We are immigrants investing in tech founders whose characters were deeply shaped by an immigration experience.
Our investment interest is broad and covers all sectors of the digital world.
We are based in Boston and look for tech startups from all over the world with the ambition to build a global company in the US.
We participate and/or lead Seed and Series A investments.
The 20+20 team at One Way Ventures combines two immigrants with 20 years of extensive angel investment and 20 years of operations and leadership in companies in various sectors. While at Techstars Boston, Semyon and Eveline have sourced, invested, and nurtured over 50 prominent local and international startups.
Semyon is a refugee from the Soviet Union and formerly the Managing Director of Techstars in Boston. Prior to Techstars, Semyon was a prolific angel investor in Boston and a friend to the startup community. Semyon made over 100 angel investments, including early investments in Quanergy, SMTP.com and Wanderu, and his philosophy has been to focus on helping his founders at all costs.
Prior to becoming a full time angel, Semyon has co-founded several companies including Vert and Fast Engines, which was sold to Adero in 2000. Xconomy lists Semyon as a top Angel Investor in New England, and he is also known for leading one of the MIT blackjack teams in the 90s.
Eveline is an immigrant from Brazil and formerly Director for the Techstars Boston program for the past 3 years. She launched and was the Managing Partner for Eastlabs, a prominent accelerator in Ukraine that jumpstarted the tech entrepreneurship ecosystem regionally. As CEO for media company Ekonomika, Eveline spearheaded its transformation into a digital hub. She was also CEO for cleantech company APCT.
Prior to her startup and digital journey, Eveline worked 10 years as process and control systems engineer in several multimillion dollar projects for the industrial gas industry. She immigrated from Brazil to US, Luxembourg, Ukraine, and back to the US.
“Semyon and Eveline are terrific mentors and were both great entrepreneurs. They complement each other well and always bring a unique set of experiences to the table.”
“Semyon gave me an idea, fueled my imagination, shared my pains, celebrated my successes. What can I say? One can’t dream of a better investor and friend.”
“Ever wonder if Perpetuum Mobile is possible? After working with Eveline on Preply and other startups, I have no doubts. The energy is unbelievable. And results speak for themselves.”
“Despite having a huge portfolio, Semyon makes you feel like you’re his only company. He cares deeply about the companies he invests in and adds value in ways that no other investors can. He pushes his entrepreneurs to think even bigger, be even bolder, and is the first person I call when I’m in a tricky situation. Do everything you can to get Semyon in your round!”
“Through navigating new territories, social structures and learning how to prosper in them, immigrants acquire a critical set of skills that give them an advantage in starting and growing a company. Namely, persistence and learning how to learn quickly.”
