CVA Welcomes New Startup Working Group Chairs & Enhanced Agenda
🚀 The CVA Startup Working Group is Evolving! 🚀
As we kick off 2025, one of the most active and impactful CVA entities is undergoing an evolution and taking its next big step — the CVA Startup Working Group is transforming into the CVA Startups & Venture Working Group to further expand its scope and reach. While the working group has been providing great value to early-stage companies for years, this expansion aims to broaden its impact by offering hands-on experience, closer access to funding, and even stronger venture capital connections—benefiting both its members and the broader blockchain & crypto industry.
🔹 Why This Shift?
- Expanding beyond startups to include scaleups, investors, and venture-building opportunities.
- Strengthening CVA Startups` access to capital, funding expertise, and hands-on mentorship.
- Enabling increased access for VCs, LPs, angel investors, and venture investors to high-quality startups and ventures within and beyond CVA.
- Further enhancing the Working Group’s most important —delivering maximum value to CVA members, startups, VCs, investors, and ventures.
📢 New Leadership in 2025
The working group will be led by
- Benedek Orban, CVA Board Member & Head of Ecosystem at CV Labs & CV VC, alongside two new co-chairs with deep expertise in funding & venture capital:
- Raphael Gireco – Founder of Olive Capital, an early-stage investment syndicate with 150+ members, managing $2.7B in aggregated AuM. A Geneva-based podcaster & community builder, Raphael has fostered entrepreneurial ecosystems across Europe in the crypto space.
- Evgeny Bazarov – Managing Partner at E4 Ventures & VP of Tokenization at YouHodler, based in Lausanne. An active angel investor and member of Business Angels Switzerland, Evgeniy is deeply connected to multiple international investment networks.
💡 A Heartfelt Thank You to Sara Simeone & Yasi Zhang!
As we step into this new chapter, we extend our deepest gratitude to Sara Simeone and Yasi Zhang for their outstanding and pivotal contributions to the Startup Working Group over the past years. Their expertise, commitment, and enthusiasm have been instrumental in shaping the group's success and its impact within CVA and the industry.
With 2025, they are passing on the torch, but their contributions will leave a lasting legacy. Thank you, Sara and Yasi! 🙌👏
With this transition, we look forward to empowering our members with greater access to capital, strategic mentorship, and growth opportunities in 2025 and beyond! 🚀
Guess what? The Startup WG evolution is already tangible!
🚀 Join their brand NEW event series kicking off 2025— VC Office Hours #1, kicking off with Mathieu Chanson, Co-Founding GP at Veryearly Ventures.
📢 Check the details and sign up: