Lakestar

We are thrilled to announce the largest funding round in the European space technology sector since 2021.   Today, our space tech portfolio company, Isar Aerospace, announced a Series C extension to take its overall close to over EUR 220m, bringing total funding to more than EUR 400m. This funding round re-affirms Isar's position to become Europe’s leading launch service provider ensuring access to space from Europe.   And, in another first for Isar Aerospace, the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) has invested in what is the Fund's first direct investment in a satellite launch service provider - signalling a pivotal moment for European and global defence capabilities.   Lakestar has been proud to support and champion the European space tech industry, and we believe that much of Europe’s digital sovereignty will be decided in space. That’s why we are laser-focused on strengthening the European space tech ecosystem, which is home to some of the most developed scientific institutions and universities globally. We have backed Isar Aerospace since leading their Series B in 2020, then the biggest funding round in European space tech, and it has now become the most capitalized independent New Space company in Europe. The company is currently developing a launch service provider for small and medium-sized satellites that will offer Europe sustainable and cost-effective access to space.   Lakestar is committed to backing transformative players in space tech, and we can't wait to see how the sector evolves in the near future as we approach a new age of European-led space technology.   For more information, please follow this link to Isar's press release: https://lnkd.in/dBj93PVq Daniel Metzler Tina Schmitt #NATO #SpaceTech #Fundraising #VentureCapital #Europe

Building on our 2021 Lakestar study regarding the German Financing Gap, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung recently featured an insightful interview with Verena Pausder, Chief of the German Startup Association (Deutscher Startup Verband), and Prof. Dr. Helmut Schoenenberger, Co-founder and CEO of UnternehmerTUM. The interview highlights the critical need for increased university support to foster startup growth.   In related news, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action announced the winners of the concept phase of their 'Startup Factory' Leuchtturm competition last week. We would like to congratulate the 15 universities and their partners who were recognised for their 'Startup Factories' initiatives. This achievement marks a significant milestone for the startup ecosystem, promoting greater collaboration in science and innovation.   Since 2022, Lakestar has been working closely with Prof. Schönenberger and UnternehmerTUM München to create Europe's largest center for startups, innovation, and enhanced collaboration. Together, we are dedicated to nurturing young entrepreneurial talent and steering the next generation of startups towards success.   We are excited to continue our partnership with TUM, with our Founder and Chairman Klaus Hommels set to lead mentoring sessions in the upcoming months.   Please find the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dBATBryT #Innovation #Lakestar #UnternehmerTUM #StartupFactory #GermanStartupEcosystem

We are pleased to share that our portfolio company, Eigen Technologies, has been acquired by Sirion. The acquisition brings together Sirion’s leadership in AI-native Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) with Eigen’s expertise in Document AI for financial services and insurance to drive future innovation and growth. By combining Sirion’s contract intelligence with Eigen’s Document AI and intelligent document processing (IDP) platforms the two companies will be at the forefront of contract intelligence. We wish Lewis Z. Liu and the entire team at Eigen the very best on their next chapter of their journey with Sirion. Please find the full press release here: https://lnkd.in/dMb8ytDK

SuperReturn is only one day away, and tomorrow we will be in Berlin to meet new and familiar faces! Our Investment Partner Stephen Nundy is on a panel tomorrow at 11:10am in Charlottenburg, discussing how GenAI’s disruptive potential can create value in private equity portfolios. You can also drop by our Lakestar bike stand for free coffee tomorrow and June 5 in front of the InterContinental Hotel, or get in touch with our team if you would like to schedule a meeting with us. See you there! #SuperReturn #PrivateEquity #VentureCapital

We are delighted to announce that our portfolio company, Rows.com, has successfully closed a $9M (€8M) funding round. This investment will enable Rows to continue to expand its functionality and reach into larger teams. Spreadsheets remain essential in all walks of life, generating billions of documents annually. Rows is revolutionizing the traditional spreadsheet by incorporating built-in integrations, AI-powered auto-suggestions for formulas and data insights, and a real-time sharing experience. This innovation empowers everyone, not just programmers, to create custom tools and automate tasks, making spreadsheets more powerful and user-friendly. By democratizing access to data, processes, and tools, we believe Rows is contributing to a better digital world. We look forward to witnessing their continued growth. Well done Humberto Ayres Pereira and Torben Schulz.  Indico Capital Partners, Cherry Ventures, Armilar, Accel, Shilling VC, #AI #Digitalisation #Fundraise

Lakestar will be attending SuperReturn in Berlin! As with last year, we would love to welcome you for a free coffee in front of the InterContinental Hotel on the 4th and 5th June! Don't miss our Investment Partner Stephen Nundy's panel participation on June 4th, at 11:10am on the topic of "Real world case studies on GenAI to create value in PE portfolios". We are also looking forward to meeting LPs and GPs throughout the conference to catch-up and connect. Feel free to reach out directly to the team if you're interested in scheduling a meeting with us. We're very much looking forward to see some new and familiar faces in Berlin! #SuperReturn #VentureCapital

As part of adding value along the founders' journey, Lakestar launched a series of expert conversations focussing on building a strong organisation.    First in our series was a webinar focussing on B2B sales, led by our partner Akis Bratsos. Members of Lakestar's Industry Advisory Board Simon Collins, former Chair of KPMG, and Martin Hofmann, former CIO VW, as well as EIR Shankar Bhaduri, former VP Growth at UiPath and Mark Maxwell, former Head of Sales at DBT, shared their expertise around a number of topics. We addressed questions that are on many of our founders' minds when building and scaling an efficient B2B sales process: What is the right time to start building a sales team? What may this team look like and how do I scale it? How do I build partnerships with companies and community adoption? How can I sell into large enterprises and how can a start-up tailor their selling and use case to the right people within those organisations? Thanks to all involved for making the webinar a great success. #PortfolioGrowth #B2B #LakestarValueAdd

We are pleased to see Handelsblatt and McKinsey & Company highlighting the strength of the European quantum sector. The "Quantum Technology Monitor", published by McKinsey, attributes the upward trend both to recent technological breakthroughs and an increase in government funding, for example, in Germany, but also in the U.K. and across other parts of Europe. We believe strong ecosystems emerge when we have a concentration of talent, capital and ambition. We are very proud to see our portfolio company Terra Quantum AG recognised in Handelsblatt alongside many other startups we respect and admire. You can read the full McKinsey report here: https://lnkd.in/gbbebPm4 #Lakestar #QuantumTechnology #Innovation #TerraQuantum

Last week, Lakestar hosted its first ‘Healthcare Symposium’ in the Hörsaalruine at the Charité in Berlin.    Former German federal ministers of health Jens Spahn and Daniel Bahr held insightful in-depth discussions on the state of German healthcare, and we were also grateful to be joined byProf. Dr. Karl Broich, President of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), who lent his view on public funding and the future of innovation.   The former Vice Chancellor of Germany and Lakestar board member Dr. Philipp Rösler was in attendance, and our symposium was expertly moderated by Lakestar Partner Oliver Heimes.   Events like these are key for our network of founders, innovators, investors and politicians to meet and discuss the important issues of our time as part of one-to-one and panel conversations.   Our partner Oliver expands on this: “To realise the full potential of healthcare innovation in spite of regulation and complex market structures, it is essential to bring together regulators, political actors and the most innovative founders together in one room to allow for a true exchange of ideas”.   We would like to thank all guests who made the time to share their expertise, and we very much look forward to hosting you all again very soon.   #Lakestar #Healthcare Nelly Solutions Aware

We are pleased to see that personalised healthcare is gaining traction with our portfolio company, Neko Health, featured in The New York Times over the weekend. Neko is at forefront of the patient first healthcare revolution. Their mission is to make early diagnosis of diseases affordable and routine, with the overarching goal of enhancing life expectancy and overall health quality through the use of AI and sensor technology. Neko has designed a series of examinations that can detect the onset of various skin, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Lakestar is incredibly proud to support them as they continue on their journey to champion preventative healthcare across Sweden, and soon, London.   We’re excited to see them push the boundaries of what’s possible in healthcare under Daniel Ek and Hjalmar Nilsonne!   #NekoHealth #HealthTech #PreventativeHealthcare #Innovation #NYTimes