Top 50 Music Startup Investors in Germany in December 2024

Family Office

Fund for technological internet companies

The seed investor High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) finances tech start-ups with growth potential and has supported more than 700 start-ups since 2005. With the launch of its fourth fund, HTGF now has about 1.4 billion euros under management. Its team of experienced investment managers and start-up experts support young companies with expertise,entrepreneurial spirit and passion. HTGF’s focus is on high-tech start-ups in the fields of digital tech, industrial tech, life sciences, chemistry and related business areas. To date, external investors have injected about 5 billion euros of capital into the HTGF portfolio via more than 2,000 follow-on financing rounds. In addition, HTGF has already successfully sold shares in more than 170 companies. Fund investors in this public-private partnership include the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, KfW Capital and 45 companies from a wide range of industries. Fund investors in this public-private partnership include the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, KfW Capital and 45 companies from a wide range of industries.

Hasso Plattner Ventures invests in fast-growing, information technology-driven companies in Europe and the USA on behalf of Prof. Dr. h.c. Hasso Plattner, co-founder and chairman of software giant SAP. The support we offer reaches beyond financial commitments. Our multifaceted work includes acting globally as a strategic partner for our informationtechnology growth companies. In Germany, our commitment has taken also the form of a seed program for information technology startups coming out of the Hasso Plattner Institute.After retiring from the operative business of SAP in 2003, Hasso Plattner was appointed Chairman of the company’s Supervisory Board. He has devoted his time to the promotion of science, innovation and entrepreneurship ever since.To further these goals, Hasso Plattner founded Hasso Plattner Ventures on July 1st, 2005 in Potsdam, Germany. Hasso Plattner Ventures Africa launched as an affiliate in 2008, operating from Cape Town, South Africa.Hasso Plattner Ventures manages four funds. HP Ventures I started in 2005, focusing on early stage software companies in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In 2008, HP Ventures II and HP Ventures Africa launched, looking for investment opportunities in startup- and expansion-stage companies across the USA, Europe, Israel and South Africa.As of 2015, HP Ventures III, a €150 million fund, focuses on fast-growing enterprise and infrastructure software companies mainly in Germany and the Silicon Valley.

Holger Hübner

Investing early in Europe's most passionate founders.

Founded in 2014, Plus Eight Equity Partners is an early stage venture capital firm that has partnered with electronic music industry leaders to invest in groundbreaking music technology companies. The Principals of Plus Eight have over 100 years of combined experience in electronic music and music technology. Plus Eight possesses deep institutionalknowledge and relationships within these industries. The firm specializes in sourcing propriety investment opportunities and building value through organizational development and organic growth. Plus Eight drives significant momentum in its portfolio company investments by leveraging its robust network in music, technology, finance, operations and manufacturing.

NRW.BANK is the development bank for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It supports its owner – the state of North Rhine-Westphalia – in fulfilling its tasks, notably in the fields of structural, economic, social and housing policy. NRW.BANK pools the promotion and development programmes of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the FederalRepublic of Germany and the European Union and combines them with its own equity and debt products and advisory services. It offers the full range of financial products in three areas “Economy”, “Housing”, and “Infrastructure/Municipalities”. NRW.BANK operates in a competitively neutral manner as a partner of banks and savings banks.

The Amazon Alexa Fund is Amazon’s venture capital fund investing in artificial intelligence, frontier tech, voice, robotics, and digital health across consumer and enterprise. We invest in early- to growth-stage companies globally. To learn more, visit us at alexafund.com.

Techstars helps founders succeed. Through our global accelerators, we invest in early-stage startups led by founders building a better future for everyone.

DuMont Venture Holding GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 2007 as a subsidiary of M. DuMont Schauberg - a leading media corporation based in Germany. DuMont Venture is actively seeking high-growth potential companies in the Digital Media and IT segments, and financially and strategically supports the development, market launch, andinternationalization of its partners.DuMont Venture invested in successful companies like plista, rebuy, Picanova, lieferando, Learnship, navabi, ZooRoyal, movingimage, northworks, farbflut or Fairrank.

IBB Ventures is a venture capital and mezzanine arm of Investitionsbank Berlin specializing in seed/startup, early venture, and mid venture investments. The firm invests in technology-oriented companies and companies from the creative industries. It typically invests in information and communication sector with a focus on hardware andsoftware, network technology, new media, and internet and mobile technologies; life science sector with a focus on biotechnology and media technology; and industrial technologies sector with a focus on software, PPS, supply chain management, micro and nanotechnology, environmental and power technology, automation, manufacturing technology, transport technology and logistics, and new materials. The firm also invests in movies, broadcast, television, publisher, music, entertainment, advertising, fashion, design, architecture, multimedia, games, software, and art and culture. It invests in companies based in Berlin. It typically invests between €0.25 million ($0.32 million) and €3 million ($3.83 million) per transaction. The firm prefers to take a board seat in its portfolio companies. IBB Ventures was founded in 1997 and is based in Berlin, Germany.

Founded in 1997, Earlybird invests in all development and growth phases of technology companies. Among the most experienced venture investors in Europe, Earlybird offers its portfolio companies not only financial resources but also strategic support plus access to an international network and capital markets. With EUR 2 billion under management,eight IPOs and 30 trade sales, Earlybird is one of the most established and active venture capital firms in Europe.

Yat Siu is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Outblaze a messaging communications company that services over 40 million users today based out of Hong Kong.Yat has previously worked for Atari Germany, served as Director and Head of East Coast Operations for Lexicor, established Hong Kong Cybercity (the first free web page and e-mail providerin Asia, later renamed Freenation), as well as AT&T Solutions System Integration practice.He has been named a Global Leader of Tomorrow and a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.It has been reported that Yat Siu sold Outblaze messaging to IBM to become Lotus iNotes.Yat is also responsible FON's operations in China.

Egora Holding is an investment company and concentrates on investments in Broadband Communications, Industrial Optronics,

Consumer Media & Technology Fund

Yves Latour is the Co-Founder of 3wVentures. Yves Latour attended the University of St.Gallen.

Sean Hannon's homepage

Axel Springer is a media company engaged in publishing newspapers, magazines, and digital sales channels.Axel Springer founded the publishing house in Hamburg in 1946; the editors spent the first year working above a warehouse for tea and spices, often without electricity, and using borrowed typewriters. As a result of consistentinternationalization and digitization, Axel Springer SE today is not only market leader in the German print business, but is also active in more than 40 countries through subsidiaries, joint ventures and licenses. Now it is a question of pressing ahead with digitization even faster and more vigorously. For Axel Springer SE, informative and entertaining journalism is a viable business model also in future on the Internet, along with marketing and classifieds, the other two business segments in which the company is traditionally strong.In the tradition of its founder, who fostered journalistic and technological innovations in his time, Axel Springer SE is breaking new ground. The company is consistently pursuing the objective of building up a fast-growing and profitable digital portfolio and for this reason is networking today more than ever before with the current generation of founders: digital start-ups. Along with the transformation of their established strong media brands, their own new developments online and strategically-oriented acquisitions of web companies, this network is one of the building blocks of the company's international digitization strategy: Axel Springer SE wants to become the leading digital publisher.

Raffay is an investment group with early stage venture capital and real estate as its primary focus.

Mülheim/Ruhr

Michael Shmilov has been a key member of the Viber Management team working alongside with the founding team since the launch of the company in December 2010. As Chief Operating Officer, Michael is responsible for the operational running of the fast-moving business. Viber has gained more than 800 million users since its launch. In his previous roleas Viber’s Head of Product, Michael was responsible for the long-term vision of the Viber platform, product planning, design and UX.Prior to Viber, Michael was Product Manager for iMesh, one of the world’s first peer-to-peer file sharing services. Michael’s love to product design and user experience drove him to establish a design and development studio and ‘UX Storytelling’, a hub designed for the UX and product management community to share stories and ideas.

Guido Peters - International Business Development Manager @ Continental

We've been investing in pre-seed and seed stage product companies since 2012, from our home in London.

Supermoon Capital is a specialist platform helping visionary founders enhance our lives, organizations, and communities through healthy sleep.

Target Global is a prominent European technology investment firm with a significant presence in the venture capital landscape, boasting over €3 billion in assets under management. The firm operates out of key tech hubs including London, Berlin, Tel Aviv, and Abu Dhabi, and has a rich portfolio featuring some of Europe's most successful techcompanies such as Revolut, Auto1, Copper, Delivery Hero, Docplanner, and Rapyd.Founding and GrowthTarget Global was established in 2015 by Shmuel Chafets and Yaron Valler, who brought a wealth of experience from their tenure at Hasso Plattner Ventures. Their professional partnership dates back 15 years to their time at Giza Venture Capital, a trailblazer in Israel's investment ecosystem, where they honed their investment acumen and industry foresight.Investment Philosophy and ImpactTarget Global stands out in the European tech industry for its diverse team and its ability to identify and capitalize on unique opportunities. The firm's knack for recognizing potential in the early stages of Germany's tech economy led to the emergence of several unicorns in the 2010s. As the European tech industry evolves, Target Global remains at the forefront, seeking out innovative companies like Robovision, Saleor, and Finom. These recent investments reflect the firm's commitment to supporting cutting-edge technology and business models.Fundraising SuccessesTarget Global's fundraising prowess is evident in its six investment funds, which have collectively raised significant capital. The funds range from Early Stage Funds, focusing on nascent startups, to Growth Funds that support more mature companies scaling their operations. The firm's co-investment strategy has led to over €1 billion in capital deployment across a diverse array of partnerships.Backing and AchievementsWith the backing of investors such as FERI, UBS, Allianz X, Mubadala, and Hermes GPE, Target Global has cemented its reputation as a trusted and successful investment firm. Its portfolio spans over 140 companies at various development stages, with a focus on those targeting trillion-dollar markets.Just a few of the many notable companies in the firm’s portfolio include:- Tarabut, MENA’s leading open banking platform, which was recently featured in Forbes Middle East’s list of Top 50 Fintech Companies.- Flo Health, an AI-driven women’s health product, which is the world’s top health and fitness app by downloads.- Robovision, an easy-to-use AI-driven computer vision platform for users to develop their own deep-learning-based solutions.- Enter, a German company that helps homeowners and businesses reduce their carbon footprint.Target Global's track record includes support for 15 unicorn companies, over 20 exits, and 7 IPOs, showcasing its ability to drive growth and success in the European tech ecosystem. The team, comprised of individuals with founder and operator backgrounds, continues to pursue exceptional opportunities to expand the firm's portfolio and influence.Target Global's journey from its inception to its current status as a key player in European venture capital is marked by strategic investments, a commitment to diversity, and a deep understanding of the tech industry's dynamics. With a clear vision for the future, Target Global is poised to continue its role in shaping the next wave of European tech giants.

Passion Capital is a partnership of entrepreneurs and operators applying their experiences to helping founders and early-stage teams build great digital media/technology companies. They are Stefan Glaenzer, Eileen Burbidge and Robert Dighero.They have been personally involved in the largest European technology exits of the past decade,including the biggest exits of the year for 4 of the past 10 years by market value (Ricardo.de acquired by QXL, Skype purchased by Ebay, Last.fm acquired by CBS, and QXL/Tradus acquired by Naspers) and want to be involved in many more.They believe that the critical differentiator and key asset of a successful business is the passion and ability of its founders.They are committed to fostering an ecosystem of technology, collaboration and executional excellence in Europe. As an example of this, White Bear Yard is their own hub for activities, ambitions and energy and where have fun in the process.

Christian Reber​ is the founder and CEO of Pitch. The German entrepreneur previously founded the award-winning to-do app Wunderlist. After it was acquired by Microsoft in 2015, he spent two years as Microsoft's Entrepreneur in Residence. He is an active investor and advisor in a number of technology businesses, such as Lilium, Notion,Onefootball, Neufund, Freigeist and more. Prior to his career in business, Christian studied Mathematics and Computer Science as well as International Management in Berlin. Christian received the Forbes 30 under 30 award in 2014 and 2016.

Early-stage investment company investing 10-150k per ticket. Industries are B2B SasS and all things Gen Z, Games, eSports, Mobile.

Michael is the CEO and co-founder of Fireblocks, a secure digital asset infrastructure company. Prior to Fireblocks, he co-founded Lacoon Mobile Security, which was acquired by Check Point, and was then appointed the Head of Products, Mobile and Cloud Security for Check Point. Michael is a serial cybersecurity entrepreneur and investor. He is alsoa recognized industry speaker, delivering talks at RSA Conference, BlackHat and Infosec. Before his commercial endeavors, Michael pioneered the mobile security field in an elite military technological unit (8200), where he received the Israeli Presidential Excellency Honor for his contributions. He holds a BSc in Computer Sciences and Physics from Ben-Gurion University, Israel.

Cusp Capital is a venture capital firm focused on European software and technology. The fund invests in early-stage companies on the cusp of redefining their industries by channeling new socioeconomic and technological paradigms.

Henning Thies

Edel is a music label that promotes literature and home entertainment. They provide a wide range of products and services to artists, writers, labels, publishers, and other rights holders. They manage the releases of international artists, labels, and brands, taking care of everything from marketing to digital and physical distribution to thecreation of vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays, as well as books.

Patrick Joest is the Managing Director of musicwise.

Heartfelt Capital is a early stage startup investor. VC in Berlin.

Groupe Arnault SAS is a principal investment firm. The firm seeks to hold stake in companies and is owned and controlled by Mr. Bernard Arnault. Groupe Arnault SAS was founded in 1978 and is based in Paris, France.

Geek, Founder, Builder, Angel Investor

Venture Stars is a Munich based venture capital firm focused on early-stage investments in innovative, digital B2C and B2B business models.

Roman Kirsch is the Entrepreneur and Investor of Rapid Pioneers Group.

Daniel Kondermann is the CEO and Founder at Quality Match.

3wVentures provides seed money and venture capital to international internet startups. As they focus on early stage projects and prototypes, our investments and co-investments target a volume of up to USD 250,000.

Btov Partners is a venture capital firm focused on early-stage investments in digital and industrial technology companies. With investment teams in Digital and Industrial Tech, Btov invests EUR 50m per year in high-growth companies with ticket sizes from EUR 0.25m to 3.5m.

Doughty Hanson & Co is one of Europe's largest independent private equity fund managers.Operating Private Equity Funds for Europe and North America, a European Real Estate Fund and a European Technology Ventures Fund, Doughty Hanson & Co has unrivalled breadth of expertise. With offices across Europe and in the US, Doughty Hanson& Co has over 50 investment professionals managing €5bn of fund commitments.

A Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm focused on early stage technology startups. We invest in brilliant people who bring ideas that matter to life.

10x Group is a group of serial entrepreneurs and founders investing in founders of digital start-ups in Europe and Silicon Valley.

Christophe F. Maire is the Founding Partner and CEO of Atlantic Labs, a Berlin-based seed investor dedicated to identifying and investing in innovative digital startup companies. In the last 20+ years, Christophe has built an international track record both as a founder; including gate5 (sold first to Nokia and later developed into HERE and sold tothe German automotive industry) and Plazes.com (also sold to Nokia); and as a farsighted investor named best “European Seed Investor” by Techcrunch two years running. Exited investments include Brands4Friends (eBay), Readmill (Dropbox); StudiVZ, Fyber and Plista. Recent investments led by Atlantic Labs include Medigo, Clue, Jodel, and Campanda, amongst others. Christophe remains actively involved in all his investments, including as a board member of Soundcloud, EyeEm, and Monoqi, and an active promoter of the Berlin startup ecosystem.

Lars Ettrup - Co-Founder, CEO @ Linkfire

Oliver Lesche

FOV Ventures is a venture capital investment firm.

Co-CEO at CleanHub, entrepreneur (Salonmeister / Treatwell, CAYA, Delivery Hero) and Angel Investor. Passionate about company building (marketplace and SaaS), especially when it's in the SMB space.