Horizon Capital

Big news! We are delighted to announce that Horizon Capital’s portfolio company Creatio, a leading vendor of a no-code platform to automate CRM and enterprise workflows with a maximum degree of freedom, has achieved UNICORN status based on the $200 million Series B round closed this month at a valuation of $1.2 billion. We are excited to welcome lead investor Sapphire Ventures, as well as Stepstone Group - truly top-tier global technology funds – who join Volition Capital and Horizon Capital, the Series A investors, as shareholders. Horizon Capital is proud to back Creatio since 2021, sharing Creatio’s vision of disrupting the traditional enterprise software market with its innovative AI-powered no-code platform, becoming the new standard for enterprise automation. Lenna Koszarny, Founding Partner & CEO of Horizon Capital, has highlighted: “Creatio’s team has built a truly stellar, one-of-a-kind business delivering world-class 50% revenue growth YoY year and rapidly increasing its global customer base and partner network. Core to this success is the time-to-value that Creatio provides to its clients due to ongoing platform innovations, including composable architecture and Gen AI-powered Copilot. Creatio’s CEO, Katherine Kostereva is widely-recognized within the tech community, and recently named one of The Top 50 Women Leaders in SaaS of 2023 by The Software Report (TSR), EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2023 New England, and more. Creatio is also recognized as a leader and strong performer in multiple Low-Code/No-Code and CRM reports by Gartner and Forrester. Its no-code platform has been positioned as the only leader in the recent report, The Forrester Wave™: Low-Code Platforms for Citizen Developers, Q1 2024.” Congratulations Katherine and Creatio on this milestone, we look forward to the exciting journey ahead! More information is available via press-release https://lnkd.in/dFjUTvre

Ukraine’s Telecom Sector Poised to Attract Significant DFI Capital The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the IFC - International Finance Corporation are advancing their joint appraisal to support a landmark deal for Ukraine, led by Xavier Niel’s NJJ Holding (NJJ), Horizon Capital and Datagroup-Volia (DGV). The deal entails the creation of a leading, integrated telecom operator through the merger of Datagroup-Volia, a national fixed telco leader, and Lifecell, the country’s fastest-growing mobile operator. The potential joint financing of up to US$435 million would be used to support the Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) and boost investments in network, licenses, and equipment to expand the platform’s fixed and mobile infrastructure in Ukraine, accelerating future growth and helping to bridge the country’s digital divide. Lenna Koszarny, Founding Partner and CEO of Horizon Capital, said: “We are immensely grateful to the EBRD and the IFC, Horizon Capital’s largest investors in multiple funds, for their unwavering support and commitment to Ukraine. The potential debt financing of up to $435 million for this landmark deal is essential to combine these two stellar Ukraine-based telecom players into a platform for expansion, growth, and investment for the benefit of Ukrainian consumers. We look forward to deepening our partnership with EBRD and IFC through this transaction and together, driving transformative growth in the telecom sector.” More information is available via press release https://bit.ly/4c1D6RA #Horizoncapital #EBRD #IFC #investinukraine #telecommunications

Lenna Koszarny, Founding Partner & CEO of Horizon Capital, has participated in the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2024). The event, taking place on the joint initiative of Ukraine and Germany from June 11 to 12 in Berlin, has brought together leaders of governments, international organizations, businesses, and civil society. URC2024 continues the cycle of annual high-level events aimed at developing effective reconstruction strategies for Ukraine. This year's Recovery Conference is held in an EU member state for the first time. As part of the event, Lenna Koszarny participated in the panel discussion "Gender Mainstreaming and Female Leadership: Ensuring Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Recovery for Ukraine." During the discussion, she shared her views on the business community's role in strengthening gender equality and expanding women's rights and opportunities. "In my opinion, we need to demonstrate leadership and provide women with resources. Currently, 56% of new businesses in Ukraine are launched by women. Our task is to provide them with capital. Ukraine has great potential in this regard. Therefore, gender-smart investing in Ukraine is necessary. We need to provide women with resources and opportunities, voice, and encourage their leadership aspirations". Lenna Koszarny also emphasized that Ukraine is already showing achievements in the field of gender equality. A striking example is HCGF IV, which became the first fund in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and one of only about ten funds worldwide to receive the 2X Flagship Fund status. Moreover, it is one of only two funds of this kind founded and led by women. It is a record-breaking fund for Ukraine, with $350 million raised since the onset of the full-fledged invasion. Many thanks to the International Conference on Reconstruction of Ukraine for inviting and organizing the discussion, as well as to the other panelists for participating in this important conversation. #horizoncapital #URC2024

We are delighted to announce that Creatio, EEGF III portfolio company, was named a winner in The 22nd Annual American Business Awards®! Creatio, a global vendor of a no-code platform to automate workflows and CRM with a maximum degree of freedom, has received a Silver Stevie® Award in the Company of the Year, Computer Software, Large category. “The company's strategic partnerships, continuous product enhancements, and global expansion efforts underscore its dedication to staying at the forefront of the market. With a focus on delivering cutting-edge tools and fostering genuine relationships with customers, employees, and partners, Creatio has truly earned its position as a leader in the industry”, stated the judges. The American Business Awards® are the U.S.A.’s premier business awards program, receiving more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. More than 300 professionals participated in the judging process to select this year’s Stevie Award winners. Congratulations to Creatio’s outstanding work! #horizoncapital

Great news! We are excited to announce that Horizon Capital is joining Diia.City United! "Diia.City United is a robust platform that empowers us to utilize the strength of the community and international experience to construct an open dialogue between market participants and find new opportunities for developing the technological ecosystem," says Hanna Shuvalova, Principal at Horizon Capital. In May 2024, she became the first woman to be a member of the Strategic Council of the business union Diia.City United. Hanna will work on the Union's priority tasks together with the founders of Ukrainian product technology companies. The decision to join is a continuation of a long-term strategy. "Horizon Capital invests in companies shaping the country’s future. Not only do we support businesses by providing access to capital, but we also contribute to creating innovations that will become the basis of Ukraine's economic stability after the war," noted Hanna Shuvalova. We sincerely congratulate our Hanna on joining the Diia.City United Strategic Board and wish her new achievements! We are glad to have the opportunity to become a part of Diia.City United and are sure about our further fruitful cooperation! #horizoncapital

We’re honored to share that Lenna Koszarny, Founding Partner & CEO of Horizon Capital, has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Tryzub Leadership Award! The ceremony took place on the 9th of May in Toronto, Canada.  Lenna was honored for her steadfast commitment to enhancing Ukraine's investment climate and economic growth, notably raising over $800 million in six years to support visionary Ukrainian entrepreneurs immediately, including $350 million for the largest fund since the full-scale invasion. Lenna's leadership is widely recognized on various levels. She made it to the list of Ukrainska Pravda's "Top 100 Power Women Leaders" for Business (March 2024) and previously got listed in its "Top 100 Leaders of Ukraine During Wartime" (November 2023). Additionally, Forbes Ukraine has recently recognized her as one of the "Top 50 Women Leaders Leading Ukraine to Victory." Lenna Koszarny’s dedication extends to advocating for gender equality in private equity, a sector where senior women make up only 15% despite its $12 trillion USD size. Under her guidance, HCGF IV stands out as the first 2X Flagship Fund in Central and Eastern Europe promoting gender-smart investing. The Tryzub Award celebrates Lenna Koszarny’s community leadership, transformative impact on Ukraine's investment landscape, and support for entrepreneurs. The Tryzub Awards were created by The Myhal Family Foundation who saw a need to unify the Ukrainian-Canadian community across Canada to celebrate the accomplishments of those who have achieved success in their chosen fields, have worked in support of Ukraine, Ukrainian causes, the Ukrainian-Canadian community, and Canada overall. George and Rayla Myhal founded the Myhal Family Foundation to assist in supporting causes within Canada, collaborating with the Ukrainian community extensively, primarily through their existing partnership with The Shevchenko Foundation. More details: https://lnkd.in/dR-g9vtm

We are excited to announce that Lenna Koszarny, Horizon Capital’s Founding Partner & CEO, was named one of the Top 50 Inspiring Female Leaders of Ukraine by NV Media in the Business category. In compiling the list, NV stated that they named “Ukrainian women, each of whom plays a significant role in her field, makes key decisions, influences the course of events and, most importantly, despite extremely difficult times for the country, does her job impeccably.” Ms. Koszarny was recognized for being one of Ukraine’s most active investors, for raising $350 million to invest in Ukrainian companies during the war, and for already backing three companies – Preply, GoIT, and Viseven.  Congratulations to Lenna and to our entire Horizon Capital team! Slava Ukraini! The list is available via the link https://lnkd.in/ds3jYGuZ #horizoncapital

Congratulations to the Aurora Multimarket, EEGF III portfolio company, for becoming a proud member of the UN Global Compact! Aurora, Ukraine's largest "one dollar store" network, began operations 2011. With a staggering growth rate exceeding 50% annually, the network boasts over 1300 retail outlets. The UN Global Compact Network Ukraine represents the world's largest community of responsible businesses and serves as the official representative of the UN Global Compact. It fosters dialogue and provides training for businesses, investors, civil society, and governments, aligning their activities with the Sustainable Development Goals and Human Rights Principles. By becoming a member of the UN Global Compact, Aurora commits to integrating its principles into the company’s strategic framework and daily operations. It will also contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Among 17 of them, Aurora has identified the following as its key priorities: 🔹 Goal 1. End poverty 🔹 Goal 5. Gender equality 🔹 Goal 7. Affordable and clean energy 🔹 Goal 8. Decent work and economic growth 🔹 Goal 12. Responsible consumption and production 🔹 Goal 17. Partnerships for the goals We take great pride in Aurora's achievements, unwavering company commitment to excellence, and dedication to providing consumers with utmost value! The photo was taken from the UN Global Compact Network Ukraine LinkedIn page. Additional information on the news is available via the link https://lnkd.in/eM3xk8ys. #horizoncapital

Horizon Capital shines on Forbes Ukraine cover! Truly honoured to be featured for the April-May 2024 issue. Thank you to the Forbes Ukraine team for the pleasant surprise. Thank you to Ukraine’s visionary entrepreneurs leading the country’s economic resilience. You inspire us every day! Glory to Ukrainian defenders, who are the true heroes! Glory to Ukraine! 🇺🇦

Olga Kovalchuk, Human Resources Director, People Advisory at Horizon Capital, joined the discussion held at the event dedicated to the EU Women in Finance initiative introduced by Bloomberg. This discussion took place on April 18th in Prague. The agenda featured a keynote speaker Manisha Mehrotra, Bloomberg’s EMEA Head of D&I, on her personal contribution to bringing women together in finance, but also what Bloomberg as an organisation is doing about fairness in building more equal business and the world of finance more accessible to women and other under-represented groups. A panel discussion with inspirational female leaders with diverse backgrounds and views explored career trajectories in financial services by sharing personal career stories and lessons that helped and encouraged them to continue their leadership paths. During the discussion with participants, Ms. Kovalchuk shared her vision of female representation within the financial sector in Ukraine. ’‘Finance has become more equal and diverse with top managers who feel their companies take action and promote fairness. The global agenda speaks with more diversity, increasing women’s economic participation and achieving gender parity in leadership’’ - she said. During the discussion, Olga Kovalchuk highlighted Horizon Capital Growth Fund IV (HCGF IV) as a trendsetter and noted its distinction as the first fund in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) to achieve 2X Flagship Fund status. Notably, HCGF IV is one of approximately ten funds globally and one of only two led by a female Founding Partner & CEO to attain this prestigious status. The company keeps supporting women in finance and business in Ukraine and contributes to expanding new horizons for female professionals in the country. The EU Women in Finance initiative, unveiled at the Bloomberg Equality Summit, aims to demystify financial markets for young women and provide specialized training on capital markets. As the first pan-EU program of its kind, it offers aspiring women the opportunity to glean insights from influential female leaders who are shaping the future of financial services in the European Union. #horizoncapital #womeninfinance