German pre-seed fundraising rewards founders who pair breakthrough solutions with ruthless execution—and the best investors bring corporate relationships, public–private leverage, and deep-tech expertise, not just capital. Here's the definitive, founder-first guide to who's truly active in German pre-seed, how to pick the right partner, and how to pitch so you get to "yes."

1) How to pick the right German pre-seed investor (quick, founder-first)

Match by stage & motion, not logo.
- Hands-on pre-seed company builders: Atlantic Labs, FoodLabs, Picus, Cavalry.
- Public–private seed & co-investors: HTGF, IBB Ventures (B#), Bayern Kapital, coparion.
- Deep-tech B2B: UVC Partners, 42CAP, Visionaries Club.
- Generalist early-stage platforms with ops muscle: Project A, Cherry, Point Nine (B2B SaaS), Fly Ventures (technical/AI).
Screen for fresh conviction. Prioritize funds that closed/expanded vehicles or led rounds in 2024–25 (e.g., Fly Fund III; Project A's 2025 fund; UVC's Fund IV). (Vestbee)
Ask for leverage beyond the check. You want distribution (corporates, Mittelstand, hospitals, utilities), evidence help (LCA, IRB, certifications), and EU expansion plays.
Lead with the boring math. Activation → 30/60/90 retention, CAC payback (net of returns/discounts), contribution margin by segment, and a 12–18-month milestone ladder tied to the raise.
Use the public stack. Berlin/Brandenburg and Bavaria have dedicated early-stage vehicles; learn their ticket sizes and co-investment rules to design non-dilutive + VC stacks. (ibbventures.de)

Organize your materials in a secure data room to demonstrate professionalism and make it easy for investors to review your pitch deck and technical documentation.

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Organize your pitch deck, financial models, and technical documentation in branded data rooms that signal operational maturity. See which investors spend time reviewing your deck and time follow-ups perfectly.

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2) The investors (what they do, why founders pick them, and how to approach)

For each firm: Center of gravity, Stage & typical ticket (indicative), Why them, They scrutinize, How to approach. I cite platform facts and recent activity.

1) High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) — Bonn/Berlin

Center: Germany's public–private seed cornerstone across deep-tech, digital, life sciences.

Stage & ticket: Pre-seed/seed; initial sweet-spot €800k+, with follow-ons up to ~€30m across funds. (htgf.de)

Why them: Scale, signaling, and a co-investor network built for first checks. HTGF has >€2B AUM and 750+ financings. (htgf.de)

Scrutinize: Technical merit, IP/FTO, and a credible path from prototype → first revenue.

Approach: One-pager on TRL→MRL progression and named co-investors for the round.

2) Cherry Ventures — Berlin

Center: Founder-led early-stage fund backing category creators; very active in Germany/DACH. (cherry.vc)

Stage & ticket: Pre-seed/seed; dedicated seed fund franchise (e.g., Cherry IV). (Medium)

Why them: Speed at pre-seed and strong downstream syndicate access.

Scrutinize: Founder-market fit, velocity of learning, and wedge → category plan.

Approach: Show your habit-formation loop and 12-month learnings cadence.

3) Atlantic Labs — Berlin

Center: First-round partner with a company-builder playbook (future of work, AI/data, climate, digital health). (atlanticlabs)

Stage & ticket: Pre-seed/seed focus. (Vestbee)

Why them: Day-zero support and talent network; fast to conviction.

Scrutinize: Team speed, proof of problem, and early usage curves.

Approach: Bring design-partner letters and weekly activation/retention.

4) FoodLabs — Berlin

Center: Venture studio + fund for food, climate, bio/alt-protein; leads pre-seed/seed and doubles down in winners. (Pitch Perfect Bioeconomy)

Stage & ticket: Pre-seed/seed (studio plus capital). (Pitch Perfect Bioeconomy)

Why them: Deep operator support and corporate/academic ties for pilots.

Scrutinize: Unit economics at scale (COGS, yields) and regulatory path.

Approach: Show lab→plant scale plan and named offtakers.

5) Point Nine — Berlin

Center: Seed specialist in B2B SaaS/marketplaces; occasionally pre-seed when conviction is high. (pointnine.com)

Stage & ticket: Seed (select pre-seed); repeat leads in SaaS. Recent Berlin pre-seed leads continue. (The SaaS News)

Why them: Best-in-class SaaS metrics literacy and early customer development support.

Scrutinize: ICP clarity, early cohort quality, and "why now."

Approach: Open with a KPI ladder (activation → NRR) and three lighthouse customer stories.

6) Project A Ventures — Berlin

Center: Early-stage platform with in-house experts (growth, data, product, talent). Pre-seed & seed investors with a new €325m early-stage vehicle in 2025. (project-a.vc)

Stage & ticket: Initial €1–8m, plus heavy ops help. (project-a.vc)

Why them: Real operating lift; strong downstream access.

Scrutinize: Repeatable GTM, data foundation, and hiring plan.

Approach: Bring a 90-day ops plan (experiments, dashboards, hires).

7) Cavalry Ventures — Berlin

Center: Pre-seed/seed software across Europe; entrepreneur-heavy LP base. (Cavalry)

Stage & ticket: Leads pre-seed/seed; €500k–€4m initial. (Cavalry)

Why them: Fast process, high-signal angels, and crisp seed mechanics.

Scrutinize: Distribution wedge and payback by channel.

Approach: Show bottoms-up adoption math and expansion within two lighthouse customers.

8) 42CAP — Munich

Center: Seed-stage B2B software from entrepreneur-turned-VCs; Europe-wide. (42cap.com)

Stage & ticket: €0.5–3m initial; seed-first, but pre-seed friendly for technical founders. (42cap.com)

Why them: Deep SaaS pattern recognition and founder empathy.

Scrutinize: Data-driven GTM, early retention, and pricing power.

Approach: One slide on ICP→motion and a 6-month experiment stack.

9) Picus Capital — Munich

Center: Very-early operator-style investor; pre-seed support without heavy process, then capitalizes winners. (PICUS CAPITAL)

Stage & ticket: Pre-seed/seed across multiple verticals. (PICUS CAPITAL)

Why them: True day-zero partner; high-tempo hiring and GTM support.

Scrutinize: Founder speed, candor, and the first sales motion.

Approach: Bring a zero-to-one hiring plan and your first 10 customers' path.

10) UVC Partners — Munich & Berlin (UnternehmerTUM affiliate)

Center: B2B deep-tech across industry, climate, mobility; invests pre-seed to Series A. (uvcpartners.com)

Stage & ticket: €0.5–10m initial; Fund IV closed at €250m (2024). (uvcpartners.com)

Why them: Tight link to UnternehmerTUM, Europe's #1 start-up hub; strong industrial access. (Financial Times)

Scrutinize: Technical risk, industrial pilots, regulatory path.

Approach: Show pilot pipeline (OEMs/plant trials) and de-risking milestones.

11) IBB Ventures — Berlin (incl. B# Pre-Seed Fund)

Center: State-backed VC with multiple Berlin funds, including a Pre-Seed Fund for deep tech (B#). (ibbventures.de)

Stage & ticket: B# tickets ~€100k–€400k; other IBB funds seed→A. (# qt_berlin)

Why them: Local signaling, follow-on pathways, and speed for Berlin teams.

Scrutinize: Berlin footprint, IP, and jobs impact.

Approach: Map Berlin partners (labs, universities, corporates) and co-investors.

12) coparion — Cologne/Berlin

Center: Public–private co-investor for early growth/seed, founded by ERP/BMWK & KfW; fund size €275m with EIB participation. (Coparion)

Stage & ticket: Typically €0.5–8m with up to ~€15m per start-up; always with a private lead. (Chambers Practice Guides)

Why them: Multiples your round and adds patient capital.

Scrutinize: Private lead terms, governance, and capital efficiency.

Approach: Arrive with a committed lead and crisp use-of-proceeds.

13) Bayern Kapital — Landshut (Bavaria)

Center: Bavaria's state VC—seed to scale-up with multiple funds. (Bayern Kapital)

Stage & ticket: €250k–€50m across instruments, incl. Seedfonds Bayern. (Bayern Kapital)

Why them: Strong regional network; good stack with HTGF/coparion.

Scrutinize: Regional value creation, tech depth, and co-investors.

Approach: Bring Bavaria-based anchors (customers, talent, pilots).

14) Fly Ventures — Berlin

Center: First-check VC for technical founders (AI, deep-tech), day-zero to seed; raised €80m Fund III in Dec 2024. (Fly Ventures)

Stage & ticket: Day-zero/pre-seed to seed; technical diligence is the superpower. (Fly Ventures)

Why them: True technical partner; fast to conviction with sharp filter.

Scrutinize: Founding team depth, problem hardness, and PMF motion.

Approach: Lead with problem/Hypothesis->Experiment timeline and early user evidence.

15) Visionaries Club — Berlin

Center: B2B-focused firm split into (pre)-seed and early-growth funds; Tomorrow Fund for science/tech. (Visionaries Club)

Stage & ticket: Pre-seed/seed (lead or co-lead). (Visionaries Club)

Why them: Backed by unicorn founders/family businesses; high-signal intros for B2B. (Dealroom.co)

Scrutinize: Clear buyer, fast payback, and expansion within customer accounts.

Approach: Show value to the buyer committee and land-and-expand math.

3) Five quick tips for pitching German pre-seed investors (that actually land)

Pilot math on one slide. Who's piloting, the success metric (time-to-value, retention, unit cost), and exactly how pilot → multi-site/paid expansion.
De-risk the next round. Name the three proofs this round buys (e.g., SOC2 Type I, 3 design-partner expansions, €X MRR with Y% NRR).
Use the public stack smartly. Combine a VC lead + HTGF/IBB/Bayern/coperating co-investors to reduce dilution and lengthen runway. (htgf.de)
Bring EU-readiness. GDPR/DPAs, data residency, CE/ISO/SOC controls—especially if you sell to enterprises or public bodies.
Keep the data room boring (a compliment). Clean index; cap table; IP/FTO; customer letters; unit-economics model; milestone-indexed use of proceeds. Use Peony to organize your startup data room and track investor engagement.

Final Thoughts

German pre-seed fundraising in 2025 requires precision, preparation, and professional presentation. The investors listed above are actively deploying capital, but they expect founders to come prepared with clear proof points, realistic milestones, and evidence of traction.

German pre-seed investors evaluate not just your technology, but your ability to leverage the public–private ecosystem, navigate EU regulations, and demonstrate scalable unit economics. Organize your startup data room, track investor engagement, and demonstrate operational maturity from day one.

Get started with Peony for your German pre-seed fundraising — secure data rooms built for startups raising capital.

Impress Investors

Top 15 Pre-Seed Investors in Germany 2025: Leading VCs Writing First Checks for Startups