Our Thesis

What we invest in

We invest at the earliest stages. Our checks range from 1 to 30 million ISK. We invest in Icelandic ideas.

We are not bound to a single sector. We are drawn to technical infrastructure, software, and services. Businesses where the core hypothesis can be tested cheaply and scaled efficiently. We follow founders first, but we bring opinions.

We invest in companies that have not yet proven themselves. That is the point. We look for ideas that have been thought through carefully, founders who have studied a market closely and noticed something others have missed. We do not require revenue. We do not require a finished product. We require a clear view of why this, why now, why you.

How we work

We prefer to take a board seat. It is not a formality. We will go through the analysis with you. The operating model, the competitive position, the assumptions that need testing before you raise again.

We help founders prepare for what comes after us, whether that is a larger angel round or a Series A. We can help you sharpen the narrative, tighten the numbers, and walk into the meeting ready.

We are available, but we are not intrusive. Founders should experience us as a partner when they want one, not as a supervisor they report to. You set the rhythm. We respond quickly. We show up when it matters.

What we look for

We look for founders with a specific insight into a market. Not general interest. Not a trend they read about. Something particular they understand that others have not yet seen clearly, and a clear view of why that gap is a real company.

We look for founders who want to think carefully about their business. Who treat the business model as a problem to be solved, not a box to be filled on a pitch slide. Who can explain the engine behind how they make money and why customers will pay. Conviction matters more than polish.

We look for founders who want a thinking partner, not only capital. We have opinions. We share them. The right founder welcomes that, and reserves the right to disagree.

What we are not

We are not a fund. Valaris is a private investment company. We invest our own capital. We do not manage other people's money. There are no external investors we report to, no fund cycle to manage, no pressure to deploy. We make decisions on our own terms, on our own timeline.

We make a few investments each year. Each one receives real attention. We are not filling a portfolio. We are choosing the people we walk with.

We do not replace a founder's judgment. We have opinions and we share them. But the founder decides. We are here to sharpen the thinking, not to take it over. We do not take the wheel. We walk alongside you.