We are living in a world of deep tech that is addressing today’s most pressing challenges across climate change, medicine, space, and more. In recent years deep tech innovations have led to incredible discoveries that show what is possible, including artificial intelligence solving the protein folding challenge and the revolutionary mRNA discovery to fight COVID-19.
The deep-tech early-stage startups’ fund
Thus, London-based venture capital firm that invests in European high-technology companies Amadeus Capital Partners and Austrian VC APEX Ventures have announced the launch of a new fund dubbed as Amadeus APEX Technology Fund with an initial investment of €80M. The fund will be used to support deep-tech early-stage startups in DACH regions.
Its first investment was in the space tech company OKAPI:Orbits, which provides space traffic management software aimed at helping satellite operators reduce manoeuvres, save fuel, and limit downtime.
And now, the fund expects to write checks between €1-1.5M to deep tech ventures with unique and defensible technology at the seed and series A stage.
In addition to artificial intelligence and machine learning, Amadeus APEX Technology Fund will focus on quantum technologies and photonics, mobility and space innovation, autonomous systems, robotics, and other emerging deep tech fields.
Among the fund’s investment committee members are Amadeus’ Co-Founders Anne Glover and Hermann Hauser, as well as APEX Partners Andreas Riegler and Wolfgang Neubert.
Anne Glover, CEO and Co-Founder at Amadeus, says, “Major technological breakthroughs are occurring at an accelerated pace with profound changes to our lives and society, and more talent is gravitating towards purpose-driven ideas. In the last couple of years, the world has seen significant breakthroughs in response to crises, and deep tech entrepreneurs have seen these crises as an opportunity. History repeatedly shows that the most successful ventures are born out of these times.”
Glover continued, “Our partnership with APEX Ventures will enable more early-stage deep tech startups to access the support and knowledge they need to scale and see their technology positively impact the world.”
Wolfgang Neubert, General Partner of APEX Ventures, commented, “We know there is a growing deep tech opportunity in Europe, and the DACH region is an excellent breeding ground for innovation. 30 per cent of the top European universities are located here. When combined, the per capita number of patents filed across Switzerland, Germany, and Austria tops the rest of Europe. The region has the largest developer pool, with over one million people. But deep tech funding in Europe is still scarce, which presents a great opportunity for APEX and Amadeus to collaborate with this fund and scale more great European deep tech companies.”
