Frankfurt isn't just banks and suits anymore. In 2025 it's a real startup hub for fintech, Web3, climate, B2B SaaS and deep tech, with a tight cluster of VCs who are actually writing checks from the city.(Papermark)

If you're building in or around Frankfurt (or just want access to Germany's financial center), this guide walks you through:

How to pick the right Frankfurt VC
Deep dives on the 5 most relevant, high-reputation VC firms
5 quick tips for pitching Frankfurt investors

When preparing your pitch, having a professional data room is essential. Peony helps Frankfurt startups organize investor materials with AI-powered document organization, track investor engagement with page-level analytics, and securely share sensitive financial and operational data. With transparent pricing at $40/user/month, Peony delivers enterprise-grade secure data rooms without the $5,000-20,000 per-deal costs of legacy platforms.

1. How to Pick the Right Frankfurt VC (and Not Waste 6 Months)

Before you blast your deck to every @vc email you can find, get clear on fit. Frankfurt VCs are surprisingly focused and you'll get filtered out fast if you're off-thesis.

A. Match your stage to their sweet spot

Roughly, Frankfurt's top funds break down like this:

Pre-seed / Seed (early)
- neosfer – early-stage corporate VC (Commerzbank) for fintech / sustainability / B2B software.(neosfer)
- Blockwall Capital – pre-seed/seed Web3 / blockchain deals.(LinkedIn)
Seed to Series B (classic VC)
- Futury Capital – early and growth stage tech across B2B, software and deep tech.(FUTURY Capital)
- CommerzVentures – mostly Series A/B in fintech, insurtech and climate-fintech.(CommerzVentures)
Larger growth rounds
- Heliad – evergreen, growth-stage and late-venture checks into scaling tech companies.(heliad.com)

If you're raising a €1–2m seed, screaming at a growth fund won't help; if you're at €20m+ Series B, an incubator-style CVC may not have the ticket size.

B. Be honest about your sector

Frankfurt's top funds are not generalist Silicon Valley-style tourists. They have sharp theses:

Strongest areas:
- Fintech / insurtech / payments
- Climate-fintech & sustainable finance
- B2B SaaS / infra
- Blockchain & Web3
Weaker fit:
- Pure consumer social, creator tools, random DTC without a fintech/infra angle

Your job: position your company where it genuinely overlaps with their thesis + portfolio.

C. Understand corporate VC vs independent VC

Corporate VCs (neosfer, some Blockwall LP base, etc.)
- Pros: access to big-bank customers, pilots, distribution.
- Cons: slightly slower decision cycles, more strategic filters.
Independent VCs (CommerzVentures, Futury Capital, Heliad, Blockwall)
- Pros: more purely financial, often faster and more flexible.
- Cons: less "guaranteed" corporate access – though their networks are still powerful.

You don't have to pick one or the other, but it affects expectations, timelines and board dynamics.

D. Look for signal in their portfolio

For each fund you're targeting, ask:

Have they backed companies like you (stage + sector + geography)?
Do those founders speak well of them?
Are there follow-on rounds from strong co-investors?

For Frankfurt, portfolio names in EU/US fintech, B2B SaaS and Web3 are strong signals that the fund is plugged into global capital, not just local.(PitchBook)

E. Practical filters to apply

When you build your target list, tag each VC with:

Stage: pre-seed / seed / A / B / growth
Typical ticket: "€500k–€2m", "€3m–€20m" etc.
Top 3 sectors: e.g. "fintech, insurtech, climate-fintech"
Geo preference: "DACH", "Pan-Europe", "global"
Speed & style: CVC vs independent, how often they lead

That's exactly what the next section does for the 5 key Frankfurt investors.

2. Top 5 Frankfurt VC Investors in 2025 (Deep Dive)

These are the most relevant, active, and reputable Frankfurt-based VCs for tech founders right now, based on public deal activity, AUM, and ecosystem references.(OpenVC)

1. CommerzVentures

TL;DR: Specialist fintech & insurtech VC with €550m AUM, doing serious Series A/B tickets from Frankfurt into global markets.

Who they are: CommerzVentures is an independent VC spun out of Commerzbank, headquartered in Frankfurt. They manage €550m across three funds and focus on fintech, insurtech and climate-fintech.(CommerzVentures)
Stage & tickets:
- Stage: Series A and B (with some later-stage follow-ons)(PitchBook)
- Ticket: roughly €3–20m per investment according to Frankfurt VC mappings.(Papermark)
Sectors & thesis:
- Fintech & insurtech (core banking infra, payments, lending, embedded finance)
- Climate-fintech (sustainable finance, carbon accounting, climate data)(Papermark)
Geography: Invests globally: Europe, Israel, and the US.(Capboard)
What founders usually want from them:
- Deep banking / insurance networks across Europe
- Understanding of complex regulation, compliance and go-to-market in finance
- Big enough funds to lead your A and follow into B
How to approach:
- They have a dedicated "Submit your pitch" flow on their website.(CommerzVentures)
- Warm intros via existing portfolio founders, global fintech angels, or Commerzbank network help a lot.

Best for: Fintech/insurtech/financial infra startups with early traction raising Series A/B and wanting a globally recognized European lead.

2. neosfer (Commerzbank Group)

TL;DR: Early-stage corporate VC + innovation unit of Commerzbank, backing fintech, greentech and B2B software at seed from Frankfurt.

Who they are: neosfer (formerly main incubator) is the early-stage investor and innovation unit of Commerzbank, headquartered in Frankfurt. Their mission is to drive the digital and sustainable transformation of financial services.(neosfer)
Stage & tickets:
- Stage: pre-seed / seed / early Series A
- Ticket: typically seed-size, often as a strategic investor (exact numbers not always public, but clearly early-stage).(Papermark)
Sectors & thesis:
- Fintech & financial infrastructure
- Greentech & sustainability solutions tied to financial services
- B2B / enterprise software supporting banks and their clients(neosfer)
Special twist:
- They don't just invest – they build internal prototypes and new business models and connect startups with Commerzbank's business units and customers.(neosfer)
What founders usually want from them:
- Design partners and pilots with a major bank
- Product feedback from real-world banking use cases
- Distribution into German corporate and SME clients
How to approach:
- They have a visible pitch deck submission link and run events in Frankfurt/Berlin.(neosfer)
- Strong fit if you can clearly articulate "why Commerzbank?" in your deck.

Best for: Early-stage fintech/greentech/B2B SaaS that can plug into bank workflows and want a strategic design partner alongside capital.

3. Futury Capital

TL;DR: Frankfurt-rooted VC backing high-growth tech companies across stages, with a strong mandate for the Rhine-Main region and Germany, plus selective international bets.

Who they are: Futury Capital is an early & growth-stage VC founded in 2018 and based in Frankfurt. It's backed by institutional and private investors plus the State of Hesse, with a clear mission to support tech startups and scale-ups, especially around the Rhine-Main region.(FUTURY Capital)
Stage & tickets:
- Stage: seed through growth (flexible across rounds)(Tracxn)
- Ticket: approx $2.5–20m, based on public data.(Papermark)
Sectors & thesis:
- B2B software & SaaS
- Deep tech & data-driven industries
- Tech companies aligned with key Rhine-Main industries (finance, logistics, manufacturing, etc.).(FUTURY Capital)
Recent activity & funds:
- Launching Futury Fund III (target €40m) to expand VC capital in the region from 2025 onward.([frankfurt-main-finance.com][11])
What founders usually want from them:
- Strong DACH + international scaling network
- Ability to keep backing you from early rounds into growth
- Credibility with German public/private institutions and family offices
How to approach:
- They publicly highlight their role in helping international companies set up in Frankfurt, and actively source both German and global deals.(FUTURY Capital)
- Warm intros via other DACH VCs, corporate partners, and founders in their portfolio help you stand out.

Best for: B2B / tech founders raising €3–15m rounds who want a region-anchored but globally connected investor.

4. Heliad

TL;DR: Listed Frankfurt investment company with an evergreen structure, doing growth and later-stage venture bets across digital and tech.

Who they are: Heliad (formerly Heliad Equity Partners / FinLab) is a Frankfurt-based investment company and evergreen VC/growth fund. It invests from its own balance sheet, meaning it isn't constrained by typical 10-year fund lifecycles.(heliad.com)
Stage & tickets:
- Stage: growth-stage and late-venture, sometimes Series B+
- Ticket: often €20–40m per position, based on public ranges.(Papermark)
Sectors & thesis:
- Digital and tech-enabled businesses
- Consumer & marketplace models
- Fintech, HR tech, and other high-growth verticals (e.g., WorkMotion, Enpal, FINN, InstaFreight)([heliad.com][12])
What makes them different:
- Evergreen structure lets Heliad stay long after IPO if it makes sense.(heliad.com)
- As a listed company, partnering with them can provide public-market exposure and signaling.
What founders usually want from them:
- Large growth checks to scale once product-market fit is clear
- Support with internationalization, capital markets, and later-stage investors
- DACH-centric but internationally aware network
How to approach:
- You need real traction: solid revenues, strong cohort metrics, and a clear path to scale.
- Often best as a co-lead or large follow-on with another growth investor.

Best for: Later-stage tech companies (often already VC-backed) looking for a Frankfurt-based growth partner.

5. Blockwall Capital

TL;DR: BaFin-registered Web3 & blockchain VC headquartered in Frankfurt, focused on pre-seed to Series A.

Who they are: Blockwall Capital is a blockchain / Web3-focused venture fund headquartered in Frankfurt, registered with BaFin (Germany's financial regulator).([blockwall.vc][13])
Stage & tickets:
- Stage: pre-seed, seed, and selective Series A
- Ticket: typically early-stage, often starting from around $25k and going higher for core positions.([venturecapitalarchive.com][14])
Sectors & thesis:
- Blockchain infra (L1/L2, tooling, security, dev infra)
- DeFi and tokenized business models
- Web3 protocols, data, and decentralized applications([blockwall.vc][13])
What founders usually want from them:
- A crypto-native team who understands tokenomics, governance, and on-chain traction
- Connections to other Web3 funds, exchanges, protocol ecosystems
- Help with regulatory navigation in the EU, especially Germany
How to approach:
- Come with a clear, defensible token + equity structure and credible security posture.
- Show on-chain traction: users, TVL, active wallets, protocol fees, or real adoption in the decentralized economy.

Best for: Web3 / crypto / blockchain startups that want a specialist EU investor plus Frankfurt's regulatory and financial-center advantages.

3. Five Quick Tips for Pitching Frankfurt VC Firms

Let's end with the stuff you'd want a friend to whisper to you before you jump on that Zoom.

1. Lead with regulatory & compliance readiness

Frankfurt investors sit in the shadow of the ECB, BaFin and big banks. If you're in fintech, Web3, or anything touching finance, you'll get grilled on:

Licenses (now or later)
AML / KYC / risk framework
Data protection and security

Even at seed, have a crisp compliance narrative ready.

2. Show commercial traction, not just tech

This is a finance city. Investors love:

Paying customers
Pipeline with banks / corporates
Clear unit economics & sales motion

A modest MRR with clear enterprise logos, or pilots with well-known institutions, often beats a purely theoretical TAM slide.

3. Play the ecosystem card

Frankfurt's edge is the network effects of finance + regulation + tech:

Mention why being in Frankfurt / Rhine-Main helps you win
Reference accelerators, hubs, or partners in the region (e.g. banks, fintech hubs, universities)
Show how their brand (Commerzbank, Helaba, etc.) plus your product creates unfair advantage

Make it obvious why you + them + Frankfurt is a power combo.

4. Respect their time and precision

Most of these investors are used to bank-level professionalism:

Tight 12–15 slide deck
Clear "ask" (round size, use of funds, runway, big milestones)
A short, well-structured data room (Peony offers page-level analytics to see which documents investors review most)

Good rule: if your deck feels hand-wavy, they will assume your execution is too.

5. Nurture relationships long before you need the money

Frankfurt VCs respond well to founders who:

Send occasional updates before fundraising ("Here's what we shipped / signed / learned")
Ask for specific advice or introductions, not generic "pick your brain" calls
Show they understand that capital is a multi-year partnership, not a one-off transaction

If you start building relationships 6–12 months before a serious round, you'll see the difference in speed and conviction when you actually open it.

Why professional data rooms matter for Frankfurt startup fundraising

Frankfurt startups need to present complex documentation—financial projections, regulatory compliance, partnership agreements, and market expansion plans—professionally to build investor confidence.

Peony helps Frankfurt startups create investor-ready data rooms with AI-powered organization that sets up in minutes instead of weeks.

Key benefits: page-level analytics show which documents investors review most, enterprise security protects sensitive information, and transparent pricing at $40/user/month—93-99% cheaper than legacy platforms charging $5,000-20,000 per deal.

Conclusion

Raising capital in Frankfurt in 2025 requires matching your stage, sector, and geography to the right investors. The funds on this list are actively deploying, but they're selective. Bring regulatory readiness, commercial traction, and a disciplined process—not just vision.

Having a professional data room is table stakes for serious fundraising. Peony helps Frankfurt startups organize investor materials, track engagement, and securely share sensitive data at a fraction of legacy platform costs.

Ready to pitch Frankfurt investors? Set up your investor data room with Peony in minutes, not weeks.

Q&A Section

What's the best way to organize investor materials for Frankfurt startup fundraising?

Peony offers AI-powered document organization that automatically structures financials, regulatory filings, and partnership agreements into a professional data room in minutes. Page-level analytics show which documents investors review most, helping you anticipate questions.

How can I track which investors are most engaged with my Frankfurt startup pitch?

Peony provides page-level analytics showing which documents investors review and how much time they spend on each section. This helps identify serious investors and tailor follow-up conversations with actionable insights.

What's the most cost-effective data room solution for Frankfurt startups raising capital?

Peony offers transparent pricing at $40/user/month—93-99% cheaper than legacy platforms charging $5,000-20,000 per deal. For a 5-person team, Peony costs $200/month vs $3,000-5,000+ for legacy platforms, delivering enterprise features at startup-friendly pricing.

How do I securely share sensitive financial and regulatory information with Frankfurt investors?

Peony provides enterprise-grade security with identity-bound access, dynamic watermarking, and screenshot protection. With link expiry and instant access revocation, you maintain complete control over sensitive documentation.

What data room features are essential for Frankfurt startups pitching to investors?

Frankfurt startups need data rooms that handle complex documentation: financials, regulatory compliance, partnership agreements, and market expansion plans. Peony offers AI-powered organization, page-level analytics, custom branding, and comprehensive security. With 10-minute setup vs weeks for legacy platforms, Peony helps Frankfurt startups look professional without breaking the budget.

Related Resources

[11]: https://frankfurt-main-finance.com/en/futury-wins-exist-lighthouse-competition-startup-factories-of-the-bmwi/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Futury wins EXIST Lighthouse Competition "Startup ..." [12]: https://heliad.com/highlights?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Our Highlights" [13]: https://www.blockwall.vc/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Blockwall.vc | Web3 Venture Capital Platform" [14]: https://venturecapitalarchive.com/venture-funds/blockwall-capital-blockwall-capital?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Blockwall Capital"

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Top 5 Frankfurt VC Investors in 2025: Complete Guide for Founders