Oliver Rye is the founder and solo GP of Hersir Ventures, where he leads early-stage investments through curated SPVs across Europe. With more than 20+ years of experience in startups, global corporates, and family office investing, he brings a broad perspective on building, scaling, and supporting companies from idea to growth.
He previously held strategy and business development roles at GreenMobility, CO2HERO, and Hempel, working in Europe and Asia. He holds a Bachelor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, an Executive MBA, a board education from CBS Executive, and is a Newton Venture Fellow.
Oliver has founded multiple companies and has personally invested in more than 35+ startups and over 10+ alternative investment funds through SPVs and direct commitments. His portfolio spans AI, B2B software, frontier tech, deeptech, and climate-focused ventures.
Why the name Hersir?
The name Hersir Ventures draws inspiration from the Viking Hersir, a local military commander who led and organized raids with a force of up to a hundred warriors. Just as a Hersir boldly guided his forces across new territories, we lead a group of investors in SPVs to support early-stage Nordic startups and funds in their expansion into new markets.
With an extensive network of founders, VC investors, syndicates, angels, family offices, and ecosystem players across Europe, we leverage these strong relationships to secure access to competitive and high-quality investment opportunities.
Hersir does not lead rounds or set terms but rather invest alongside a lead investor. We love to help in securing a lead investor and do this frequently. We get to a decision quickly and try to always be respectful of the founders' time. We are passionate about supporting founders at every stage, believing that even the smallest contributions can make a significant impact in the early days.
