Earlybird Venture Capital

⚡ A revitalized brand, a hackathon, market expansion, positive clinical trial results, an acquisition, and a couple of soonicorns… What more can we ask for in the first month of 2025? In case you missed something, we’ve got a packed newsletter for you featuring Earlybird portfolio companies including Isar Aerospace, HiveMQ, Hive, Greenlyte Carbon Technologies, finmid, Matchory and Earlybird Health’s Oculis. Not to mention, Earlybird spotlights on Dr. Hendrik Brandis, Paul Klemm, Tim Rehder, Dr. Andre Retterath, Dr. Moritz Belling, Laurin Class, and Earlybird Health’s Dr. Christoph Massner. 🔥 And that’s just January. Buckle up—there’s a lot more coming. #VC #Founders #Startups

 🎬 Vision Lab Cohort 6 is officially live! As part of our pan-European approach, we believe great founders come from everywhere. Vision Lab is an Earlybird program focused on supporting entrepreneurs from migration backgrounds. Vision Lab’s Startup Cohort 6 channels expertise from Ukraine, Brazil, India, and more: because diversity is always an asset. From scalable tailored prosthetics to cutting-edge carbon capture solutions, these startups tackle critical challenges with fresh perspectives. At the recent kick-off event, Vision Lab program supporter Vlad Kovtun and Jonathan Doliva from Bain & Company engaged with founders on how to reach success by addressing the flip side of the coin: Why do so many startups fail? This event was further supported by Earlybird Vision Lab Partner Benjamin Wilkening and Program Managers Judith Gantschnigg and Charles Hamilton II, made possible by Vision Lab Partners such as Bain & Company, Egon Zehnder, Handelsblatt Media Group, and many more. Thank you to Techspace for hosting us in Berlin. It was a fabulous venue! Meet the cohort: DatafabriQ, HealthCaters, Horus Prosthetics, papayo, beams, Muuv, Meloon GmbH, Zapdeck, TMA, The Hazardous Goods Companion, mixNmatch, Claro AI, Workademy Cc: Dr. Hendrik Brandis, Elisheva Marcus, Rylee Mora, and Techspace’s Philip Ellis & Mona Otten #VisionLab #Entrepreneurs #Diversity #Founders #VC

🔐 AI is transforming VC—no secret, no surprise. But where does cybersecurity fit into this shift? Earlybird Principal Dr. Moritz Belling will take the stage at Zero One Hundred Conferences to address this topic, moderating a panel on the "Usage of AI & Digitalization of the VC industry. Cybersecurity: Trend or Main Challenge?" Speakers joining this panel include Future Energy Ventures Partner Jan Palasinski, Paladin Capital Group Managing Director Kenneth Pentimonti, and Headline Partner Dominic Wilhelm. Secure a spot for this unique conversation with industry leaders, set against the backdrop of the renowned 0100 DACH Conference in Vienna, which brings together leaders from an established network of key players in innovation. Link in the comments section below. Cc: Alena Hloba, Dr. Andre Retterath, Elisheva Marcus, Rylee Mora #0100DACH #Network #VentureCapital #AI #CyberSecurity

💫 “This was a project the entire company had been waiting for. We had been living with the frustration of knowing that an outdated brand didn’t represent who we were on the inside. We have a diverse team that is invested in supporting the cutting-edge every day and we wanted that energy reflected in our new brand,” says Sara Fee Kirschhausen, Earlybird Principal and Brand Project Lead. For a look behind the curtain, a deeper understanding of our evolution as a firm, and tips on conquering a rebrand of your own, head to our blog & read our latest post: ‘Behind the Brand.’ This article features quotes from Earlybird Partner Dr. Andre Retterath, Earlybird Principal Sara Fee Kirschhausen, and Earlybird Health Principal Dr. Christoph Massner. 🔗 Link in the comments section below. Cc: Dr. Hendrik Brandis, Dr. Christian Nagel, Paul Klemm, Tim Rehder, Elisheva Marcus, Rylee Mora  #VC #EuropeanVC #Brand #Startup #Founders #Legacy 

🚀 Today we’re unveiling a new brand that reflects our energetic culture and beliefs. As a diverse team invested in supporting the cutting-edge every day, it’s about time to sharpen our appearance. We’ve been backing European innovators since 1997 and we continue to invest in the future—for one simple reason: we believe. As sparring partners for Europe’s most visionary founders, Earlybird & Earlybird Health are laser-focused on respective specialties, backing game-changing tech companies and transforming healthcare. As we transition into this new chapter, Earlybirds Dr. Andre Retterath, Paul Klemm, and Tim Rehder are becoming General Partners. For the last 7 years, they’ve collaborated with the Earlybird team and Co-Founders, Dr. Hendrik Brandis and Dr. Christian Nagel, to empower the Earlybird legacy for the decades ahead. Meanwhile, Earlybird Health is shaping the future of healthcare and achieving better patient outcomes through a tech-agnostic approach to investing, positively impacting 500 million patients. Earlybird Health is led by Partners Thom Rasche, John Yianni, Lionel Carnot, Florent Gros, and Alexander Müller. What’s more, we're launching our Catalyst Program, with top operators turned Venture Partners, ready to help scale your vision. Our first cohort will hone in on go-to-market strategies for Fintech and Software founders. Our current initiatives have only become more robust. Supporting founders through:  -Our EagleEye AI Platform (Because data + gut feelings = 🦄) -Vision Lab opening doors for entrepreneurs with migration backgrounds -Enhanced startup success & portfolio resources With an international team and a multi-generational partnership, we have a lot of different perspectives, but there is one thing we most certainly agree on: we’re all in from day one. Check out the link to our new website in the comments section below. #VentureCapital #Innovation #EuropeanTech #Healthcare #Startups

🚀 Let’s keep FemTech Founders in focus as we kick off 2025 with the first Digital Health Cocktail Hour of the year! Explore the FemTech landscape with founders and experts who share their journeys, discuss challenges, and highlight the transformative role of data strategies in advancing women’s healthcare. Speakers include Felicia von Reden, Co-founder of Ovom Care, and Zara Liew, Director of Clinical Partnerships at Lindus Health & more – moderated by Guy Spigelman, EMEA Lead Healthcare and Life Sciences Startups at AWS. This event includes networking opportunities with founders, VCs & innovators, plus 1:1 Office Minutes sessions with representatives from Earlybird Health, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Future4Care, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin's Berlin Institute of Health, and Merantix AI Campus. Not to mention, great music and cocktails. 📅 February 5, 6-8 pm CET 📍 Merantix AI Campus, Max-Urich-Straße 3, 13355 Berlin   🙌 Thanks to all our co-hosts and speakers. Let’s connect, innovate, and celebrate FemTech. Please visit the link in the comments to register. 🔗 #DHCHBerlin #EarlybirdHealth #FemTech #DigitalHealth #Berlin cc: Thom Rasche, Rabab Nasrallah, PhD, Dr. Christoph Massner, Freskida Goni

✈️ Greenlyte Carbon Technologies and Düsseldorf Airport are now officially partnering up to build the first ever direct-air-capture (DAC) to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant at an airport. 🌱 The is a step in the airport’s 2045 Masterplan, which outlines a bold strategy for sustainability and modern operations, backed by a total investment of €1 billion. As Greenlyte's CEO and Co-Founder 🌱🌎 Florian Hildebrand puts it: "Partnering with Düsseldorf Airport to develop the world’s first DAC-to-SAF facility demonstrates how aviation can cut emissions while using advanced DAC technologies. Greenlyte’s tech removes CO₂ from the air while producing green hydrogen, making affordable green fuels possible - key to global climate goals. Driving these innovations in Germany is crucial for future-proof industries and climate leadership." 🔗 Take off via the link in the comments below and read the full story with Handelsblatt Cc: Dr. Hendrik Brandis, Elisheva Marcus, Jay Anna Harris-Theis, Rylee Mora

🙌 In 2025, Earlybird and Snowflake team up to support European entrepreneurs and operators across 3 cities in 3 topics: Go-To-Market (Paris), Engineering (Berlin) & AI (London.) We’re kicking this off at STATION F on March 11, 2025. Attendees will hear valuable first-hand insights and gain unique networking opportunities. 🇫🇷 At the Paris event, Snowflake’s VP of International Marketing Karen Beauné will chat with Regina C., Head of Product Marketing & Brand Pigment, moderated by Ferdinand Dansard from Earlybird’s investment team. ✅ They’ll share tips on how startups can scale to become internationally known, ramp up their marketing efforts post-seed investment, build a globally recognized brand, and form fruitful partnerships. Founder and operators, come network with the French entrepreneurial community, and join us for a special session in Paris on ‘Scaling Globally: Marketing & Partnership Strategies to Take You From Startup to Global Brand.’ 🎟️ See the link in the comments to register your interest! Cc: Dr. Christian Nagel, Roxanne VARZA, Ryan Lieber, Clara Oeljeklaus Akash Bajwa & more #Startups #Scaling #Paris #Europe #Events

💰 Portfolio company Matchory announced a EUR 6M seed extension round led by Capmont Technology, joined by us and other prominent angel investors. Matchory is an AI-powered discovery tool where strategic buyers can search, analyze, and manage suppliers worldwide and is already serving market leaders such as DMG MORI,  Bosch, tesa and Jungheinrich AG.  🌐 Matchory is the first company to combine all manufacturers in one platform. With the help of specially developed AI models and web scraping processes, the data is constantly updated and enriched. Matchory's database currently contains over 14 million supplier profiles and therefore already covers over 98% of the relevant manufacturers in the global market. 🌱 Supply chain transparency is not only efficient but also crucial for ESG accountability. For more on Matchory check out the coverage below from Tech Funding News , Tech.eu, EU-Startups & more! Cc: Aiko Wiegand, Martin Konradi, Nils Liskien, Elisheva Marcus, Rylee Mora

📈 Small businesses need access to capital in order to thrive and Europe needs small businesses to drive economic growth. Finmid has created a solution by connecting platforms, SMEs, and capital providers to create the first platform-powered financing network designed specifically for small businesses. 🌍 finmid has recently expanded into 8 new European markets, now bringing merchant financing to a total of 20 countries across Europe and serving customers like Wolt and Glovo. With Finmid, software platforms can embed fast, personalized, and convenient financing directly into their systems. 🔗 To understand how this expansion is driving change for small businesses, check out the recent Finance Forward founder interview with Max Schertel, link in the coments section below. CC: Alexander Talkanitsa, Tim Rehder, Nina Mayer, Elisheva Marcus, Rylee Mora