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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. He has played a pivotal role in fostering entrepreneurship and venture capital in Greece since the late 2000s.12
Background and Career
George's journey in the startup world began in 2007 when he was attempting to transform his Ph.D. research into a startup. Recognizing the lack of a supportive entrepreneurial community in Greece, he took the initiative to organize small events for like-minded individuals. These gatherings grew from a dozen attendees to hundreds, effectively giving birth to an entrepreneurial community in the country.1
Contributions to the Greek Startup Ecosystem
Community Building:: Tziralis is credited with starting the first entrepreneurial community in Greece, which laid the foundation for the country's burgeoning startup scene.12
Venture Capital:: Recognizing the dual challenges of capital scarcity and lack of relevant advice for Greek startups, Tziralis ventured into fund management. He has been instrumental in proving that significant technology companies could be built in Greece, raising the bar from $10 million to $100 million valuations through his successive funds.1
Role at Marathon Venture Capital
As a Partner at Marathon Venture Capital, George Tziralis continues to support and invest in promising startups. The firm typically invests between $100,000 and $5 million, with a sweet spot around $1.5 million.3 Marathon Venture Capital aims to leverage operational experience across software engineering, financing, product management, and company building to assist founders on a continuous basis.2
Philosophy and Approach
Tziralis is known for his belief in the potential of Greek entrepreneurs and his commitment to supporting them. He values:
- Being early and starting small
- Working with highly motivated individuals
- Perseverance in the face of skepticism
His approach to venture capital is characterized by a deep appreciation for the entrepreneurial journey, finding fulfillment in helping founders advance their life's work despite the challenges and rejections inherent in the startup world.1
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!


