A leading European
Venture firm
C4 Ventures is a leading European Venture firm led by former Apple and Microsoft executives, a team of business operators backing ambitious tech entrepreneurs.
Who we are
We are C4 Ventures, a leading European venture firm built by Tech Operators who believe in doing venture capital differently. Most of our team comes from technology, not finance, and we bring to founders the perspective of people who have built, scaled, and led iconic companies from the inside. Pascal Cagni, who spearheaded Apple’s growth across Europe under Steve Jobs, and Eric Boustouller, who led Microsoft in Western Europe, embody the depth of operational experience that defines us.
We only invest where we know we can make a difference, when our experience, network, and understanding of product and technology can create a real edge for founders. This often means leaning into areas others shy away from, like hardware, consumer or deep tech. We like being small because we believe venture capital doesn’t scale. Every founder we meet speaks directly with a partner, and every company we back gets our hands-on attention. This is what building a boutique firm of excellence means to us.
We believe that enduring companies are built by unique People who obsess over creating world-class Product with cutting-edge Technology. And we believe in Europe, not only as a vibrant market to operate in, but as a hub for building tomorrow’s global tech champions.
At C4 Ventures, our mission is to stand alongside the Crazy Ones, those who dare to create, challenge, and redefine entire industries.
Shaping the future with every investment
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1988Pascal Cagni & Eric Boustouller meet at Compaq. A shared passion for tech and European expansion is born.
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1995Pascal Cagni becomes VP Europe at Packard Bell. He leads it to become the #1 consumer PC brand in Europe.
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2000Steve Jobs appoints Pascal to lead Apple Europe (EMEIA). Under his leadership, Apple’s revenue in the region grows from $1.2B to over $40B.
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2005Eric Boustouller becomes President Western Europe at Microsoft. He oversees Microsoft’s consumer and B2B business across more than a dozen markets, steering strategic growth for Office and Windows.
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2011Pascal and Boris Bakech meet at Apple. A year later, they start investing in hardware startups, backing companies like Nest (later acquired by Google).
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2014C4 Ventures is born. The success of Nest ($3.2B acquisition) crystallizes a vision: create a different boutique VC fund led by operators.
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2016C4 Ventures I deployment. Backing future champions such as Via, Formlabs, Riskified and Graphcore.
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2018Michel Sassano joins the team. Bringing experience from Orange and Kima Ventures. Michel’s arrival marks a pivotal step in C4’s expansion into deep tech.
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2020C4 Ventures II first closing. A 90m€ fund raised in during the Covid lockdown. Notable champions include Drivenets, PsiQuantum, Impulse Space and Refurbed.
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2021Riskified goes public. After reaching unicorn status 2 years prior, Riskified gets listed on NYSE at a $3.5B valuation. Our 1st IPO.
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2025Valère Rames joins the team. Bringing 14 years of VC experience from Hi-Inov and Seventure. C4 has 5 senior partners, all with operational experience and complementary backgrounds across product, sales, and general management.
You are an entrepreneur. Just like us.
You innovate, you create.
Your project is unique, daring, and unprecedented. What may seem like a detail to some is essential in your eyes. You are committed and involved. You take risks to succeed and to have an impact on the world.
We may choose to work together, to support you with our time, our experience, our network. Not just with money.
That’s why we want to understand everything, explore everything and share everything with you before deciding to invest.
We are C4. What about you?
