Pixelmatters Ventures

Say hi to a new way of investing. 👋 pixelmatters.ventures

I was naive about the power of my network. 🤦‍♂️ October 2024 → Announced @PixelVentures_, targeting raising at least €3M, to provide craft capital to exciting 30k to 50k MRR startups out there. May 2025 → Only raised €1M so far. 💰 Turns out that generating €25M+ in revenue over 11 years with a business like @Pixelmatters_ doesn't automatically make people throw money at your new venture. I was super confident. I had a list: "These 15 people will DEFINITELY invest." Reality? Most said no. 🥲 The process of fundraising, which is totally new to me, is being both brutal and humbling. The biggest lesson so far: your professional network and your investor network have very little overlap. Like, embarrassingly little. 😅 But just to be clear: make no mistake, I'm pushing forward. I know I'm on ground zero, but this thing is going to happen, and it's going to work! This also makes me even more grateful for the €1M believers. Let's do this! 🔥

Today I m̶a̶d̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶n̶d̶-̶u̶p̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶e̶d̶y̶ ̶a̶p̶p̶e̶a̶r̶a̶n̶c̶e̶ gave a talk today for engineering students. 🎙️ Thanks to the organizers for allowing a designer to throw a talk at an Engineering university. 😇 Had a blast. Until next time!

We're thrilled to share that @amitvasudev_ , a seasoned builder, co-founder of @clearbit (acquired by @HubSpot ), and one of the folks running Earl Grey Capital, has joined our mission to reshape venture collaboration as an investor. 🤝 With a proven track record of scaling multiple B2B SaaS companies, Amit brings invaluable insights into our craft capital approach. Welcome, Amit!

We’re making solid progress toward our next milestone, a first fundraise closing by the end of March, with €1.2M raised so far. This capital will fuel our vision of partnering with exceptional founders, building great products together, and redefining how venture collaboration works. We’re just getting started. Grateful for the support and excited for what’s ahead. Let’s keep building!

As we get closer to a first fundraise closing, we’re beyond excited to share that Gonçalo Silva, CTO at @doist, joined us as an investor. 🤝 It’s a privilege to have him on board. Gonçalo has extensive experience leading successful digital products like @todoist. Here’s his perspective on what makes @PixelVentures_ stand out:

Last week, our founder @smackingg hosted the first-ever @joinupsideclub Founder Retreat, a private community of Founders. It was nothing short of extraordinary. 💫 Magic happens when great founders come together and believe in the power of learning from each other. 🚀

At @PixelVentures_ , our values aren’t just words, they’re the foundation of everything we do. 🌟 Transparency: we believe in open communication and shared understanding, creating partnerships built on trust. 🤝 Collaboration: we don’t just advise. We build with you, side by side, every step of the way. 🚀 Innovation: we embrace bold ideas, using our decade of expertise to turn vision into reality. For us, it’s about more than building products. It’s about building meaningful relationships with founders who inspire us every day.

Continuing our momentum toward a 1st fundraise closing by the end of this quarter, we’re excited to introduce another early supporter and investor, Filip Ernest. 🤝 Filip shares his perspective on why he aligns with our hands-on, craft-focused vision for startup growth. ↓ ”I chose to invest in @PixelVentures_ because it represents a forward-thinking evolution of venture capital. Traditional VC often focuses solely on capital injection, but Pixelmatters Ventures goes beyond that by embedding expertise, craftsmanship, and a hands-on approach into the companies they partner with. Their unique ‘craft capital’ model aligns perfectly with the needs of modern startups—prioritizing execution, innovation, and long-term success. As someone who values quality and meaningful collaboration, I see this model as the future of investing, offering both financial returns and the satisfaction of contributing to tangible, impactful growth.”

As we gear up for a 1st fundraise closing by the end of Q1, we’re stoked to announce one of our earliest supporters… and investors, Michael Sanders. 🤝 Michael co-founded @GetDoneDone, which was a @pixelmatters_ client, having experienced first-hand the impact that our craft can have on a product and business. In his words ↓ ”Having worked closely with @smackingg and the Pixelmatters team as a client, I’ve experienced firsthand their unmatched passion, expertise, and commitment to excellence. The brilliance of the craft capital investment model is in how it bridges a critical gap for startups — delivering exceptional hands-on expertise to solve pressing product and tech challenges. As an investor, it’s the kind of forward-thinking approach I’m proud to support.”

2024 is the year in which Pixelmatters Ventures was born. From publicly announcing the project to securing our first investment, the journey has been nothing short of exciting. 🚀 We're now laser-focused on building our first fund, with a goal to close by Q1 2025. The response from the community has been overwhelming, reaffirming our belief that Craft Capital is a much-needed alternative to traditional VC. 2025 is shaping up to be game-changing, and we’re just getting started. Let's do this together. 💪

One more to the already long list of “VC horror stories” that have been popping up over the past few years. Traditional VCs are broken. New approaches are needed, with Founders turned investors at the helm, where going public or becoming a multi BN business is not the only definition of sucesss. It’s what I’m attempting with @PixelVentures_

At @PixelVentures_ , building your product is just the beginning. You’ll tap into a community of seasoned founders, top-tier advisors, and industry pros who’ve scaled world-renowned companies. It’s more than code and design — it’s instant access to a network that’s been there and done it, ready to fuel your next big leap. 🔥

Yesterday, it was @pixelmatters_ anniversary. 11 years in business! 🎉 Time for some stats: 🤝 130 clients, across all continents in the world 👥 150 people have worked here so far 💰 €25M in accumulated revenue 🌎 89% of revenue from outside Portugal, ~ 80% of it from the 🇺🇸 US 💵 Profitable every year, and in 122 months out of 133 possible 🖼️ 64 case studies published ✖️ 1 new brand launched, @PixelVentures_ The last couple of years haven't been the easiest given the state of the tech economy, but we're showing our resilience as a business. I couldn't be prouder. We're here to stay! 🔥 This has also been our most disruptive year yet, but I'm so grateful for all the changes we've made. I was never as excited about our future as I am today. 🚀 Here's the raw draft of @Pixelmatters_ first logo, circa March 2014. We've paid €295 for it. I guess it was a good deal! 😅

We don’t just write checks. We roll up our sleeves and join you in the trenches. Every investment is a journey we go on together. Side by side, we push forward, pivot when needed, and celebrate each milestone.

No fluff, no guesswork, no hidden agendas. At @PixelVentures_, we value open, honest, two-way feedback. We keep it transparent and straightforward so you can focus on growth, not on managing your investors.

Behind @PixelVentures_ is a team you might already know. With over a decade of experience designing & building world-class digital products, we leverage that accumulated @pixelmatters_ expertise to partner with ambitious founders. @smackingg, Managing Director @lmsmonteiro, Head of Design @bmfteixeira, Head of Product @tiagofscoelho, CTO

If you’re wondering what and who we invest in, these are our 4 key criteria. → Your business has had a head-start — it’s no longer just a napkin idea, it shows traction. → Your industry doesn’t matter, as long as we’re talking digital. Internet technology is where we love to pour our heart and soul into. → You’re as obsessed with quality as we are. We want to invest in and work with founders that deeply care about every detail of how their product looks and feels. → We don’t really mind where your business is from, but bonus points if your business is based in Europe or the US.

It's Friday night. What am I doing? Working on @PixelVentures_ ⚡ I'm committed and extremely motivated to get this thing off the ground while continuing to ensure @Pixelmatters_ succeeds. As a fully bootstrapped Founder, fundraising is totally new to me. And I'm feeling like a fucking newbie. 🤣 Which is another way of saying that I'm having a BLAST! Completely out of my comfort zone! 💯 Let's do this! 🔥

From unicorns to billion-dollar IPOs—yeah, we’ve been there. For over a decade, @pixelmatters_ has built a culture of excellence, helping companies scale and thrive. We’ve partnered with some of the most successful names in tech. At @PixelVentures_, we’re bringing that same energy to founders ready to build the next big thing. #CraftCapital