Impact VC Übermorgen
Übermorgen Ventures focuses on addressing the climate crisis by investing in early-stage startups that are building a resilient and zero-carbon economy. They believe that climate change presents an opportunity to disrupt industries and generate long-term value. The firm invests across three key areas: decarbonization, carbon removal, and adaptation & resilience. In decarbonization, they target technologies that reduce emissions across various sectors like energy, transportation, and agriculture. For carbon removal, they fund technologies that extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, alongside the development of markets that support these solutions. Lastly, they support adaptation and resilience measures to manage climate risks, protect ecosystems, and reduce vulnerability to environmental challenges. Übermorgen Ventures aims to empower founders to create scalable businesses that address climate at scale. They believe that climate tech is no longer a niche but a horizontal layer transforming every major industry. With an evergreen model, they aim for long-term impact and partner with entrepreneurs, scientists, and business leaders who share their mission. Übermorgen Ventures facilitates access to granular energy data, empowering developers to focus on innovation and integrate energy data into their applications seamlessly. Their investment approach also includes supporting efforts on measurement, reporting, and verification capabilities within the carbon removal space. The firm views investment in climate tech as critical for a sustainable future, seeking to foster innovation in areas like energy efficiency, electric vehicle charging, and demand response solutions. They support solutions like enhanced rock weathering, which helps remove emissions while also enhancing soil health and fertilizing crops. Übermorgen's vision is to unlock possibilities for fresh energy management solutions and accelerate the green energy transition. They see the potential of breeding enough tritium to maintain steady state consumption by fusion devices, as well as breeding excess tritium to start up the next reactor. They aim to support the development of technology that refines the filtration of impurities from hydrogen, allowing maximal throughput as fast as possible.
La Famiglia VC
La Famiglia is a European seed and growth stage venture capital fund that invests in technology companies enabling or disrupting large industries. They differentiate themselves by offering more than just capital; they act as a trusted access platform, creating unique relationships between established industries and innovative startups. This access platform provides portfolio companies with early market access, impactful partnerships, and deep expertise, leveraging the connections and experience of their network of world-leading entrepreneurs. Their investment strategy focuses on facilitating relationships between the 'old' and 'new' worlds, indicating a focus on companies that can bridge the gap between traditional industries and emerging technologies. This approach suggests they look for startups that can offer innovative solutions to challenges faced by established businesses, or those that can create entirely new markets by leveraging existing industry infrastructure and knowledge. By building a strong network of successful entrepreneurs, La Famiglia provides its portfolio companies with unparalleled access to mentorship, strategic guidance, and potential business opportunities. They aim to offer differentiated leverage on capital by creating an ecosystem where portfolio companies can benefit from the collective experience and resources of their investors and network. This hands-on approach suggests that La Famiglia actively works to support its portfolio companies beyond just financial investment.
Motive Ventures
Motive Ventures invests in tech-enabled financial and business services companies, spanning from venture to growth & buyout stages across North America and Europe. Their approach is centered around the 'IOI' model: Investing, Operating, and Innovating. They invest in companies across verticalized AI, embedded finance, and platforms within core sectors like banking and payments, capital markets, data and analytics, insurance, and wealth and asset management. They actively partner with founders and management teams to scale proven platforms, leveraging their extensive network and industry expertise to provide access, expertize, and customer connectivity. The firm's value creation strategy involves bringing leading financial services and technology expertize through investors, operators, and innovators, ensuring alignment at every stage, empowering portfolio companies through technology. They focus on building transformative growth engines, aligning product, pricing, marketing, and sales, utilizing data-driven insights to unlock revenue opportunities, and optimizing go-to-market strategies. Create is Motive's value creation engine, embedded across the deal lifecycle from thesis to exit. They partner with leadership teams to turn strategy into measurable results, integrating investment conviction with hands-on execution. Create provides the expertise and tools needed for transformation, building stronger businesses faster through a product-led approach combining modern engineering, scalable architecture, and strong cybersecurity. The firm's operating model optimization focuses on clarifying roles, streamlining tools, and redesigning processes to enhance quality, reduce costs, and create capacity for growth through data-driven visibility and automation. Motive Ventures also emphasizes building scalable operating models and teams that evolve with business needs, aligning organizational design with strategy, defining clear roles and accountabilities, and streamlining decision-making to enhance speed and effectiveness. As companies grow, they strengthen operating structures and attract top talent. The firm seeks to unlock superior returns for investors while forming the future of finance with their portfolio companies and management teams, focusing on democratizing wealth and asset management, transforming commerce with payment technologies, and modernizing risk pricing and distribution in the insurance sector.
Plug & Play EMEA Ventures GmbH
Investing in seed-stage European startups, especially in Spain, across AI, fintech, sustainability, and mobility, by combining capital with Plug and Play's global acceleration and corporate networks.
Point Nine Capital (P9)
Point Nine invests in AI-driven startups across SaaS, B2B software, and emerging sectors like healthcare, robotics, and agriculture, focusing on pre-seed and seed-stage companies with global potential. The firm emphasizes thesis-driven investments, working closely with founders to accelerate growth and provide operational support.
Positron Ventures
Positron Ventures focuses on helping and funding Europe-based scientist-entrepreneurs who are pursuing moonshots for planetary health. They invest in scientist-entrepreneurs working on breakthroughs across the natural sciences, backing teams from day one in their pursuit of solving major global challenges. The firm often acts as the first believer and investor, offering support across all aspects of building a company. They proactively conduct deep dives in scientific niches to thoroughly understand the state of science in a given field before investing. Their investment strategy appears to be focused on early-stage, pre-seed deeptech companies. Positron Ventures aims to turn breakthrough research into successful companies by investing at the frontier of science and building systems that help deeptech founders succeed. This includes support across operations, people, communications, and LP engagement. Positron Ventures invests in deeptech funds in Europe and the US, and is launching the Positron Foundation to support high-risk, pre-commercial research.
Project A Studio
Project A Studio is a proving ground for Europe's boldest entrepreneurial talent, partnering with founders at the ideation and validation stage. They provide hands-on support from their experienced team, helping to shape and test the founder's vision. When conviction is mutual, they lead the pre-seed round on founder-fair terms and bring in high-signal angels.
Realyze Ventures
Realyze Ventures invests in European startups leveraging technology and innovation to decarbonize the built environment, improve process efficiency, and enable superior returns. Focus areas include sustainability, energy efficiency, digitalization, and scalable solutions for real estate and construction challenges.
Rocket Internet
Rocket Internet operates as an incubator and investor in internet and technology companies globally. Their strategy revolves around identifying promising business models, building companies from scratch using proprietary processes (incubation), and providing operational support to help them scale internationally. They also invest in existing companies through their investment arm, Global Founders Capital. They aim to create market-leading companies and provide a unique blend of operational support and capital, backing entrepreneurs across all stages from seed to IPO.
STARTHUB Ventures
STARTHUB Ventures focuses on providing financial support and a vast network to visionary entrepreneurs in the pre-seed and seed stages. They aim to boost leading young entrepreneurs and take their businesses to the next level, step by step, until they reach the sky. Their investment strategy revolves around identifying founders who combine vision with execution excellence, can build and lead outstanding teams, and have the courage and ability to change markets. They look at around 1,500 to 2,000 early-stage startups per year, primarily through recommendations from other investors, founders of portfolio companies, databases, media publications, accelerator graduates, and events. They emphasize the importance of early-stage capital and leverage their network, particularly in international logistics, to assist portfolio companies. The firm is open to various fields but primarily invests in digital companies within specific sectors. Their investment process includes sourcing, contact, deal screening, co-investor meetings, due diligence, contract negotiations, closing/signing, and payment. The duration can vary from 2 hours to 2-3 weeks depending on the startup's investment readiness. The firm looks for companies with founders who have experience and where contracts are finalized already. Alternatively, they also invest in companies coming out of accelerator programs and are ready to take the lead on first round investments. They aim to be the largest private investor in the first round. The firm wants a referral from an existing portfolio company or co-investor.
Saarbrücker21
Saarbrücker21 (SB21) is a group of friends and internet/tech entrepreneurs who invest in young startup and digital companies. They operate as active business angels, providing seed funding to founders with promising ideas. Their core value proposition extends beyond capital, emphasizing hands-on support and guidance to help founders avoid common pitfalls based on their own experiences. They offer introductions to relevant contacts, leveraging their collective experience to assist startups in various aspects of company building. The SB21 team consists of individuals with diverse backgrounds who have all successfully built, sold, or IPO'ed companies. This collective experience allows them to provide valuable insights across different industries. They believe in the power of cross-industry knowledge transfer to unlock new opportunities and add value to their portfolio companies. SB21 prides itself on being quick decision-makers and readily available to support their portfolio companies. They act as a sounding board for new ideas, providing introductions to key contacts, and offering general support whenever needed. The group's strength lies in their shared experiences as founders and their commitment to helping other startups succeed.
Space Ventures Investors
Space Ventures Investors Ltd (SVI) focuses on building a Strategic Space Value Chain by researching trends in space commerce, forming joint ventures and partnerships, and investing in space companies that have a niche role in this value chain. They target opportunities often overlooked by institutional funds, venture capital, and public funding, aiming to provide seed funding to innovative space startups. SVI aims to build and manage an evolving space portfolio to match changes in technology, and ultimately deliver returns to investors for decades to come. The firm conducts proprietary research on the space industry and markets and performs due diligence on numerous space companies, especially early-stage ones. They have invested in earth observation startups, launch companies, and lunar resources ventures. SVI sees the next wave of innovation in infrastructure-level operations, such as cheaper and more environmentally friendly launch solutions, new spaceports, space-based solar power, lunar resource extraction, orbital servicing, space debris mitigation, and orbiting data centers. SVI leverages its experience and research to identify and support European space entrepreneurs and companies developing innovative technology, especially those focused on space resources, from mining engineers to planetary academics working on harvesting resources for commercial gain. This extends from sifting platinum group metals from Lunar regolith to developing space-based solar power constellations. They also consider the legal aspects of space commercial ventures.
Spread Ventures
Spread Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on empowering sustainable fashion solutions. They aim to improve the future of fashion by investing in creative minds and turning seemingly impossible ideas into the new normal. Backed by Spread Group, a global provider of customized fashion and lifestyle products, Spread Ventures combines operational e-commerce and made-to-order production know-how with venture capital expertise. They leverage this combination to drive change in the fashion and creator industry. Spread Ventures invests in tech-driven early-stage companies, primarily in the pre-seed and seed stages. Their investment strategy centers around partnering with startups, founders, and visionary pioneers who possess the potential to redefine the fashion and creator industry. They seek companies aligned with a vision for a better and more sustainable future. The firm focuses on specific sub-sectors within the fashion tech and creator economy, including made-to-measure, mass customization, production-on-demand, digital creator services, content creation and monetization, virtual fitting, avatar & metaverse, phygital fashion, sustainable materials, supply chain & circularity solutions, and new textiles & circular fashion. This targeted approach allows them to leverage their operational background and market knowledge to support their portfolio companies effectively.
Square One
SquareOne is a venture capital firm that invests in B2B tech entrepreneurs at the pre-seed and seed stages. They focus on entrepreneurs who are deeply committed to solving complex problems in large, expanding markets. Their website highlights a focus on industry expertise, product advising, tech advising, mentorship, and customer connections to provide value beyond capital. The firm appears to take a hands-on approach, assisting portfolio companies with building, connecting, facilitating, and hustling. SquareOne's investment strategy seems centered around identifying and supporting companies developing innovative solutions, often involving deep tech or software, as evidenced by their portfolio. They aim to actively assist their portfolio companies in scaling and navigating the challenges of early-stage growth. The inclusion of veteran mentors and guaranteed connections indicates an emphasis on practical guidance and leveraging a strong network. Their approach to 'squaring ideas' likely encompasses a rigorous evaluation process coupled with active involvement in refining and executing the company's vision. Given the repeated reference to assistance with 'building, hustling, connecting, and facilitating,' SquareOne seems to position itself as an active, operationally-focused investor, rather than solely a provider of capital. The fund invests in startups across various sectors including AI, robotics, cybersecurity, ecommerce, and green technology. They appear to offer a strong network through their industry, product, and tech advisors to help with customer connections and problem-solving.
Start-up BW Innovation Fund (managed by MBG Baden-Württemberg)
MBG Baden-Württemberg, managing the Start-up BW Innovation Fund, focuses on providing flexible financing solutions to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Baden-Württemberg. They offer both mezzanine capital and venture capital to facilitate growth, business start-ups, and succession planning. The firm aims to act as a neutral and bank-independent financial partner, providing long-term stable financing instruments through both silent and open participations. MBG actively supports companies through various stages, from seed to Series A and beyond, focusing on increasing the long-term value of the invested companies. MBG emphasizes the importance of maintaining the entrepreneur's freedom in making business decisions, refraining from interfering in the daily operations of the companies they invest. They provide access to a broad network of associations, chambers, and consultants to assist with business model evaluation, entrepreneur preparation, and problem-solving. This network also facilitates the exchange of ideas between established corporations and startups, fostering innovation and offering new perspectives to traditional businesses. The firm aims to strengthen the equity base of companies, primarily through silent participations that are considered economic equity by banks due to their subordinated status in case of insolvency. This can positively influence the company's credit rating. MBG aims to provide a financial structure that offers a solid foundation for entrepreneurial flexibility, enabling companies to remain agile in a dynamic environment with rapidly changing conditions. MBG Baden-Württemberg also takes pride in its ability to link the Old and New Economy, by connecting startups and established companies to foster innovation and new ideas. They emphasize the collaborative nature of their investment approach, combining their long-standing experience in financing and participations with the industry know-how of their clients to successfully implement business plans.
Styx Urban Investments
STYX Urban Investments is a venture capital firm focused on investing in entrepreneurs who are reimagining the urban environment. They aim to support startups that offer innovative solutions for greener cities and buildings. Their investment strategy revolves around providing not only capital but also access to their 'Urban Living Labs,' which allow startups to test and validate their products in real estate assets across key European markets. STYX targets pre-seed funding rounds, helping urban tech startups prepare for seed rounds. They consider themselves to be more than just an investor, viewing themselves as an enablement partner and an Urban Living Lab VC.
Sunfish Partners
Sunfish Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on investing in deep tech startups originating from Eastern Europe (CEE). Their core mission revolves around bolstering Europe's autonomy through strategic investments in the space and defense sectors, alongside hardware and software startups. They provide pre-seed funding with ticket sizes between €150k to €300k. The firm's investment strategy targets companies that contribute to technological advancement and independence within Europe, particularly within the space and defense industries. They invest in both hardware and software, acknowledging the critical intersection of these domains in fostering impactful innovation. Geographically, they prioritize founders based in Eastern Europe (CEE). Sunfish Partners emphasizes providing early-stage capital and expertise to support the growth of promising startups. They actively engage with the space and defense tech ecosystem, participating in events and sharing insights through articles and videos. They are dedicated to fostering the next generation of deep tech companies in the region.
Technologiegruenderfonds Sachsen (TGFS)
Technologiegruenderfonds Sachsen (TGFS) is a venture capital firm that invests in knowledge-based, technology-oriented startups in Saxony, Germany. They aim to support innovative ideas and help startups achieve success through capital and know-how. TGFS positions itself as a leading seed and early-stage financier in the region, offering venture capital and management support. A key part of their investment strategy is to facilitate access to further international investors for their portfolio companies. The firm was initially launched in 2008 with funds from the Free State of Saxony and Saxon financial institutions. Now in its third fund generation, TGFS has supported over 100 startups. They invest in early stages when convinced by the idea and the team. TGFS focuses on providing equity financing to startups in the technology sector, particularly those based in Saxony. The fund actively looks for promising ventures and helps them execute their vision by providing capital and leveraging their years of experience. They aim to scale companies and contribute to the next stage of technological development, such as investing in quantum computing.
Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen (TGFS)
Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen (TGFS) is a venture capital firm that invests in knowledge-based, technology-oriented startups in Saxony, Germany. It focuses on providing capital and management support to teams in both the seed and startup phases. TGFS aims to be the leading early-stage financier in Saxony and helps its portfolio companies access international investors. The firm invests in companies across various technology sectors, providing equity financing and leveraging its experience to support founders. TGFS is active in early phases, backing ideas and teams they believe. The fund's investment strategy is centered around supporting the growth and scalability of its portfolio companies, as evidenced by recent investments in areas such as HR tech (clarait), Deep-Tech (Last Mile Semiconductor), and quantum computing (SaxonQ). Established in 2008, TGFS has evolved through three fund generations, demonstrating a long-term commitment to the Saxon startup ecosystem. The current fund generation has a total volume of €241.2 million, reflecting the firm's significant resources and capacity to support promising startups in the region. Their focus is heavily geared towards firms with strong technology underpinnings, and the ability to scale globally.
Venture Stars
Venture Stars is a Munich-based venture capital firm that focuses on early-stage investments in innovative, digital B2C and B2B business models. They specialize in pre-seed and seed investments, supporting bold founders who are shaping the future. With a serial entrepreneurial background, Venture Stars brings hands-on experience in founding and scaling startups, enabling them to offer not just capital, but strategic guidance and operational support. Before becoming a VC fund, Venture Stars operated as a company builder, co-founding market-leading startups with significant revenue and profit, and securing substantial funding. Their investment philosophy focuses on founders first, taking a boutique approach by investing in a selected, high-quality portfolio to fully support the companies to successfully develop.
argo vantage GmbH
argo Vantage GmbH is a European venture capital firm focused on investing in innovative startups within technology, health, and sustainability. They prioritize making follow-on investments and actively engage with entrepreneurs, striving to advise and challenge them as board members. The firm emphasizes direct and transparent relationships built on trust, utilizing a "no bullshit" approach. They seek founders who share their values and are driven by a desire to build companies that contribute to a positive vision of the world. Their investment strategy focuses on identifying and supporting groundbreaking B2B solutions in Deep Tech, Business Process Automation, and Mass Consumer Disruption, seeking to disrupt massive consumer markets through digital technology.
bmp Ventures
bmp Ventures, established in 1997, is a venture capital firm that invests in outstanding teams with innovative and scalable business models, primarily in tech companies. They position themselves as 'partners in crime' for early-stage and growth startups, providing not only financial resources but also strategic advice and access to an international network, from seed phase to exit. With 25 years of experience, bmp Ventures has managed 11 funds, made over 250 investments, achieved over 120 exits, and had more than 15 IPOs. Their approach focuses on supporting entrepreneurs with big ideas and innovative companies in growing markets, emphasizing sustainable growth, strong teams, and entrepreneurial substance. They are known for providing hands-on support, strengthening key areas of their portfolio companies, and acting as sparring partners in the development process. They also heavily weigh ESG criteria in their investment process, aiming to be CO2 neutral and prioritize sustainability.
exist
exist is a program by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) designed to foster a thriving startup ecosystem within universities and research institutions. Their core strategy revolves around supporting students, graduates, and scientists in developing technology and knowledge-based ventures. They provide funding through various programs like the exist Start-up Grant and exist Research Transfer, specifically targeting individuals and projects with significant research and development components. A key element of their strategy is to increase the number and success rate of technology-oriented and knowledge-based companies emerging from academic environments. exist's approach encompasses various initiatives aimed at establishing a vibrant and sustainable startup culture. This includes competitive programs to incentivize universities, model projects to explore innovative approaches to startup support, and resources like the Global Certification and Consulting Center (GCCC) to assist international founders. Their involvement since 1998 demonstrates a long-term commitment to developing the German startup ecosystem. The program actively encourages universities and research institutions to integrate startup support into their teaching, research, and administration. This holistic approach aims to create an environment that naturally cultivates entrepreneurial thinking and action. By focusing on knowledge-based and technology-driven ventures, exist contributes to the German economy's growth and competitiveness in high-tech sectors. Ultimately, exist strives to bridge the gap between scientific research and commercial application by providing the necessary resources, guidance, and ecosystem support for researchers and students to transform their ideas into successful businesses. Their focus on early-stage, research-intensive ventures positions them as a crucial player in fostering innovation and technological advancement in Germany.
vent.io
Vent.io is a corporate venture capital (CVC) arm of Deutsche Leasing AG that aims to accelerate the growth of the German Mittelstand by investing in and building digital solutions. They focus on strengthening Deutsche Leasing AG's position as the financial backbone of the German Mittelstand by driving digitalization and innovation and creating long-term value for its customers. They operate two business areas: product engineering, which builds data-driven digital solutions, AI-powered products, and customer-centric portals for Deutsche Leasing Group, and corporate venture capital (CVC), which invests in B2B startups and connects them with the Deutsche Leasing ecosystem and customers through strategic partnering and pilot projects. Vent.io's investment strategy centers around data-driven B2B startups from seed to Series A. They leverage Deutsche Leasing AG's 60+ years of experience in the leasing business, its €40+ billion assets under management, and its extensive distribution network to benefit their portfolio companies. This network includes 341 savings banks and over 100 top-tier OEM partners. The firm emphasizes strategic relevance, long-term value creation, and strengthening the future of asset finance and asset-related services. They also prioritize venture partnering, assisting startups in developing needs-based strategies and identifying strategic customer fit within the Deutsche Leasing ecosystem. This includes facilitating access to customers and partners and helping startups expand their customer base through pilot projects with clear KPIs to validate business potential.