Former Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan investor Zaya Kadyrova has joined Prague-based private markets investment platform Aspire11 as Co-Founder, strengthening the firm’s leadership as it expands its focus on long-term investments in high-growth technology businesses.
Experienced Investor Takes Charge of Later-Stage Investments
Kadyrova brings extensive experience in private market investing after backing rapidly growing technology companies during her time at one of the world’s largest institutional investors, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.
In her new position, she will oversee Aspire11’s later-stage direct investment activities, concentrating on businesses with strong long-term growth potential.
Her appointment reflects Aspire11’s ambition to deepen its presence in the private technology investment landscape while attracting institutional capital into innovative companies.
Leadership Team Expands to Support Growth Vision
As Co-Founder, Kadyrova will work alongside Aspire11 founder Pavel Mucha and fellow Co-Founder Tülin Tokatli to develop the firm’s investment platform.
Together, the leadership team aims to strengthen connections between Europe’s long-term pension investors and technology companies generating value across private markets.
The firm’s strategy is designed to provide institutional investors with access to carefully selected innovation-driven businesses while supporting entrepreneurs throughout different stages of company growth.
Dual Investment Strategies Target Different Stages of Innovation
Aspire11 operates through two complementary investment strategies that cover the full spectrum of technology company development.
Its Tribes strategy, led by Tokatli, focuses on investing in emerging venture capital managers that support startups at the pre-seed and seed stages.
Meanwhile, Eternals, under Kadyrova’s leadership, targets concentrated investments in later-stage growth companies across Europe and the United States that have the potential to become long-term leaders within their industries.
This structure allows the firm to participate in both early-stage innovation and more mature private technology businesses.
Initial Capital Deployment Reaches €100 Million
The investment platform has already deployed the first €100 million from its €515 million pension-backed fund, marking significant progress in executing its investment strategy.
The portfolio includes several prominent private technology companies, including Revolut, Databricks, VAST Data, Vinted, ElevenLabs, and Baseten, reflecting Aspire11’s emphasis on backing businesses with strong growth prospects and global market potential.
Strengthening Institutional Access to Private Technology Markets
Kadyrova’s arrival represents an important milestone for Aspire11 as it continues building a platform that bridges institutional pension capital with high-growth private technology companies.
By combining early-stage venture exposure with later-stage direct investments, the firm seeks to create long-term value for institutional investors while supporting the next generation of technology leaders.
Summary
Aspire11 has appointed former Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan investor Zaya Kadyrova as Co-Founder to lead its later-stage direct investment strategy.
Working alongside founder Pavel Mucha and Co-Founder Tülin Tokatli, she will help expand the firm’s investment platform, which has already invested €100 million from a €515 million pension-backed fund into leading private technology companies across Europe and the United States.
