DTCF | DeepTech & Climate Fonds

🌟 Did someone inspire your journey into entrepreneurship? For Hendrik Kramer, CEO and Co-Founder of our portfolio company FERNRIDE, it was his grandfather—a lifelong entrepreneur—who shaped his path. Hendrik’s childhood was filled with invaluable lessons in resilience, kindness, and hard work. “Growing up, I had the unique privilege of being raised by my grandparents—a journey rich with wisdom, resilience, and love. My grandfather, an entrepreneur, filled my childhood with countless stories, life lessons, and simple everyday advice. At the time, I didn’t fully appreciate how those small pearls of wisdom were shaping me into the leader I am today. But one piece of advice he gave me has always stood out: ‘Work hard and be nice to people.’ This simple phrase has profoundly influenced not only how I lead but also the kind of company I strive to build with my team.” 🔥 Under Hendrik’s leadership, FERNRIDE has grown into the leading platform for autonomous trucking, offering a seamless path to automation through a pragmatic human-assisted autonomy approach. 🚛 For his efforts, Hendrik was named “Logistics Leader of the Year” in September. Celebrating its 5-year anniversary, the company recently announced a new strategic partnership with JOST World to drive logistics automation, underscoring its commitment to sustainable, forward-thinking solutions. With this, FERNRIDE continues to set new standards for the industry. ✨ This November, as part of Inspirational Role Model Month, we’re celebrating leaders like Hendrik, whose journeys are rooted in values that drive positive impact. 🌍💡 Stay tuned for more inspiring stories from the founders of our portfolio over the coming weeks! Cc Maria Tarasova Martin Isik Thomas Bock Elisabeth Schrey Stephanie L. Stein

🔮 The Quantum Revolution is Here!   Quantum computing is transforming industries, from cybersecurity to material science, with startups and big players like IBM and Google leading the charge. European startups, including those in our portfolio, are making groundbreaking advances in quantum security, sensors, software, and full-stack hardware.   🏆 We’re especially proud that our portfolio company planqc has been nominated as a finalist for the "EY Entrepreneur of the Year" award by manager magazin and EY! You can support them with your vote: https://lnkd.in/dntsxEWr   For an even deeper dive into the world of quantum, check out an insightful article by DTCF Investment Analyst Lena Stache, who explored how these advancements are set to reshape the future of computing.   Here are some key takeaways: 🔐 Quantum Security: Quantum communication is enhancing security, while traditional encryption faces new threats from quantum computers. 🎛️ Quantum Sensors: Diamond-based sensors are revolutionizing precision in fields like medical imaging and environmental monitoring. 🧮 Quantum Algorithms: startups like Kipu Quantum are developing hardware- and application-specific algorithms that reduce the requirements for early industrial usefulness. 💻Quantum Hardware: startups like planqc are developing next-gen quantum computers that solve challenges beyond the capabilities of classical systems.   🔗 Read the full article on our blog: https://lnkd.in/etXtnFyt Cc Elisabeth Schrey Torsten Löffler Jonas Sommer Marten Neelsen Paul Gärtner Alexander Glätzle Daniel Volz Joanna Folberth Verena Zimmermann, CFA Stephanie L. Stein

🌱 IMPACT FESTIVAL 2024 is just around the corner! Meet us at Europe’s biggest B2B event for sustainable innovation, where startups, corporates, and investors are working on — and investing in — sustainability solutions to accelerate economic transformation.   Dr. Elisabeth Schrey will be joining the panel "Growth Capital for ClimateTech Hardware: Closing the Later Stage Funding Gap" on October 31st, from 2:00 - 2:40 PM. She’ll be alongside industry leaders, including Tim Schumacher from World Fund and Dr.-Ing. Herbert Mangesius from Vsquared Ventures. The panel will be moderated by Laurent-Frederic Lohmann from 4P CAPITAL.   Meanwhile, Cristina Doumitrachko will participate in the Startup & Investor Matchmaking & Mentoring at the Investors Lounge on October 30th—connecting with visionary founders and changemakers. 🤝   We can’t wait to exchange ideas, meet inspiring innovators, and explore the future of #ClimateTech at #ImpactFestival24. Are you there too? Let us know! 🌍   🔗 Use the code IMPACTINVEST30 for a 30% discount on business and investor tickets: https://lnkd.in/eM2eaSic Cc Mara Steinbrenner Rick Neu Fabian Demuth Linda Köpper Josa Gräber Stephanie L. Stein Dr. Anne-Kathrin Hinze Tobias Weissgerber Anke Gratz

🌍 100 climate technologies investors are looking to back next   Our Managing Director Dr. Elisabeth Schrey caught up with ClimateHack to share the solutions we’re looking to invest in here at DTCF. Alongside 30+ investors from World Fund, Planet A Ventures, Norrsken VC, and more, Elisabeth highlighted promising sectors like ♻️ recycling technologies and 💨 carbon capture.   The full article dives deep into 30+ investors' perspectives on climate-critical innovations, including 🌱 precision reforestation, ⚡ energy management systems, and more.   💡 Discover the full list of solutions: https://lnkd.in/dSgNNa4Y Cc Cristina Doumitrachko Tobias Weissgerber Anke Gratz Dr. Anne-Kathrin Hinze Laura Hodgkiss Stephanie L. Stein

We are growing 🚀  ♻️ The cylib vision is highly ambitious: To create a true circular economy through technological leadership.  🇪🇺 However, we seek brilliant and motivated individuals who align with our values of excellence, sustainability, entrepreneurship & safety, and want to work on our mission today: To produce green raw materials for sustainable batteries and resilient European value chains. This summer, we proudly announced our 70th employee. Now, as we head towards 100, and have recently announced our industrialization plans in Chempark Dormagen, we are excited to announce new opportunities to join our excellent team! 📈 Please find our open positions listed below and apply via our website. If you don't see a perfect match but are passionate about our mission, we strongly encourage initiative applications —we're always looking for talented individuals (with and without a battery background) to join us!   - Head of Hydrometallurgy  - Team Lead Hydrometallurgy  - Team Lead - Dismantling and Discharging  - Team Lead - Mechanical Processing  - Process Engineer - Production of Battery Materials   - Senior Plant Manager - Pilot Plant  - Specialist for Occupational Safety  - Chemical Laboratory Assistant  - Working Student - Chemical Laboratory Assistant - Head of Raw Material Sales  - Sales Manager - Raw Materials  - Founders Associate - Focus Tech  - Communications and PR-Manager Let’s grow together 🚀    #cylib #BatteryRecycling #Battery #Recycling #MadeInGermany #Innovation #ClimateTech #DeepTech #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #IndustryTransformation #Europe

🌍 Last Wednesday, we had the pleasure of attending the VC Stammtisch Düsseldorf Networking Night, where over 100 guests gathered to discuss “Impact DeepTech Investments: Sustainability as a Growth Driver in VC.” After some opening notes by Johanna Antonie Tjaden-Schulte from NRW.BANK, our Investment Director, Torsten Löffler, joined a panel alongside Christoph Büth (NRW.BANK), Ines Bergmann-Nolting (Greencode Ventures), Jovana Walter, CFA (PwC), and Hannes Schill (eCAPITAL ENTREPRENEURIAL PARTNERS), where they shared insights into bridging the growth capital gap for hardware startups and discussed key initiatives like #WIN. We learned about NRW’s interesting ecosystem for DeepTech and ClimateTech startups and investors. Our discussion showed that the market will appreciate entrepreneurial and technological skilled investors with diverse investment teams. The night continued with a relaxed networking session over drinks, offering a great chance to connect with VCs, angels, and founders. 🤝 📸 Check out some highlights from the event below! Thanks to Petra Bolz (TIGGES) and Svenja Nentwig (eCAPITAL ENTREPRENEURIAL PARTNERS) for the pictures!

🌱 September has been an absolute whirlwind for the tech and startup world! It’s always the peak month of events, and this year was no different. We had the opportunity to participate, speak, and network at a range of amazing conferences and gatherings, especially in our core-areas deeptech and climate tech. 🎤 Panel Discussions: We joined incredible discussions on the stages at Bits & Pretzels, Startup Germany Summit, and the Bitkom AI & Data Summit, exploring everything from AI's impact on industries, how we work on closing the later stage funding gap, to the latest trends in startups. Often joined by our portfolio companies (cylib, Kipu Quantum & Proxima Fusion), we provided a wide range of perspectives on our often not so easy investment topics. 🥐 During Bits & Pretzels, we also co-hosted an exclusive "Qubits & Quiche"-breakfast with our amazing co-hosts NGP Capital, Walden Catalyst Ventures & Direttissima Growth Partners and invited the deeptech community. Check out our earlier post for a few more insights: https://lnkd.in/eQSsDijM 🌊 We hosted a Ripple about "DeepTech Investment: Catalyst for Scientific Breakthroughs" at The Drop in Malmö, connecting with forward-thinking founders and innovators! On top of that, we attended many more events—big and small—including TechBBQ, PAKcon, and various portfolio days and networking sessions hosted by befriended VCs. Check out the video below to catch some of our favorite moments from this exciting month of learning, networking, and innovation! 🎥👇 Cc Elisabeth Schrey Tobias Faupel Torsten Löffler Jana Kutter Tobias Weissgerber Cristina Doumitrachko Lena Stache Günther Bogenrieder Dr. Anne-Kathrin Hinze Anke Gratz Dr. Markus Düttmann Jonas Sommer Stephanie L. Stein Lilian Schwich Lucio Milanese Tobias Grab Martin Schilling Picture Credit: 2nd TechBBQ pic belongs to TechBBQ.

✨ What an insightful morning at the Merantix AI Campus! ☕ Yesterday, we had the pleasure of inviting the Berlin AI ecosystem for breakfast and a panel discussion titled "Navigating Industrial AI: Effective Strategies and Pitfalls." Together with our friends from Merantix Momentum and an impressive lineup of experts, we examined the current state of industrial AI. A big thank you to Nazanin Daneshvar, Ceyhun (Jay) Derinbogaz, and Sven Przywarra for joining Jonas Sommer on stage. Here are some key takeaways from our discussions: ⚡ Speed of Development: While areas like #SoftwareEngineering, Customer Success, Marketing & Sales, and #Product Development progress quickly, sectors such as #Manufacturing and Supply Chain often lag behind, mainly due to their zero-fault tolerance in large-scale operations. 📊 Data as a Bottleneck: We explored how the lack of qualitative data can hinder both the training of AI models and their application during inference. ⏳ Corporate Decision-Making: Decision processes within corporations can be lengthy, leading to the emergence of "AI tourists" who drift away from the field. However, successful corporate innovation teams (such as the one from Deutsche Bahn) empower their members to transition #AI projects from proof of concept to production. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us this morning! We enjoyed engaging discussions, building connections, and sharing delicious treats. 🥐 📸 Check out some moments from the event below! Cc: TextCortex AI LiveEO Leander Sante EQT Group Raphael Stücheli Arantxa Gomez Elisabeth Schrey Tobias Faupel Torsten Löffler Dr. Anne-Kathrin Hinze Anke Gratz Dr. Markus Düttmann Stephanie L. Stein

🚀 Join us for the next VC Stammtisch Düsseldorf Networking Night! We’re excited to share details about the upcoming VC Stammtisch Düsseldorf, a long-standing platform for investors, entrepreneurs, and VC enthusiasts to connect and exchange ideas on the latest trends in venture capital. This time, we’ll dive into engaging discussions on how #deeptech and #sustainability are driving growth in the VC industry. Panel Discussion: "Impact DeepTech Investments: Sustainability as a #Growth Driver in VC" 📅 Wednesday, 9 October 2024 🕡 6:30 PM CET 📍 NRW.BANK, Düsseldorf We’re happy to have our Investment Director Torsten Löffler join an expert panel featuring Christoph Büth (NRW.BANK), Ines Bergmann-Nolting (Greencode Ventures), Jovana Walter, CFA (PwC), and Hannes Schill (eCAPITAL ENTREPRENEURIAL PARTNERS). Don’t miss this great opportunity to network with fellow VCs, CVCs, angels, and founders in the heart of #Düsseldorf. ✨ 👉 RSVP now: vc-stammtisch.net Cc Tobias Faupel Elisabeth Schrey VentureCapital Magazin Svenja Nentwig Cristina Doumitrachko Tobias Weissgerber

What a month! 🌟   September was packed with exciting news and activities from our portfolio companies, and we’d love to take a moment to highlight a few of the key milestones—just in case you missed them.   🚀 cylib hit at least four major milestones in September: breaking ground on a new site, being featured in NRW’s startup publication, and making an appearance in a prominent book. But what’s missing? Of course: being named one of Norrsken’s Impact/100 startups and lighting up the Nasdaq Tower in Times Square! 📸 https://lnkd.in/eNb-uGGu   🏢 planqc also opened new doors with their impressive new space in Garching, near Munich. The event brought together key figures from the startup scene, the quantum space, and even high-ranking politicians. https://lnkd.in/ekwSWrNx   🎉 FERNRIDE had a big celebration, marking their 5th birthday! To top it off, their founder & CEO, Hendrik Kramer, was named Logistics Leader of the Year. 🏆 https://lnkd.in/ejXF-NXY   🌐 Proxima Fusion was buzzing with activity. A standout moment for us? The visit from Verena Pausder, Chair of the Startup-Verband, to their Munich offices. https://lnkd.in/e6fDkmQS   🖨️ xolo launched the 2nd generation of their 3D printer. We even had the chance to visit their labs in Berlin Adlershof and try it ourselves—what a game changer! https://lnkd.in/e6JvqJd8   🚜 Vemcon GmbH had an great time at GaLaBau, the ultimate event in their industry. CEO 🕹️ Jan Rotard and the team kept everyone informed in real-time and they also showed off the power of their copilot. 💡 https://lnkd.in/eBPha-Ss   🌍 LiveEO published an insightful piece on achieving EUDR compliance. Don’t miss their guide! https://lnkd.in/eAEQ3SrT   💻 eze.network began a new LinkedIn series, reintroducing themselves and their mission. If you haven’t already, be sure to hit that follow button!   🧠 Kipu Quantum had a supercharged September too. Catch up on their highlights in the quantum world here: https://lnkd.in/ej7aAhuP   🔬 And last but certainly not least, we’re excited to officially welcome French biotech company Abolis Biotechnologies to our portfolio! A big shoutout to Cyrille and Valerie for joining the journey with us. 🧬 https://lnkd.in/exjFQXKb   It’s been a month full of milestones, and we’re looking forward to what’s next! 👏