High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH, established in 2005 and based in Bonn, Germany, is a venture capital firm that specializes in early-stage investments in high-tech startups across various sectors, including information and communication technology, software, healthcare, and life sciences. The firm focuses on companies that are less than one year old and have a turnover of less than €10 million. High-Tech Gründerfonds typically invests between €0.5 million and €3 million, acquiring a minority stake of up to 25% in its portfolio companies. The firm often acts as the lead investor and provides follow-on financing, having facilitated over €2 billion in additional funding from external investors. With a commitment to nurturing innovation, it has supported the development of more than 500 startups and has successfully exited over 100 investments. The firm’s backing includes participation from various public and private entities, reflecting its role as a key player in the German startup ecosystem.
HV Capital is a Munich- and Berlin-based venture capital firm that supports founders in developing their internet companies. Since 2000 HV Capital, formerly HV Holtzbrinck Ventures, has invested in Internet and technology companies through various generations of funds and is one of the most successful and financially strongest early-stage and growth investors in Europe. HV Capital has already invested in around 200 companies, including Zalando, Delivery Hero, FlixMobility and SumUp. The total of all HV Funds amounts to €1.7 billion. The company supports startups with capital between €500,000 and €50 million. This makes HV Capital one of the few venture capitalists in Europe that can finance startups through all growth phases.
Speedinvest GmbH is a venture capital firm founded in 2011 and based in Vienna, Austria, specializing in early-stage investments in technology-related startups across Europe. The firm focuses on sectors such as deep tech, fintech, health, industrial tech, consumer marketplaces, software as a service, and climate tech. Speedinvest typically invests between €0.25 million and €3 million in pre-seed to Series A stages, aiming to take minority stakes of up to 20% in its portfolio companies. The firm emphasizes operational support, often taking on active roles within the companies it invests in for periods ranging from six months to a year. With additional offices in cities including San Francisco, Berlin, Paris, London, and Munich, Speedinvest seeks to leverage a global network to enhance its contributions to Europe’s startup ecosystem.
Global Founders Capital (GFC) is a venture capital firm established in 2013 and headquartered in Berlin, Germany. The firm is stage agnostic, meaning it invests in companies at various stages of development, from early-stage ventures to those preparing for an initial public offering. GFC focuses on empowering talented entrepreneurs and seeks investment opportunities in sectors such as internet, retail, financial software, media, communication, and information technology. With a global perspective, GFC aims to support innovative companies across all continents.
Cherry Ventures is a Berlin-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2013 by a team of entrepreneurs experienced in scaling technology companies. The firm specializes in seed and early-stage investments across various sectors, including financial services, consumer goods, healthcare, industrial, leisure, and technology. Cherry Ventures aims to support ambitious founders, often serving as their first institutional investor, by providing not just capital but also strategic guidance on go-to-market strategies and business scaling. With a focus on backing innovative startups, the firm has invested in over 50 companies across Europe, including notable names like FlixBus and Auto1 Group. Cherry Ventures operates across Europe, with additional presence in London, Paris, and Stockholm, and seeks to make investments that align with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria.
Earlybird Venture Capital GmbH & Co. KG is a Berlin-based venture capital firm established in 1997, focusing on early-stage and growth investments in technology and healthcare sectors. The firm typically invests in disruptive consumer and enterprise internet businesses, mobility, logistics, and various technology-driven fields such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and fintech. Earlybird emphasizes companies located in Europe, particularly in German-speaking countries and Central Eastern Europe, while also considering opportunities in the United States and other regions. With over €1 billion under management, Earlybird aims to provide not only financial backing but also strategic support and access to a robust international network. The firm usually invests between €200,000 and €5 million in initial funding, with the potential for follow-on investments up to €15 million per portfolio company. Known for being one of the most experienced venture investors in Europe, Earlybird has a strong track record, including seven IPOs and 23 trade sales.
Picus Capital is an early-stage technology investment firm with a long-term investment philosophy. We work together with daring technology companies to build successful, global companies challenging the status quo and shaping tomorrow. We want to become the closest partner of our portfolio companies by working together on key strategic decisions and operative challenges. As a privately financed venture capital investor with long-term and flexible capital we are looking for exceptional founders who are committed to building category leaders throughout the next 5-10+ years. We invest in early-stage technology ventures with a focus on Real Estate, Finance & Insurance, Human Resources, Renewable Energy, Mobility, and Health. Picus makes initial investments in pre-seed, seed and series A ventures thereby starting to work together with entrepreneurs in various stages of their companies ranging from ideation phase to initial traction. We follow a very long-term investment approach investing significant amounts throughout the lifecycle of the companies. We have invested in over 50 companies to date. At Picus we work in a culture combining the discipline of a financial investor with the creativity and pragmatism of an entrepreneur. We follow a comprehensive and well-structured investment approach in order to identify the most attractive and ambitious investment opportunities in our target industries and geographies. Within our core investment team every member has a distinctive industry competence and a functional or geographic focus. We are working closely together with our portfolio companies to develop large and successful market leaders. This comprises in particular leveraging our marketing & sales expertise and our global market perspective to provide strategic advice, providing HR management to grant access to top talent, connecting our portfolio companies with our broad B2B & investor network as well as supporting the fundraising process.
Coparion GmbH & Co. KG is a venture capital firm based in Cologne, Germany, that specializes in early-stage investments in technology and life sciences companies across the country. Founded in 2016, Coparion manages an active fund of EUR 275 million, providing financial support to startups and early growth phase businesses. The firm typically invests between EUR 0.5 million and EUR 10 million per company, often engaging in multiple financing rounds. Coparion focuses exclusively on companies headquartered in Germany and prefers to invest alongside co-investors. The firm aims to support entrepreneurial visions with its expertise while refraining from interfering in daily business operations. By leveraging its experience in venture capital and company building, Coparion seeks to identify potential in emerging businesses and help navigate challenging situations effectively.
Unternehmertum Venture Capital Partners (UVC Partners) is a Munich- and Berlin-based early-stage venture capital firm that invests in European technology startups. UVC Partners focuses on investments in the areas of industrial technologies, enterprise software and mobility. The fund typically invests at the Seed and Series A stage between €0.5-4m initially and up to €15m in total per company.
Project A Ventures GmbH & Co. KG is a Berlin-based venture capital firm founded in 2012, focusing on early-stage investments, particularly in the seed and series A stages. With assets under management amounting to €440 million, the firm specializes in investing in digital companies across various sectors, including e-commerce, fintech, digital health, proptech, and software as a service. Project A not only provides financial support, typically ranging from $1 million to $8 million in initial investments, but also offers extensive operational assistance through a team of over 100 experts in areas such as software engineering, marketing, and business intelligence. The firm has a diverse portfolio that includes notable companies like Catawiki, WorldRemit, and Trade Republic. Project A primarily operates in Europe and Latin America and maintains additional offices in London and Stockholm.