Services Expertise Process Institutions Contact
Startup Evaluator & VC Strategist

Prof.Dr. Donika Stavro Milo

Independent advisor and startup evaluator with deep institutional experience across EBRD, the European Commission, and leading venture funds. Turning complex investment decisions into clear strategic outcomes.

8+
Years Full-Time VC Experience
EBRD European Commission Venture Funds
200+
Startups Evaluated Across Europe
1.2B
Portfolio Value Advised
What I Offer

Institutional-Grade
Advisory Services

Combining rigorous due diligence frameworks with direct experience from inside Europe's most influential financial institutions.

Startup Evaluation
Comprehensive assessment of startup viability using institutional frameworks — team, technology, market fit, traction, and scalability scored against international benchmarks.
Due Diligence · Scoring · Benchmarking
Investment Readiness
Prepare founders and leadership teams to meet the standards of institutional investors, multilateral development banks, and strategic corporate funds.
Pitch Coaching · Fund Strategy · Storytelling
Portfolio Management
Strategic portfolio oversight and monitoring — from KPI design and performance tracking to value-creation roadmaps and exit strategy development.
KPI Design · Value Creation · Exits
EC & EBRD Grant Support
Guidance on European Commission and EBRD funding instruments — from Horizon Europe to InvestEU and EIC Accelerator applications and compliance.
Horizon Europe · EIC · InvestEU
Fund Advisory
Strategic counsel for emerging and established venture funds — deal sourcing frameworks, LP relations, governance structures, and co-investment strategy.
LP Strategy · Deal Flow · Governance
Evaluated Programmes

Cascade Funds
& FSTP Projects
2018 — 2026

As an accredited expert evaluator, I have assessed startups and SMEs across Europe's most competitive cascade funding and FSTP instruments.

2018–20
STARTS4Water — Cascade Fund
EIT Climate-KIC · 42 projects evaluated · Water innovation & climate tech
FSTPEIT
2019–21
NGI Atlantic — Open Call
European Commission / NGI · Transatlantic internet innovation · 60+ proposals
H2020Cascade
2020–22
EBRD Star Venture — Balkans
EBRD Regional · Early-stage deeptech & fintech · Albania, N. Macedonia, Serbia
EBRDFSTP
2021–23
EIC Accelerator — Pilot Batch
European Innovation Council · Blended finance · Deep tech SMEs across EU27
EICHorizon Europe
2022–23
DIH² Cascade Funding
Digital Innovation Hubs / EC · Robotics & AI manufacturing SMEs · 35 evaluations
CascadeAI/Robotics
2023–24
Western Balkans Enterprise Development
RCC / EC DG NEAR · Growth-stage startups · 6 WB economies
DG NEARFSTP
2024–26
InvestEU — Innovation Window
EIF / EC · Equity & quasi-equity evaluation · Cross-border VC mandates
InvestEUEIF
The Expert

Built on
Real Institutional
Experience

Eight years spent on the inside of institutions that shape European venture capital — not advising from the outside, but making the decisions. This is the difference.

2016–
2020
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Startup Evaluator & Investment Analyst · EBRD Venture Initiative
2018–
2022
European Commission
Expert Evaluator · Horizon 2020 / EIC Accelerator Program
2020–
2024
Pan-European Venture Funds
Senior Advisor · Portfolio Strategy & Deal Origination
2024–
Now
Independent Practice
Startup Evaluator & VC Strategist · Global Mandate
How I Work

A Rigorous
Five-Stage Process

01
Initial Briefing
Understanding your objectives, constraints, and the specific challenge — whether evaluation, fundraising, or strategic repositioning.
02
Deep Diligence
Applying institutional-grade scoring matrices to team, market, technology, traction and financial projections against validated benchmarks.
03
Competitive Mapping
Sector landscape analysis — identifying white spaces, competitive moats, and how the opportunity positions within European and global market structures.
04
Strategic Report
A board-ready document detailing findings, risk matrices, value drivers, and a prioritized set of recommendations with clear action ownership.
05
Ongoing Support
Optional ongoing advisory engagement: quarterly check-ins, investor introductions, pitch refinement, and milestone tracking through funding milestones.
Institutional Footprint

Trusted by Leading
European Institutions

EBRD
European Commission
EIC Accelerator
Horizon Europe
InvestEU
EIF
Startup Albania
Western Balkans Fund
SEE Venture Fund
Cohesion Fund Partners
COSME
CEE Emerging VC
Get in Touch

Start a
Conversation

Whether you are a founder seeking evaluation, a fund building its process, or an institution requiring expert judgment — let us discuss what matters.

Email
advisory@ventureexpert.eu
Location
Brussels · Tirana · Remote
LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/ventureexpert
Site Navigation

Sitemap