing. Well done, Reginaldo!)
But this month, we’re overjoyed to welcome a new member to the Vento family: Alma! She’s the beautiful daughter of Mimmi and Checco, born on Wednesday, December 18th. Alma already boasts an impressive résumé: “Assisted my mom for months in managing day-to-day activities to make ITW the best tech event in Europe.” Welcome to the team, Alma!
Here’s hoping her first words won’t be “Italian Tech Week” instead of “mamma” or “papà” (though, let’s admit, it’d be on-brand). Jokes aside, the whole Vento team wants to send the biggest congratulations to Mimmi and Checco. We can’t wait to meet Alma and welcome her to the Vento spirit! Warm hugs all around ❤️
🦄 If you
If you work in VC and want to receive updates about our Portfolio Companies, get in touch with us here.
If you are a founder and you are fundraising, apply here.
If you want to be a founder but don’t know where to start, click here.