Startup Greece Talks

Angel Investors Talks | EP#07: Dimitris Zografos, Angel Investor, VC Lab Fellow, Business Development at PitchBook Data

In the last episode of the angel investor series, we talked with startup ecosystem builder, Dimitris Zografos, to unpack how early-stage investing really works. We talk about his best investment and biggest failure, and why he believes teams can win in any industry if they pivot well and find the right market. Dimitris also shares the criteria he prioritises when funding startups, what his ideal founding team looks like, where he’d place €1M today, and practical advice for Greek founders, especially those building outside the big hubs. ℹ️ Dimitris Zografos has been an angel investor at HeBAN (Hellenic Business Angels Network) since 2020 and has been working in Business Development at PitchBook Data since 2019. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Sheffield and an MSc from Henley Business School in England. During his Bachelor’s studies, he also worked as a Summer Intern, supporting and helping organise university events. After graduating, Dimitris returned to Greece to gain professional experience before moving back to England in 2019 to join PitchBook Data. He is actively involved in the startup and investment community, combining data-driven insights with hands-on early-stage investing, and brings strong expertise in market research, relationship building, and ecosystem development to support founders and investors alike.

Angel Investors Talks | EP#06: Ariadne Velissaropoulos, Angel Investor

In this episode, we welcome Ariadne Velissaropoulos, an investor backing diverse founding teams. She explains what she notices first in a pitch and the one diligence step she never skips. We touch on Greece’s moment for founders, thinking beyond your home market, and the realities women founders navigate, plus what truly separates a good idea from an investable team. Watch to sharpen how you prepare for your next raise.   ℹ️ Ariadne Velissaropoulos is an investor backing start-ups and scale-ups with a focus on diverse founding teams. She serves on the boards of Petros Petropoulos AEBE and The HOME Project, and is an Ambassador for the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security. Born in Greece, she moved to the United States at age 12 and later lived in the UK and Switzerland. With 20+ years in public-markets investment management, Ariadne brings a global lens to championing women’s entrepreneurship—supporting women-owned start-ups in Greece and worldwide.

Angel Investors Talks | EP#05:Michael Panesis, Educator, ecosystem builder and angel investor

In this episode, we unpack how investments really happen—from networks, feedback loops, and warm introductions to what actually gets funded. We dive into the role of people vs business plans, idea vs MVP vs traction, and what matters more: founder vision or team strength.ℹ️ Our guest Michael is an entrepreneur, educator, angel investor, and business executive with deep roots in IT. He’s been the “first” COO/CIO/CTO more than once, turning technology into business value across software, automotive, financial services, information services, semiconductors, and consumer goods. Specialities include early-stage startups, angel investing, higher-ed entrepreneurship, corporate development, strategy, and turnarounds.

Angel Investors Talks | EP#04:Alexander Caravitis, Co-founder & CEO of Hosthub.com. Ex co-founder of Viva Wallet

Today's guest Alexander Caravitis took the unconventional path: studied translation, skipped an MA to join a 1996 internet startup, then spent two decades across web/product roles. He became a partner at Realize S.A. (2005), co-launched Viva.gr [http://Viva.gr] (2006), co-created Viva Payments / Viva Wallet (2010), and later co-founded Syncbnb (Hosthub) in 2017—scaling globally with backing from top Greek investors. In this episode, we unpack how angels decide when to invest, how much to write, and what they look for in teams. We dive into AI’s real impact, which sectors deserve a €1M bet, and why you no longer need Silicon Valley to scale.

Angel Investors Talks | EP#03: Evangelos Kotsonis, Entrepreneur, Corporate Leader, Angel Investor

In this episode, we welcome Evangelos Kotsonis, an entrepreneur turned angel who prefers to jump in at the very early stage. Evangelos believes investors should bring more than capital, offering hands-on support, candid feedback, and practical know-how. He urges founders to keep an open mind after funding, stay receptive to advice and new approaches, and focus on finding the right business model for their niche.