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The Hive 

End-to-end Founder support.

founders' fund

What we do

One of our core values is to bring all we can to the table.

We know that it takes much more than capital to achieve our Founders’ ambitions, so we’ve built The Hive, dedicated to empowering them in every way on the journey.

Ops, talent, fundraising and mentorship – you name it, we have it.

it's about you

Your top priorities are our top priorities

Support with fundraising.

Facilitate access to talent and recruiting.

Accelerate growth.

Self-development of founders.

success guaranteed

How we do it

Advisory Sessions with Top Experts

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Our own network of senior and experienced field experts in leading global scale-ups, who allocate a few hours per week to our portfolio founders.

The Hive Summit

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Our annual founders' retreat, organised to foster meaningful connections with every individual within the Samaipata community.

Portfolio Perks

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Discounts and Free Memberships to our large network of partners for essential services and more. 

Community of founders

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Share and learn amongst our vibrant and pan-European community of high-achieving and ambitious Founders at all stages.

Access to an Exclusive Network

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Exclusive access to Samaipata’s network of corporates, business angels and partners who are excited to contribute to the growth trajectory of our portfolio.

Trialling new initiatives

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To continue generating value for our founders.

partners

Our Operating Partners

Lee Clancy

Lee Clancy

Operating Partner - Product-Led Growth

Lee Clancy is an Operating Partner based in Madrid, and is our expert in Product-Led Growth. ‍He is an experienced product executive, entrepreneur, investor, and board director with a long career in both Silicon Valley and Europe. Most recently, he was Senior Vice President of Product & Growth at Prosus / Naspers, a global consumer Internet group and one of the largest technology investors in the world, with a portfolio of leading platforms in educational technology, fintech, food delivery, and online classifieds.
Julien Simon

Julien Simon

Operating Partner - Tech | AI/ML

Julien is an Operating Partner at Samaipata based in Paris and he is our resident expert in AI and Machine Learning topics.He is currently Chief Evangelist at Hugging Face. He's previously spent 6 years at Amazon Web Services where he was the Global Technical Evangelist for AI & Machine Learning.
Andrea Finnegan

Andrea Finnegan

Operating Partner - Customer Experience

Andrea is an Operating Partner at Samaipata based in Dublin and she is our resident expert in Customer Experience. She is a customer success leader with 25+ years of leadership experience, currently managing customer support for Airbnb in EMEA. She serves as co-site lead and Executive Director for Airbnb Ireland, and is a global sponsor for diversity and inclusion within the Community Support team.

Stephan Lagraulet

Operating Partner - Tech

Stephan is an Operating Partner based in Barcelona, and is our expert in Engineering and Tech. ‍He is a seasoned engineer with over two decades of experience, has left an indelible mark across diverse industries. Over the last four years, he has steered N26 as the Engineering Director, orchestrating the transformation of their Banking Foundations and playing a pivotal role in their remarkable rise within the neo banking arena.

Laura Rueda

Operating Partner - Product

Laura is an Operating Partner based in Madrid and is our expert in Product. She has over 12 years of experience within Product. Currently she is a Principal PM Manager at Microsoft and previously the director of product management at Typeform.

Paulo Rodriguez

Operating Partner - SaaS | B2B S. Engineering

Paulo is an Operating Partner based in Dublin and is our resident expert in Enterprise SaaS and B2B Sales Engineering. ‍ He has had 12+ years of experience and is the Head of International at Vanta and formerly Senior Director at Dropbox where he led their B2B expansion into Europe, Enterprise Sales Engineer at Google and Security Engineer at Amazon.

Maria Fosarello

Operating Partner - Growth | Marketing

9 years experience in successful French international scale ups. She is currently Revenue Growth Director in Qonto and she is based in Paris. She has previously worked 7 years in BlaBlaCar in acquisition and growth projects.

Wais Shaifta

Operating Partner - International Expansion & Operations

Wais is an Operating Partner based in Madrid, and is our expert in Operations and International Expansion. He is an experienced operations director having worked in over 13 countries to assist in the scale, growth and development of operations teams. He led Push Doctor, one of the leading digital healthcare companies in Europe.

Nadini Sathiyarajan

Operating Partner - Communications & PR

Nadini is an Operating Partner based in Paris, and is our expert in Communications and PR strategies. Senior communications professional with both in-house and agency experience, she has over 10 years of experience in communications with a focus on corporate & consumer PR in hyper growth tech environments - like Qonto and Spotity and is currently the Head of Comms at Sorare

Laura Ryan

Operating Partner - HR and People

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Our Strategic Partners

Curated providers & preferential terms for our portfolio companies across different categories, and geographies.

google for startups logo
Cloud services
amazon web services logo
Cloud services
notion logo
Software
hubspot logo
CRM & Sales software
Zendesk logo
CRM & Sales software
stripe logo
Payments Software
wework logo
Co-Working
vanta logo
Security & Compliance
N 26 logo
Financial services
qonto logo
Financial services
ravio logo
HR Platform
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Document Management
miro logo
Collaborative Whiteboardj
netsuite logo
Remote
mask group
Coaching services
testimonials

Hear it from our Founders

Hear it from our portfolio founders on how our Founder Success team supported them in their growth.

“Samaipata has been strategic for Bigblue in our international expansion. We benefited from the Operating Partners network as an unfair advantage to grow faster, hire the best people and select the most strategic local partners.”
Will Meunier

Will Meunier

Co-Founder & CEO

"Samaipata extends beyond mere financials or networking opportunities. With Samaipata, there is a heartfelt commitment to forge a strong, supportive community. Their values are unique, they don’t just invest in startups, they invest in the people behind them. In essence, securing investment from Samaipata isn’t merely about adding funds to your balance sheet, it’s about embracing a partner who believes in you, your growth, and the holistic well-being of your entire team."
Antonio Berga

Antonio Berga

Co-Founder & Co-CEO

"Having Samaipata by our side has been a game changer. Their close, honest approach makes all the difference, and it's clear that this genuine commitment is a cornerstone of everything they do. From the Hive Summit to peer forums where we discuss everything from mental health to innovation, I truly feel part of an ecosystem that not only supports but elevates you. Samaipata doesn’t just assess businesses; they deeply value every individual behind each project and focus on the greater good."

Carlos Gómez

Founder & CEO

"Their deep emotional investment in our journey, combined with a genuinely kind and committed team, really sets Samaipata apart. Even when our views weren’t perfectly aligned, they were always eager to find a solution that respected the founder perspective. Being part of the Samaipata community isn’t just about support—it’s about tapping into a powerful network that continuously open up new opportunities."

Lukas Puender

Co-Founder & CEO

"It’s rare to find a fund that truly delivers on its promises. Samaipata does. No matter what challenge we face, the team is responsive, thoughtful, and always one step ahead. Their ability to open the right doors at the right time has made a real difference. Their strategic perspective — especially around complex topics like M&A — brought a level of clarity and depth that completely reshaped our thinking. The operational support is exceptional — everything is handled with care, speed, and precision. And the founder community is a huge asset. From day one, we’ve felt the strength of the network. It’s clear they’ve built a culture that goes beyond investing: they empower."

Juanjo Mestre

Co-Founder & CEO

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