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George Tziralis
Partner at Marathon Venture Capital
George Tziralis is a prominent figure in the Greek startup ecosystem and a Partner at Marathon Venture Capital. Here's a comprehensive overview of his background and achievements:
Professional Background
George Tziralis is a Partner at Marathon Venture Capital, a venture capital firm based in Athens, Greece.13 He has been instrumental in shaping the Greek startup landscape, having started the first entrepreneurial community and funds in the country.2
Investment Focus
As a venture capitalist, Tziralis focuses on early-stage investments:
- Investment Range: $100K - $5.0M
- Sweet Spot: $1.5M
- Current Fund Size: €70M
- Investments On Record: 471
He has invested in various sectors, including Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, Cybersecurity, Education, and BioTech, with a particular emphasis on pre-seed and seed-stage startups.1
Entrepreneurial Journey
Tziralis's journey in the startup ecosystem began in 2007 when he was trying to turn his Ph.D. research into a startup. Recognizing the lack of a supportive community for entrepreneurs in Greece, he organized a small event that grew into a monthly gathering, eventually attracting hundreds of like-minded individuals.2
Vision and Philosophy
Tziralis is known for his belief in the potential of Greek entrepreneurs and his commitment to addressing the challenges they face, particularly the lack of capital and relevant advice. His approach to venture capital is characterized by:
- A focus on being early and starting small
- A preference for working with highly motivated founders
- A willingness to challenge the notion that certain things "cannot be done" in the Greek context2
Notable Investments
Some of the notable companies in Tziralis's investment portfolio include:
- Causaly: Raised $66M across multiple rounds
- Hack The Box: Raised $67M, including a $55M Series B
- Cube RM: Raised $9M across seed and Series A rounds1
Impact on the Ecosystem
Through his work at Marathon Venture Capital, Tziralis has played a significant role in proving that substantial technology companies can be built in Greece. He has progressively raised the bar for startup success in the country, aiming to build companies valued at $10M, then $100M, and now even higher.2
George Tziralis continues to be an influential figure in the Greek and European startup ecosystems, leveraging his experience and network to support the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovative companies.
Highlights
Δύο χιλιάδες απόφοιτοι του ΕΜΠ αυτοπροσδιορίζονται ως founders!
Σε σύνολο 49 χιλιάδων αποφοίτων στο LinkedIn – σωστά, 4 στους 100!
Το επιχειρείν δεν είναι για όλους και μεγάλος αριθμός των παραπάνω δεν αφορά tech startups ή αναφέρεται σε παλαιότερες προσπάθειες κτλ.
Ωστόσο τα νούμερα είναι πλέον σημαντικά, και δεν αφορούν μονάχα το ΕΜΠ. Δοκιμάστε την αναζήτηση και σε άλλα ελληνικά πανεπιστήμια και θα εκπλαγείτε ευχάριστα!
Γράφω τα παραπάνω με αφορμή μία όμορφη εκδήλωση σε μία κατάμεστη αίθουσα χθες στο ίδρυμα, όπου ο ίδιος ο πρύτανης ευαγγελιζόταν το τεχνολογικό επιχειρείν!
Και αναλογίστηκα πόση διαδρομή έχουμε κάνει σε σχέση με κοντά είκοσι χρόνια πριν, όπου, όταν ανέφερες πως έκανες startup, σε θεωρούσαν κάτι σαν εξωγήινο...
Σκεφτείτε που θα βρεθούμε σε είκοσι χρόνια από σήμερα, με το compounding effect όλων των παραπάνω – η επανάσταση γίνεται από κάτω προς τα πάνω και συμβαίνει ήδη!

Fantastic to see Velos Rotors' helicopter drones featured in UK's Telegraph!
Trespassing has been a major threat affecting train operations and passenger safety across Europe.
Signalling cables and wires are often subject to vandalism or threat, while train lines are also suffering from collapsed trees, lineside fires and animals.
Velos Rotors' helicopter drones are revolutionary in tackling such problems – by flying further under any weather condition, transmitting real-time video to perform line inspections faster than ever before.
We have been working successfully with UK's Network Rail, and look forward to putting Velos in good use for train operators in more geographies soon!
https://t.co/4NIoaFh7sd

