Unlocking Funding: A Founder’s Guide to Venture Capital with Adrian Galea
About the Session
Raising venture capital is often seen as one of the most opaque and misunderstood parts of the startup journey, especially for founders operating from smaller ecosystems like Malta. This session brings clarity to that process in a practical and candid way.
Designed as an Ask-Me-Anything with an international VC operator, founders will have the opportunity to ask real questions about how venture capital works, how funds make decisions, what investors look for, and how Maltese founders can position themselves for success when raising abroad.
Meet the Expert: Adrian Galea
Adrian Galea – already a familiar face with the local startup community, Adrian is VP of Finance for a US-based Venture Capital fund with $1 billion in assets under management, specialising in gaming and interactive entertainment.
Adrian brings serious global experience, currently overseeing portfolio management for 150+ startups across 6 funds with a truly international investment approach. His role focuses on developing internal policies and procedures while managing one of the most diverse startup portfolios in the industry.
Before his current position, Adrian was one of the first five employees at an early-stage startup where he managed a portfolio of over 100 startups for business angels across Switzerland, Europe, and the US. During this time, he successfully helped raise more than €25 million in early-stage finance and assisted with several successful exits for investors.
His ambition is to use his extensive experience in early-stage finance to help Maltese startups and professionals scale internationally. Whether through strategic guidance or simply being moral support during the challenging journey of startup life, Adrian is passionate about giving back to the entrepreneurial community that’s shaped his career.
About the Unlocking Funding Series
Unlocking Funding is a programme led by DiHubMT that aims to address the financing needs of Maltese startups and SMEs. Through focused sessions on different funding pathways, from grants, equity, and venture capital to alternative instruments, the series demystifies the landscape and equips founders with the knowledge and tools needed to make informed decisions about raising capital.
About DiHubMT
DiHubMT, operated by MDIA, is Malta’s European Digital Innovation Hub, a central point for founders, innovators, and SMEs exploring digitalisation, commercialisation, and growth. The hub provides access to mentorship, workshops, events, expert clinics, collaboration networks, and EU-level opportunities.
Collaborating Partners
This session is being delivered in collaboration with:
Foundation for the Promotion of Entrepreneurial Initiatives (FPEI)
FPEI is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting and empowering entrepreneurship in Malta. FPEI works to strengthen the local startup and SME ecosystem by providing practical support, training, and guidance to founders, small businesses, and freelancers.
Malta Startup Space (MSS)
MSS is a community built by and for startup founders, investors, and ecosystem supporters in Malta. Its mission is simple: bring the startup community together, help founders build, create visibility with investors, and contribute to growing one of the most dynamic startup ecosystems in the EU.