Germany excels in research, yet early-stage capital for deep tech spin-offs remains limited. Many university teams struggle to move from prototype to production or relocate to Silicon Valley due to a lack of local funding that bridges academic and industrial needs.
Founded at Nuremberg’s ZOLLHOF Tech Incubator, ZOHO.VC invests in software, hardware, and related technologies sourced directly from university labs and the ZOLLHOF pipeline. With €10M to deploy, the fund seeks long-term partners committed to innovation and sustainable growth.
Ten months ahead of the final close, ZOHO.VC has secured €7M from entrepreneurial families and founders.
Preferred initial investor for deep tech founders in Northern Bavaria
General partners Dennis Kirpensteijn and Benjamin Bauer, along with Principal Nicolas Sievers, have extensive experience with ZOLLHOF, having established its incubation program. Each investment benefits from the operational expertise of Dr Judit Klein, ZOLLHOF’s Head of Startups.
The fund targets pre-seed and seed-stage deep tech opportunities through two primary channels: ZOLLHOF spin-outs and co-investments with industry leaders. Their approach is hands-on, with thorough assessments of technology and market fit.
ZOHO.VC is Northern Bavaria’s first venture capital fund with full access to ZOLLHOF’s proprietary pipeline, supporting startups from the lab to Series A and focusing on both hardware and software.
The fund has already invested in five startups, including Merge Labs, which recently closed a funding round co-led by ZOHO.VC and the OpenAI Startup Fund. The portfolio also includes companies in renewable energy, medtech, and advanced materials.
While German peers such as High-Tech Gründerfonds and NRW.BANK operate nationwide, ZOHO.VC concentrates exclusively on a key industrial region.
What about diversity?
When we asked about the diversity strategy, Kirpensteijn notes, “We have a clear idea of funding diverse founders as well as regional ones. In our incubation program, we have about 40-50% diverse teams and will strive to make our portfolio as diverse as possible. Dr Judit Klein, our Head of Startups, will be the one to safeguard this mission in the funds IC. “
What’s next?
With €7M already deployed, ZOHO.VC aims to reach a final close of over €10M by 2026. Long term, the fund seeks to be the first institutional investor for leading deep tech teams in Northern Bavaria, supporting the retention of German intellectual property, jobs, and scale-ups.
