Her approach is unconventional, as she is now funding startups for entrepreneurs in their 50s and 60s, challenging the conventional view that youth is synonymous with innovation.

As the founder of the investment firm Brilliant Minds, Katerina Stroponiati is making the dreams of others a reality, particularly those of aspiring entrepreneurs over 50. At the same time, she is living her own modern fairytale: attending VIP events at cutting-edge conferences, maintaining a seemingly perfect lifestyle with global travel, adventure in nature, and a curated Instagram feed of health and fitness.

However, Stroponiati’s current lifestyle bears little resemblance to her early years. In fact, a recent article by the Wall Street Journal describes her as a “venture capitalist betting on 50 and 60-year-olds – Why age is just a number.” This headline underscores the uniqueness of Stroponiati’s career, which has managed to stand out in the hyper-competitive world of venture capital.

From Small Town to Tech Capital: A Journey of Innovation

Katerina hails from the small town of Nea Artaki in Evia, Greece—hardly the breeding ground for a future tech mogul. As a teenager, she occupied herself with crafting but, everything changed when she was given her first computer by a relative. This sparked an enduring passion for computers and the internet. Stroponiati went on to study at the Technical University of Crete, earning a degree in Production and Management Engineering. She initially worked for two years as an engineer focused on bioclimatic architecture before branching out into the world of startups.

Her first venture, Milkybay LLC, was a small app development lab which laid the foundation for her entry into the U.S. market. Along with two partners, Stroponiati co-founded Sunshine Technologies, which saw its first major success with an app that turned smartphones into weather stations, garnering over 2.5 million users.

Her entrepreneurial journey continued with the creation of Weendy, an app catering to the weather needs of water sports enthusiasts. But it was her pivot into blockchain technology and cryptocurrency that marked her next phase. In 2017, Stroponiati founded Monday Capital, a venture fund dedicated to blockchain and other emerging technologies.

A Focus on Longevity and Older Entrepreneurs

As Stroponiati’s business ventures continued to grow, her interests began to shift towards a sector with an untapped potential—longevity. The 2023 founding of Brilliant Minds was a natural progression in her career, with the company focused on supporting startups founded by individuals aged 50 and above. The mission of Brilliant Minds aligns with Stroponiati’s belief that older entrepreneurs bring invaluable experience to the table and that the rising global trend of ageing populations presents new opportunities for innovation.

In fact, Stroponiati joined the Longevity Biotechnology Association in 2023, solidifying her commitment to this area. Through Brilliant Minds, she aims to fund projects focused on aging-related research, health, and sustainability—fields that may not only extend the human lifespan but also improve quality of life in later years.

The concept behind Brilliant Minds is to challenge the age bias that currently permeates the venture capital industry. Stroponiati argues that older entrepreneurs possess unique insights and experiences that younger counterparts lack. Her firm is set to invest between $150,000 and $300,000 in each startup it supports, with a goal of making 15 investments over the next three years.

Supporting Seniors in Entrepreneurship

Since launching in May 2024, Brilliant Minds has already supported two startups. The first, To&From, is an innovative platform for gift exchanges, while the second, Kinesis Network, focuses on cloud computing services.

Stroponiati has received over 500 applications within the first two months of launching Brilliant Minds, demonstrating the high demand for funding among older entrepreneurs. Her firm is proving that age and experience matter—more than just a number in a world increasingly embracing longevity.

As Stroponiati explains, “Experience is often overlooked, yet it’s the key to unlocking success. Older entrepreneurs have three times the chance of exceeding targets in public offerings, yet venture funds continue to fund younger entrepreneurs. We’re here to break that mold.”

Her philosophy? “What’s the point of living to 120 if you’re not healthy?” A sentiment that perfectly captures the essence of her work and vision for the future: a world where innovation isn’t just for the young, but for anyone, regardless of age.