Mutschler Ventures AG
Mutschler Ventures is a Zug, Switzerland-based single family office that has been an active early-stage venture capital investor in the DACH region since 2007. They have backed over 40 companies, including notable successes like Auto1, Adyen, Sygnum, Thermondo, and Betreut.de/Care.com. The firm focuses on scalable tech companies with initial traction and revenue validation across several sectors. They favor B2B/B2C SaaS, Enterprise SaaS, and tech-enabled service business models. Mutschler Ventures positions itself as a follow-on investor for Seed rounds, leveraging its long-standing track record, hands-on approach, and entrepreneurial experience. They emphasize a commitment to supporting companies over the long term, investing in subsequent rounds to foster sustainable growth. They are looking for exceptional founding teams that balance ambitious goals with grounded execution. As an active investor, Mutschler Ventures provides support to its portfolio companies in various aspects of company building. This includes answering strategic, organizational, and conceptual questions, assisting in the search for further investors, and facilitating connections within their network.
Nordic Eye Venture Capital
Fiftyfive Capital is an international growth capital firm headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, focused on investing in growth-stage companies within the technology and lifestyle sectors. They seek investments with strong revenue potential and a clear path to international expansion. Their investment strategy involves spotting unique cases with clear scalable potential and a strong fit to their capabilities. They prefer companies that have proven their product and market fit, aiming to exit when scalability is proven. They also have a Liquidity Fund that provides investors with access to high-quality, exit-ready European technology companies through direct secondary investments. The firm's approach involves actively working with portfolio companies post-investment, leveraging their experiences in IT consulting, metadata, digital data, SaaS, big data, property, finance, sales, change management, and customer journey knowledge. Fiftyfive Capital emphasizes responsible investing by integrating ESG policies into their business strategy, believing it leads to value creation and long-term success.
Pario Ventures
Pario Ventures backs founders who are building real businesses, focusing on companies that demonstrate pragmatism and commercial execution rather than hype. They invest at Seed and Series A stages, prioritizing partners who understand what it takes to build, scale, and survive the challenges of early-stage growth. The firm values founders who are resourceful, respect capital, and are focused on getting to market and building strong foundations. They are sector agnostic but highly value the team, resilience, and execution capabilities of the founders. They aren't looking for quick IPOs but sustainable growth, profitability, or strategic exits through M&A.
Philipp Angermann
PA Ventures GmbH, led by Philipp Angermann, focuses on early-stage fintech and B2B SaaS startups. As an angel investor and startup advisor, Philipp leverages his experience in product management, B2B marketing, B2B sales, and operations to support portfolio companies. His investment strategy centers around providing not only capital but also hands-on guidance to help startups navigate the challenges of early growth. He aims to connect them with a strong network of fellow angel investors, VCs, and family offices for subsequent fundraising rounds. Philipp also runs the PA Foundation to support non-profits and is committed to sustainability by offsetting his carbon footprint through Leaders for Climate Action.
Prequel Ventures
Prequel Ventures focuses on empowering sustainable supply chains by investing in visionary founder teams building resilient, efficient, transparent, and sustainable supply chain solutions. The firm combines operational startup experience and venture capital expertise with a passion for the supply chain industry. They aim to provide financial backing and operational support to transform the inner workings of global trade. Their goal is to fund related startups from the pre-seed stage onwards, helping innovative teams turn their business ideas into financially viable ventures that align profits with principles. Prequel Ventures takes a purpose-driven approach to investing, emphasizing a commitment to building a greener and stronger tomorrow, one supply chain solution at a time. The firm seeks to invest in companies that are at the forefront of positive change within the supply chain sector. They are interested in startups that are driving innovation and creating a more sustainable and efficient future for global trade. Their primary focus is on empowering supply chain pioneers right from the initial stages, specifically pre-seed stage, recognizing the importance of early-stage support. They aim to scout and invest in teams throughout Europe, targeting those who they believe will become champions of industry. They combine over three decades of experience as investment specialists with a common drive to transform the inner workings of global trade.
SINTEF Ventures
Based on the provided website content, SINTEF appears to be primarily a research organization rather than a traditional venture capital firm. Their focus is on applied research, technology development, and innovation across various sectors. They conduct numerous projects annually for clients of all sizes, offering services such as laboratory testing, expert consulting, software development, and research publication. While they may not directly invest in startups in the same way as a VC firm, SINTEF plays a crucial role in fostering innovation by providing R&D services, developing technologies, and facilitating access to funding opportunities for companies looking to develop and commercialize new ideas. Their work covers a broad range of technologies, from green energy and hydrogen to AI and improved sound environments, all aimed at contributing to a better society. They also facilitate connections with expertise and knowledge resources, which can be incredibly valuable to nascent companies.
Super Capital VC
Super Capital is a 360° financing group for startup and SME leaders, operating as a VC fund and a business angel community. Founded in 2018 as a community of business angels, it evolved to include VC activities in 2020 and expanded its service offerings, especially in non-dilutive financing, in 2021. Their goal is to facilitate funding for entrepreneurs and facilitate the acquisition of businesses. The firm aims to be one of the most active early-stage investors in Europe, executing over 100 investments annually. They seek to help entrepreneurs raise funds and offer support from early stage investments to later stage VC deals. The firm also emphasizes the importance of good communication between entrepreneurs and investors, advocating for proactive and regular reporting on progress, challenges, and financial status.
Tomcat Capital
Tomcat Capital operates as a Venture Capital fund and B2B accelerator focused on SaaS companies. Their core mission is to de-risk investments and propel startups from Seed to Series B stages. This is achieved through a combination of the Tomcat Factory accelerator program and direct venture capital investments. The Tomcat Factory provides structured support over six months, including masterclasses, one-on-one mentoring, demo days, advisor days, and thematic events, aimed at early-stage SaaS B2B startups. The venture capital arm invests in the best startups that have demonstrated success within the acceleration program. They aim to optimize the growth/risk profile of venture investments, focusing on operational and financial support, especially during Seed, Series A, and Series B fundraising rounds. Tomcat Capital's strategy is heavily reliant on its accelerator program, Tomcat Factory, which acts as a filter for potential investments. This allows them to invest in companies with a proven track record within their ecosystem, thus de-risking their capital deployment. The firm also provides talent sourcing through Tomcat Talents, assisting portfolio companies in scaling their teams rapidly to accelerate their overall success. The emphasis on operational involvement and strategic guidance provided by the team, composed of successful entrepreneurs and experienced managers, further supports their portfolio companies. They differentiate themselves through a highly engaged community consisting of over 250 entrepreneurs, mentors, and active investors. This network is readily available to support and open their networks to portfolio companies. Furthermore, their active involvement in leadership, internal/external growth management, and company vision setting provides a distinct advantage to early-stage startups. Tomcat's approach combines venture capital funding with hands-on mentorship and operational support, tailored to the unique challenges faced by B2B SaaS startups, particularly in the French market. Their strategic partnerships also amplify their ability to provide value to portfolio companies. The firm's investment strategy prioritizes companies within specific technology sectors including IT, Cyber, AI, Future of Work, Impact, Future of Finance, Consumer Engagement, and PropTech. By focusing on these sectors and investing primarily in companies progressing through their accelerator program, Tomcat Capital seeks to drive high-growth trajectories while mitigating risks inherent in early-stage investing.
Ugly Duckling Ventures
Ugly Duckling Ventures (UDV) focuses on backing Nordic founders at the pre-seed and seed stages. Their investment strategy centers around providing capital, know-how, and real-world application to early-stage ventures. They aim to be active GPs, leveraging their experience as builders and business angels to help startups scale rapidly. UDV emphasizes building relationships with founders, valuing transparency, and offering straightforward communication. They take a hands-on, operational approach, actively engaging with their portfolio companies to prepare them for growth. A key differentiator is their GPs-only model, ensuring that portfolio founders work directly with experienced partners rather than junior account managers. Furthermore, their established network within the Danish startup community provides access to investors and resources that can assist portfolio companies.
Venture Catalysts
Venture Catalysts focuses on early-stage, knowledge-intensive projects, particularly those originating from scientific research and labs. They emphasize understanding the underlying science and shaping it into a viable business. The firm seeks out projects with the potential to impact millions of lives, and they are comfortable working with projects that are not yet "ready to invest." They are very aware of how to utilize resources and work with limited funds, given that they have built the business with limited funds. They value Authenticity, Trust, and a sense of humor, and are independent in their decision-making. The firm believes that the "underdog" tag often comes from a communication gap and a lack of knowledge. They are not particularly interested in trendy subjects or overcrowded markets, which they believe can lead to overvaluation and opportunistic players. Venture Catalysts considers that money is not as valuable as people, and that the value lies in the owners of the funds. They believe that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. They team up with scientists, question everything, develop strong business cases, know how to raise money, and are company builders. Their goal is to turn science into business.
Vesna Deep Tech Fund
Vesna Deep Tech Fund focuses on investing in breakthrough technologies that address significant global challenges and drive positive change. Their approach involves accessing cutting-edge technologies through partnerships with research institutions, primarily in Slovenia and Croatia. They aim to transfer these technologies into commercially viable products and companies through a hands-on investment strategy. Portfolio companies benefit from close collaboration with industry partners and an expert advisor network, guiding them towards success. They invest in projects based at public or private Slovenian or Croatian R&D institutions with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 3 or higher, and companies originating from these institutions in early stages of development (Seed, Start-up, Later Stage Venture) with operations primarily in Slovenia or Croatia. The fund prioritizes projects and startups with the potential for commercialization and real-world impact, moving beyond shelved academic research.
tokentus investment AG
tokentus investment AG is a venture capital firm focused on blockchain-based investments. They aim to capitalize on the growth of the global blockchain market by investing in companies that disrupt traditional business models using blockchain technology. The firm has evolved from a startup investor to focus on growth and later-stage opportunities. Their decision-making is guided by six core principles: seeking the best multiples through equity and selected token investments, focusing on growth and later stages for optimal risk/opportunity ratios, targeting classic sectors where blockchain serves as a means rather than an end, investing globally with top co-investors, maintaining transparency with partners, and prioritizing the business side, leveraging the seniority and expertise of tokentus shareholders. They look for targets that strive to change business from scratch. The firm emphasizes a results-oriented approach, measuring their success by the performance of their investments. They actively seek companies that can benefit from their competence and experience, viewing themselves as partners in their portfolio companies' journeys to success. They invest only in equity and selected tokens. tokentus is dedicated to helping portfolio companies along the path to success, and provides guidance and support and is a solid partner to invest. The firm also emphasizes a commitment to transparency, reflecting its status as a stock-listed company.
7percent Ventures
7percent Ventures focuses on backing determined founders solving significant problems with the potential for 200x returns. They seek to invest in technologies and products that will become indispensable in ten years, aiming for breakthrough companies and technologies rather than incremental market iterations. The firm looks for moonshots, indicating a high-risk, high-reward investment strategy. They aim to invest in solutions to problems which impact a lot of people. With experience as ex-founders in both the U.K. and U.S., the firm provides expertise and capital through the networks they've co-founded. Their guiding principle is to help, not hinder, startups, empathizing with the challenges founders face due to their own operational backgrounds. They believe the venture capital journey is best for big risk, big outcome businesses – startups with exponential growth potential and sector-defining change. The firm name is based on the idea that a good early-stage growth rate is 5-7% a week.
CARMA FUND
CARMA FUND I is an early-stage investment fund focused on advancing the translation of Life Science and Healthcare assets. They provide capital to young companies and projects in the Life Science and medical space, recognizing the unique challenges and opportunities within the biotech/healthcare industry. They aim to support projects that have the potential to develop new products and services for patient well-being and medical advancements, which often struggle to attract reliable streams of outside capital. CARMA FUND I believes in supporting these projects to bring out their full potential, with a focus on quick and efficient development towards market entry. The fund is uniquely suited for young companies, offering an extra-long term, flexible investment modes, and close relationships with leading technology transfer offices and industry partners. CARMA FUND I welcomes funding applications from all European sources. This suggests a pan-European focus on identifying and supporting promising innovations in the life sciences and healthcare sectors. CARMA FUND I's approach is based on understanding the specialist nature of the Biotech/healthcare business and addressing the financing needs of innovators in this field. They strive to be a reliable source of capital, facilitating the development process towards successful market entry. Their partnerships with technology transfer offices and industry partners indicate a commitment to providing not only financial support but also valuable connections and expertise to their portfolio companies.
Nesta Impact Investments
Nesta is a research and innovation foundation focusing on designing, testing, and scaling solutions to address significant societal challenges. Their strategy is driven by a mission to tackle issues such as inequality, obesity, and household carbon emissions. They leverage applied methods and innovation lifecycle expertise to create impactful solutions. Nesta's approach involves working across various stages of the innovation process. They aim to improve life chances by focusing on early childhood development, promoting healthier lifestyles by halving obesity rates, and fostering a sustainable future by reducing home carbon emissions. These objectives are targeted for achievement by 2030. Nesta extends its reach and impact through specialized units like BIT (Behavioural Insights Team) and Challenge Works. BIT utilizes behavioral science to improve public services and organizational effectiveness, while Challenge Works designs and manages challenge prizes to stimulate innovation in science, technology, and society. Equity, diversity, and inclusion are central to Nesta's operations. They actively work to reduce pay gaps, increase staff diversity, and ensure their projects deliver equitable outcomes for disadvantaged communities. They set specific goals, such as achieving representation of the UK's diversity in terms of ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender, and socioeconomic background by 2027.
Signature Ventures
Signature Ventures focuses on powering the next wave of Deep Tech innovation. They invest in exceptional founders and emerging fund managers operating at the intersection of science, engineering, and imagination. The firm aims to drive transformative change by backing companies that dare to wonder and push the boundaries of technological advancement. Their portfolio exhibits investments in various areas within Deep Tech, ranging from data infrastructure and digital asset services to decentralized science and open finance.
w3.fund
w3.fund is a next-generation investment house focused on the web3 ecosystem. They operate with a content & community-driven approach, leveraging both a Venture Fund (w3.ventures) and a Liquid Token Fund (w3.wave). Their approach appears to be centered around actively engaging and building a community around their investments, potentially giving them an edge in sourcing deals and supporting their portfolio companies. w3.ventures is their early-stage VC arm, concentrating on seed investments in Web3 startups. They aim to back builders and teams that are shaping the future of the Web3 space through equity and token investments. This suggests a hands-on approach, actively participating in the development of the ecosystem. w3.wave is their liquid token fund. The fund employs a hybrid approach to investing, integrating fundamental analysis with market responsiveness. This means they consider both the intrinsic value of the tokens and the prevailing market conditions to make investment decisions. The fund is open-ended, offering investors the chance to participate on an ongoing basis.
Bullhound Capital
Based on the limited information available, it's difficult to construct a comprehensive investment thesis. The website focuses primarily on showcasing portfolio companies and team members with links to their LinkedIn profiles. There's no explicit description of their investment strategy or the types of companies they look for. They likely focus on companies they believe are disruptive and have high growth potential, given the inclusion of companies like Revolut, Klarna, and Discord. They appear to be building with founders, suggesting a collaborative approach to venture capital.
Forestay Capital
Forestay Capital focuses on partnering with entrepreneurial leaders building the next generation of technology companies. They aim to go "beyond capital" by being entrepreneurial partners. Their investments indicate a focus on AI-driven enterprise solutions, particularly in areas like data infrastructure, legal tech, engineering intelligence, and commercial decision-making. They actively lead or co-lead investment rounds and provide support beyond just financial capital. Based on their portfolio and news insights, Forestay Capital appears to be targeting companies leveraging AI to improve efficiency, provide predictive analytics, and automate processes across various industries. They also demonstrate an interest in cybersecurity, as evidenced by their "CISO Unlocked" series and research on AI security. This suggests a broader investment thesis around enterprise software and the technologies that enable data-driven decision-making and secure operations. The firm's investment approach is active, as they frequently lead rounds and participate in follow-on investments (e.g., Neural Concept). The "Fore"sights section indicates a dedication to proprietary research and thought leadership, highlighting their expertise and proactive approach to identifying emerging trends and investment opportunities within enterprise technology. Their overall strategy involves backing innovative companies with strong market positions and potential for significant growth.
Hyperwise Ventures
Hyperwise Ventures focuses on investing in early-stage startups operating in the cybersecurity and enterprise software domains. The firm seeks out teams with groundbreaking technology and a strong business execution mindset. They are particularly interested in technical entrepreneurs with innovative ideas who may be looking for business-savvy co-founders, solutions addressing real business challenges, entrepreneurs with unique cyber expertise gained in military service, or individuals with significant experience in enterprise software seeking to launch their own startups. Hyperwise Ventures offers seed investments alongside hands-on mentorship. The firm provides meaningful support to founding teams in launching successful products and establishing effective sales operations in the US market. This suggests a preference for startups with a strong focus on the US market, even if they are based elsewhere. Furthermore, Hyperwise Ventures leverages its unique network of strategic investors to accelerate startup execution and provide exposure to additional funding opportunities from global leaders in the cybersecurity and enterprise software spaces. This network appears to be a key value proposition for portfolio companies, providing access to potential follow-on funding and strategic partnerships. Overall, Hyperwise Ventures is positioned as a partner for startups navigating the challenging journey to business success, particularly those with innovative technologies targeting specific market needs in the cybersecurity and enterprise software sectors. The firm appears to provide a combination of financial investment, mentorship, and networking opportunities to help its portfolio companies grow and scale.
Maven 11 Capital
Maven 11 is a crypto-native fund that partners with brave outliers challenging the status quo by redefining ownership. They believe ownership will be redefined by open, inclusive, and permissionless crypto networks. The firm focuses on providing guidance and hands-on help to their founders. They actively participate alongside their founders in true partnership, valuing bold founders who act on their insights and partnering with them from the beginning. They emphasize technical fluency, seeking founders with deep technical understanding, and believe that strong relationships are crucial for navigating market complexities.
Mensch Capital Partners
Mensch Capital operates as a patent buyer, directly acquiring intellectual property rights rather than brokering them. Their core belief is that inventors are vital to the economy, and they aim to reward them by funding their future ventures through their current innovations. Mensch Capital formulates and implements monetization strategies to maximize the value of acquired patents, utilizing methods like licensing, commercialization, and sales. The specific strategy is tailored to each patent and its relevant market to achieve the strongest possible return for the firm and, most importantly, the inventors behind the intellectual property. The firm's investment philosophy is rooted in integrity, emphasizing the importance of strong relationships and ethical conduct. They believe in recognizing and rewarding the risk-takers who create innovative solutions. Mensch Capital aims to ensure incentives are aligned to encourage continued investment in unique ideas, focusing on universities, hospitals, doctors, scientists, engineers, and innovators of all types. They are committed to treating these individuals and institutions with respect and fairness, honoring their contributions to innovation and ensuring they are rewarded for their efforts. Mensch Capital's approach differs from traditional venture capital as it doesn't fund startups directly but instead acquires existing intellectual property. They see each investment as a new opportunity to acknowledge those who took the biggest risk in believing in their creations, seeking to reward that risk and ensuring continued investment in unique ideas. Their business hinges on their network and the strength of their relationships; how they conduct business is paramount. They strive to reward the inventors that deserve it most.
Cusp Capital
Cusp Capital is a software & technology investor built on a joint core belief in the power of entrepreneurship. They focus on companies in continental Europe, making initial investments of up to €10m as a lead investor and can invest up to €35m over multiple stages, forming long-term partnerships with companies and teams. In addition to direct investments, they manage a dedicated fund of funds, Cusp Capital Ignite, that invests in regional and sector-specialist early-stage funds across Europe. Cusp Capital focuses on four core theses: Industry-specific software will revolutionize business for SMEs; digitization and sustainability will transform mindsets, behaviors, and markets; digital products tailored to lower-income consumers and workers will rise; and European innovations and principles will shape the digital infrastructure of the future. The firm believes in the power of entrepreneurship to shape and change society and prides itself on spotting extraordinary ideas and partnering with entrepreneurs realizing them.
Cusp Capital Partners
Cusp Capital is a software & technology investor focused on companies in continental Europe. They believe in the power of entrepreneurship to shape and change society and concentrate their investments on selected theses. They invest in extraordinary ideas and partner with entrepreneurs realizing them. Cusp Capital aims to form long-term partnerships with the companies and teams they work with. Their core investment theses include industry-specific software revolutionizing business for SMEs, the transformation of mindsets, behaviors, and markets through digitization and sustainability, the rise of digital products tailored to lower-income consumers and workers, and European innovations shaping the digital infrastructure of the future. In addition to direct investments, Cusp Capital manages a dedicated fund of funds (Cusp Capital Ignite) that invests in regional and sector-specialist early-stage VCs across Europe. They aim to share ideas, skills, and fresh perspectives to help turn rising stars into sustainable success stories.