First Momentum Ventures closes €35M Fund II for early-stage tech startups

With Fund II, First Momentum aims to support more than 20 pre-seed stage tech startups shaping our industrial future

Germany, April 23, 2025 - First Momentum Ventures has announced the final closing of its second fund of over 35 million euros. The German pre-seed investor aims to support founders working at the intersection of technology, science and industry.

Investing before others look

First Momentum became known as one of the first VCs to finance start-ups at the research level - with the aim of truly understanding the technical depth of deep tech start-ups. The team brings experience from institutions such as KIT, Max Planck, MIT, ETH and LMU - complemented by practice in European and US tech startups.

Technical focus

Fund II will invest in up to 25 start-ups, with tickets ranging from €200,000 to €1 million. The focus in terms of content is on:

• New Industrials: robotics, automation, new materials
• Energy: grid infrastructure, storage systems, AI-based optimization
• Compute: semiconductors, edge computing, quantum and storage technologies

Community-driven approach

With a network of over 100 scouts at universities and research institutions, First Momentum identifies science-based start-up teams at an early stage. The model is complemented by its own programs such as the Spinoff Summit, the PhD Fellowship and the Deep Tech Napkin - a public framework for tech start-ups.

Building an ecosystem for deep tech

With almost 50 investments to date and several success stories with international VCs such as Khosla Ventures and Insight Partners, First Momentum aims to further strengthen Europe's deep tech foundation. The team focuses not only on capital, but also on operational support - from recruiting and GTM strategy to market entry.