From building. To backing.
I'm Maria Rotilu, Founder & General Partner of Openseed VC, investing in exceptional operators building companies on day zero, often before institutional capital shows up.
I joined Uber in a complex emerging market and became Country Manager within months. At Branch, the a16z-backed AI enabled neobank, I was General Manager, scaling from 100k to 2.7m+ users and building the team from zero to 39. I know the build because I lived it.
15+ years professional experience, 7,000+ startups assessed, 70+ backed across Europe, the US and Africa. The lesson: early-stage failure is not always just about the idea. It's about founding team, vision, and execution under uncertainty. So, I bet on who is building, not just what.
Openseed is my day zero. I currently run it as a solo GP leading with conviction. I'm named among Europe's first female solo and Black GPs, and the fund is backed by unicorn founders, exceptional operators, and the British Business Bank. The work: Find exceptional operators and back them on day zero.