Tatiana Shalalvand will join Cherry Ventures as a partner next month, with a mandate to back founders emerging from the Nordic AI scene. She specifically named Lovable and Legora as companies whose alumni she expects to build significant startups.
Shalalvand described the opportunity as a "mafia" moment, where early employees at breakout AI companies go on to found their own ventures. She noted that the Nordics have produced a wave of AI talent, and Cherry wants to be early for the next generation.
The hire underscores Cherry Ventures' push into AI and the Nordics. Shalalvand's focus will be on identifying founders with deep product and AI experience, rather than just investing in the most obvious names.