Berlin-based early-stage investor seed+speed Ventures has closed its third fund at €90 million, tripling its original target of €30 million amid investor demand that exceeded expectations.
The fund is led by managing partners Carsten Maschmeyer and Alexander Kölpin. With investor backing, the firm increased the fund’s hard cap twice before final close.
Focus on AI built for everyday business
Seed+speed Fund III will focus on pre-seed and seed-stage B2B and enterprise software startups across Europe. Initial cheques will range from €500,000 to €1.5 million, with the ability to invest several million euros more in follow-on rounds.
The new fund is centred on AI built for everyday business use, with a strong emphasis on security, compliance, governance, data protection, cost control, and measurable productivity. Its goal is to support startups that help companies adopt AI safely and effectively, rather than pursuing experimental use cases.
The investor base includes banks, foundations, media groups, family offices, industrial holdings, legal and tax professionals, real estate entrepreneurs, and high-net-worth individuals.
Several founders backed by seed+speed’s earlier funds have also returned as investors following successful exits.
“If Europe wants to stay competitive in the global AI race, innovation has to move faster. We see strong founders here, backed by world-class technology. What’s often missing is the support to turn that technology into large, global companies. That’s where we come in,” said Maschmeyer.
Kölpin added that the real question for businesses is no longer whether they will use AI, but how they will use it to stay competitive. “We invest very early and stay close to founders,” he said. “That means helping with follow-on funding, go-to-market strategy, and sales-led scaling so European technology can become global standards.”
Fundraising for the third fund began in the summer of 2024. For the first time, seed+speed is also investing in startups outside the DACH region.
The firm has already backed 13 companies from the new fund. These include Amsterdam-based Orq.ai, Düsseldorf-based RIIICO, Vienna-based Optimuse, Swiss startup Eleven Dynamics, and many more.
