21. February 2024 Uncategorized by kmoeller 0 Comments

Welcome Threedy

Threedy is a high-tech start-up founded in 2020 as a spin-off from Fraunhofer’s Institute for Computer Graphics Research (IGD) in Darmstadt, Germany. Three remarkably successful years after its foundation, Threedy has secured a $10.4 million investment to accelerate growth across industries and regions. New investors comprise LBBW Venture Capital, TRUMPF VENTURE, Futury Capital and EquityPitcher Ventures. The investment underlines Threedy’s strong position to capture a substantial market share of the fast-growing industrial digital twin space.

 

Digital transformation in industry

Threedy' s instant3Dhub is a high-performance spatial computing technology, enabling customer 3D data, any compositions, and its visualization at scale. By making data available and accessible in real-time on any device, at any time, it allows for the optimization of a multitude of digital processes all along the industrial value chain and a significant reduction in associated costs. Implementing instant3Dhub enables companies to save valuable time and resources, e.g. by eliminating waiting times, reducing license and infrastructure costs. Threedy allows its customers to establish a modern software architecture which reduces dependency on the monolithic and closed stacks of incumbent software vendors and opens the door to the agile development and scalable roll-out of a modern lightweight application layer. With a wide range of features for digital engineering, advanced collaboration, and seamless Mixed Reality, Threedy’ s software provides a strong foundation for industrial digital transformation.  

Working with 3D data becomes as simple as sharing a link, simply by referencing it from arbitrary sources e.g., existing PDM/PLM solutions, and without any preparation or simplification efforts. Threedy’ s technology enables new, scalable applications over the entire product life cycle, from engineering to after sales - web-based and with zero-footprint on the client. By streamlining their 3D data utilization and communication, companies can also reduce their ecological footprint: business travel can be largely replaced by virtual exchanges, saving resources and time.

Rapidly growing number of partnerships and application scenarios
Over the first three years, Threedy successfully transformed from a Fraunhofer department to an independent company. Since its foundation in late 2020, Threedy has experienced significant growth, almost tripling its staff to build up a team of more than 50 highly skilled professionals from around the world. The company has not only maintained its strong customer relationships, but also experienced remarkable growth, especially in the Automotive and Manufacturing sectors. Threedy' s cutting-edge technology is valued by numerous industry leaders, including the top-tier German car Manufacturers. Furthermore, Threedy has successfully broadened its network of partnerships, expanding beyond the initial focus areas of Automotive and the German market.

With a substantial $10.4M Series A investment, Threedy is now ready for the next step, backed by the new investors LBBW Venture Capital, TRUMPF VENTURE, Futury Capital, and EquityPitcher Ventures. Existing investors Matterwave Ventures, Fraunhofer and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) renewed their commitment by participating in the Series A investment.

Threedy will continue its commitment to the commercialization of its innovative spatial computing infrastructure, accelerating the adoption across industries and application scenarios. The investment will further enable Threedy to drive the evolution of its product portfolio. Threedy’s expansion plans include further internationalization, while remaining dedicated to excellence and innovation, and making a lasting impact in serving their partners’ digital transformation. Threedy is now actively looking for new people in different roles to join its team, individuals who want to shape the future of the industrial digital twin space.

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31. January 2024 Uncategorized by kmoeller 0 Comments

Looking back to the year 2023

 

Looking back on 2023, it is fair to say that the past year in the venture capital industry went pretty much as most VCs and experts had imagined at the end of 2022: 

Ein deutlicher Rückgang vom investierten Kapital – insbesondere in der Growth Stage (gemäss GP Bullhound haben Investoren vergangenes Jahr 45 Prozent weniger Geld in europäische Startups gesteckt als noch ein Jahr zuvor), eine deutliche Erhöhung von Insolvenzen im DACH Raum (gemäss Handelsblatt mussten allein in Deutschland 297 Startup-Firmen Insolvenz anmelden), ein weiterer Rückgang der Unternehmensbewertungen sowie ein sehr zurückhaltender M&A Markt (vorsichtig ausgedrückt). Vom Geopolitischen wollen wir erst gar nicht anfangen. 

Wenn wir bei EquityPitcher auf unser 2023 zurückblicken, dürfen wir auch von diesem Jahr wieder behaupten, dass es das it was the most successful year in our company's history to date which fills us with enormous gratitude!  

First of all, we must of course say that the past year was also very challenging for us and there was a lot to overcome. Some of our portfolio companies found it very difficult to achieve operational growth, others had a tough time with fundraising and there were also a few other issues that we would have liked to have seen differently. 

But to summarise: even after the end of 2023 all 25 companies, with which we started the year are still doing well.  

Portfolio Highlights

The only difference compared to previous years is that our portfolio has nevertheless been reduced by 3 companies, such as Opinary, which was bought entirety, another exit was a secondary transaction as in the case of YukkaLab and finally in the case of Viselio, a share buyback programme was implemented.  

Was wir in 2023 deutlich gespürt haben, war die Zurückhaltung der Startups ins Fundraising zu gehen – was mit Sicherheit an eingangs genannten Gründen lag. Die Unternehmen, die ein starkes Cap Table haben und ein gutes Wachstum aufweisen konnten, haben von den bestehenden Investoren meist Geld für eine Zwischenfinanzierung erhalten. Dies ist auch der Grund, warum wir in 2023 nur in 3 new startups namely Wingtra, Sewts and Threedy.  

We therefore ended 2023 with 25 portfolio companies. 

A few key figures are enough to show the very positive development of our portfolio companies for 2023 despite all the adversity: 

20 unserer Portfoliounternehmen haben ein 2-stelliges Wachstum erreicht! Dies unter Einbezug, dass 18 der Unternehmen 7-stellige Umsätze machen wovon 3 mehr als 10 Millionen CHF realisiert haben, zeigt sehr deutlich, dass sich das Portfolio auch in diesem extrem anspruchsvollen Jahr 2023 überdurchschnittlich gut entwickelt hat. Auf das Gesamtportfolio gesehen, gab es ein durchschnittliches Umsatzwachstum in Höhe von über 70%.  

In total, over CHF 80 million was invested in our current portfolio companies in 2023, bringing the total amount invested in them to around CHF 250 million!  

In addition to various CLAs and equity rounds granted by existing investors as bridge financing, the equity financing rounds of Anybotics with USD 50 million in fresh capital, Wingtra with CHF 20 million, Sewts with EUR 7 million, Rready with CHF 4 million, Sinpex with EUR 4 million and AirConsole with CHF 3 million in fresh capital play a major role here.  

In 2023, the circle of our international co-investors grew in particular. With Bessemer Venture, Walden Catalyst, NGP Capital and Aramco, it is clear to see that our start-ups are on the right track and that they are also attracting interest beyond the borders of the DACH region.  

Of course, we have also welcomed great local co-investors such as Emerald Ventures, Swiss Canto & TX Ventures. 

Together with these great investors, our current portfolio companies have managed to grow to the remarkable number of more than 1,000 employees!  

If you consider that the Federal Republic of Germany is investing EUR 10 billion in an Intel site in Saxony-Anhalt to create 3,000 jobs there, then you can say with a clear conscience that our start-ups have a significantly better ratio of invested capital to jobs created. To all DACH politicians reading this: Perhaps startups should be subsidised far more than they currently are in order to keep the DACH region internationally competitive in the future! But that's another topic... 

So let's get back to the good old traditions: Once again this year, we would like to name our startups and entrepreneurs who have received special awards and express our appreciation:  

🏆 ANYbotics. is honoured with the "Next Hot Global Thing" award.

🏆 CNC24has won the German Excellence Award 2023 in the "Digital Champions - Startups" category. 

🏆 xorlab was recognised as a best-in-class cybersecurity solution in the Swiss Cyber Institute's latest manufacturer report.

🏆 Congratulations to Sandra Tobler und Futurae Technologies AG  for the nomination as the most promising women-led startup in 2023. 

🏆  ROOMZ  impresses UNESCO with its environmentally friendly products

🏆 Calingo Insurance AGwon  Top 100 Fintech Award, 

🏆 ANYbotics.won the Top 100 Robotics Award 

🏆 CNC24receivedWirtschaftsWoche "Startup of the Week"

🏆 Calingo Insurance AG was awarded InsurTech of the Year in the "Impact on the Swiss market" category. 

🏆 Sinpexwon second #fintechgermanyaward2022 in the category Early Stage! 

Honour to whom honour is due and we are really proud to be part of your journey!  

Bild mit allem

About EquityPitcher

EquityPitcher itself also had a lot going for it in 2023: 

We want to start with congratulations to our Managing Partnerin Andrea Buhofer for Forbes 30 under 30 zu gratulieren! Es hätte niemand Besseres ausgezeichnet werden können! 

Andrea Buhofer_Forbes Vorschlag

We are equally proud of the fact that, despite all the adversities, particularly in terms of raising capital, launch our third fund in July 23! This enables us to continue to invest in the most promising start-ups in the usual manner.  

In 2023, our events aimed at connecting our network were once again a complete success: 

Besonders gefreut haben uns die zwei ausserordentlich spannenden und gut besuchten LP-Events with ANYbotics. im März und bei Wingtra im November.

This year, we launched a new series of events with our Advisors - the first EquityPitcher Buureolympiade took place in October and, according to our advisors, was a real success/fun. 

Burreau

Das jährliche Come Together in Verbindung mit unserem Portfolio Exchange Day waren auch in 2023 wieder ein voller Erfolg. Den Tag durch durften unsere Startup Unternehmer von keinem geringeren als Roy Ranaani von chorus.ai in einem Workshop von dessen Erfahrungen zum Skalieren eines 500 Millionen Unternehmens profitieren. 

Am Abend ging es dann für die +150 Teilnehmer bei wunderschönem Wetter und mit einer tollen Keynote von Prof. Glauner zum Thema AI weiter. Wobei auch hier die Zeit nach dem offiziellen Teil das Besondere ausmacht – nämlich dann, wenn unser wunderbares Netzwerk mit diesen herausragenden Menschen zusammenkommt und einfach den Moment geniesst!  

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank you, dear investors, partners, advisors and start-ups, because without your support, none of what we are able to achieve year after year would be possible!  

We would also like to take this opportunity to introduce our new Senior Analyst Marco Marugg who started with us in August!  

To conclude, we would like to make a small Outlook for 2024 dare: 

This year, we will remain true to our principles and - no matter how adverse the circumstances may be - continue to work seriously, honestly and professionally towards our goals and try to make the world a little bit better together with and through our start-ups - and hope and believe that 2024 will be a more peaceful year than 2023 and that the general macroeconomic trend will continue to improve.   

Unsere Pipeline an neuen Startups ist jedenfalls prall gefüllt. 5 bestehende Portfolio Unternehmen planen noch in 2024 ihre Finanzierungsrunde zu schliessen und 2 Unternehmen befinden sich in finalen Exit-Verhandlungen.  

With this in mind, we are very positive and looking forward to what is to come! 

Herzliche venture Grüsse,  

The EquityPitcher Team 

MBA_Equity_Pitcher-0487

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15. January 2024 Uncategorized by kmoeller 0 Comments

Finanzierungsrunde: Sinpex

TX Ventures and ACE Ventures are jointly leading the financing round, in which existing investors EquityPitcher and AI Fund participate. With this financing, the start-up Sinpex, a provider of compliance and AML (anti-money laundering) solutions, intends to expand its growth and prepare for international expansion.

Jens Schleuniger, Managing Partner at TX Ventures says: "Know-your-business processes are complex, expensive and represent a real business risk for financial institutions. We were therefore very excited when we took a closer look at Sinpex's software solution. In our opinion, the team around Camillo has created a new market standard - also through the use of modern technologies. We are therefore delighted to have been able to support the Sinpex team and to have contributed to the financing round."

Sinpex is a Natural Language Processing (NLP) software for financial institutions with a focus on KnowYourCustomer processes. These are processes by which banks obtain information about the identity and address of customers. These processes help to ensure that the banks' services are not misused. They have developed a special NLP model that is very flexible and at the same time specialized in the documents of the KYC processes. The KYC questionnaires can be highly automated and saves analysts up to 70% of their working time. In addition, Sinpex automatically creates audit-proof reports in which every data point can be transparently tracked.

"In light of current regulatory developments, the fight against money laundering is becoming increasingly important and is in demand across all industries. We can look back on a very successful 2023, in which we were able to acquire significant customers and achieve temporary profitability. I am delighted that the financing round was oversubscribed and that we were able to attract renowned investors as partners for our growth."

Dr.camillo werdich (ceo sinpex)

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16. November 2023 Uncategorized by kmoeller 0 Comments

Finanzierungsrunde: rready

rready has raised a $4 million Series A round led by FYRFLY Venture Partners. EquityPitcher Ventures, Verve Ventures, Swisscom Ventures and angel investors are participating in the round. The round also includes a non-dilutive growth loan from UBS, Switzerland's leading bank. rready will use the funds to commercialise its newly developed AI-powered platform. The API-based software can be used to support various use cases such as open innovation, hackathons, accelerators or continuous improvement ideas. The latest solution has already delivered cost savings and $8 million in revenue during a one-year pilot at a company with a market capitalisation of over $30 billion. rready is becoming the leading provider of an innovation operating system for companies looking for a scalable solution that leads to measurable results. 

Innovation remains a constant challenge for mature companies. Hierarchy, gut instinct and fear of failure often nip innovation in the bud or steer it in the wrong direction. Yet the threat of disruption and the "war for talent" have motivated companies to find a solution to these obstacles. rready is that solution for over 40 global companies that have used it to validate the ideas of thousands of employees and implement hundreds of projects, including new customer experiences, products, patents and spinoffs.

What makes rready so special?

rready is an innovation-as-a-service provider that enables companies to implement and scale intrapreneurship and innovation. The solutions were developed at Swisscom under the GETKICKBOX brand and now the GETKICKBOX team is founding its own startup, rready AG. The first product "Kickbox" offers an online SaaS platform, a physical toolbox and an innovation ecosystem. With these elements, they support employees in developing innovations in their company through new products or services, thereby promoting a culture of innovation. The rready platform already complements this solution with other complementary programmes on the topics of continuous improvement and feedback in order to offer a wide range of services. Their common goal is to use software products to promote the innovative strength of employees, structure innovation processes and thus tap into a company's greatest capital.

rready's flagship product combines a SaaS platform for transparency, innovation accounting and project implementation with a physical KICKBOX (literally: a box) that supports employees in the formulation, testing and introduction of innovations. In contrast to a pure project management platform, rready offers a network of service providers and coaches who can be hired as required to close gaps and drive a project forward. 

KICKBOX is an open source innovation methodology invented by Mark Randall, a serial entrepreneur who sold a company to Adobe and stayed on to share his innovation techniques.

"While creativity is inherently human, KICKBOX has shown the world how to turn employee creativity into tangible innovation in a corporate context. rready has made the breakthrough by turning KICKBOX innovation into a repeatable, scalable process that organisations can deploy in the most impactful and measurable way. The result is a platform that organisations around the world are using to create a predictable innovation funnel."

Mark randall, serial Entrepreneur, INnovator kickbox Tweet

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9. August 2023 Uncategorized by kmoeller 0 Comments

Willkommen sewts

We are very pleased to welcome sewts, a successful robotics company, as the first company in the 'EquityPitcher Growth Fund' portfolio.

The Munich-based deep-tech start-up has completed a Series A financing round of 7 million Euros and brought on board a number of high-profile investors. Participating in the financing round, alongside EquityPitcher Ventures, were internationally leading industrial and technology investors: Emerald Technology Ventures, Constantia New Business, and Nabtesco Technology Venture as new investors, as well as additional contributions from existing shareholders Bayern Kapital, APEX Ventures, and HTGF. With the new financing, sewts will continue the roll-out of the sewts.VELUM systems in international laundries and tap into new markets, such as handling returns in e-commerce.

sewts automates what others cannot. While picking rigid materials like metals is quite simple for robots, handling deformable and soft materials (such as textiles) is still the white spot of automation. With its unique approach of combining AI, robotics, and material simulation, the company founded in 2019 aims to change this. By equipping robots with human-like perception and grasping abilities, sewts has for the first time enabled the automatic handling of textiles.  

What makes sewts interesting?

 

In 2022, sewts launched its first production-ready product, sewts.VELUM – a robotic unit intended for global industrial laundries to overcome the massive labor shortage and increase efficiency. The robot automatically picks up wrinkled towels and feeds them to the folding machines to reduce manual labor at a human-like speed. The market for industrial laundries is often underestimated, but it actually has a global volume of 100 billion Euros in annual sales. 

At the same time, sewts has already begun to invest in the development of additional use cases along the life cycle of textile production, as there is an unprecedented demand for automation solutions. The new technology will not only be needed to overcome the labor shortage but will also help achieve global climate goals and protect human rights. Bringing the production and recycling of textiles closer to the consumer market will greatly reduce CO2 transportation costs, overproduction, and waste. 

"Our long-term vision is a 'Moonshot' idea - we want to revolutionize the production of textiles. To achieve this, we first dedicate ourselves to the most promising niche markets, and then gradually approach the grand vision step by step." 

Alexander Bley, CEO and co-founder of sewts

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20. June 2023 Uncategorized by kmoeller 0 Comments

Come Together 2023

Unforgettable night of innovation and inspiration at EquityPitcher Ventures' flagship event!

On 14 June 2023, the dynamic atmosphere of the former banana ripening factory in Zurich West was transformed into a hub of creativity and entrepreneurship as we hosted our annual flagship event with our portfolio companies and investors.


This unique evening brought together founders, partners and friends for an evening of insightful updates, enlightening discussions and intensive dialogue. Startups like Wingtra and CNC24 were in the spotlight with their captivating live pitches.

The unique industrial charm of the location perfectly complemented the highly topical discussions. The banana ripening plant, a place steeped in history that has been repurposed for innovation, served as a fitting backdrop for our gathering of pioneers.

The evening's programme was packed with exciting panels:


Startup Panel

Hanspeter Fässler from ANYbotics., Rico Blaser von vestr und Gandolf Finke, PhD von Mika offered insights into the practical side of start-up life.

Industry Panel

Prof Dr Patrick Glauner, Nancy Wayland and Matthias P. A. Müller shed light on the intersection of artificial intelligence, public policy and entrepreneurship. Thomas Schmitt moderated the panel brilliantly and created the conditions for stimulating discussions.

 

We are delighted that we were able to bring together a diverse and dynamic group of people who share our passion for driving change through entrepreneurship. The energy, inspiration and connections that came out of the event are a testament to the strength and vibrancy of our community.

Take a look at our event in the video below - the faces and moments that made the evening unforgettable!

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27. March 2023 Uncategorized by kmoeller 0 Comments

Willkommen Wingtra

We are very pleased to welcome Wingtra, a successful drone startup, to our portfolio. The world's largest manufacturer of commercial vertical takeoff and landing drones (VTOL) has successfully completed a Series B financing round of $22 million. The financing round was led by DiamondStream Partners, a globally leading venture capital firm investing in aviation companies. Wingtra is in the pole position to accelerate its growth with a new financing round, an expanded management team, and product innovations.


Who is Wingtra?

Wingtra, headquartered in Switzerland, is the world's leading provider of VTOL drone solutions for professionals in the fields of construction, infrastructure, mining, as well as urban planning and land management. Since entering the market in early 2017, Wingtra has partnered with the largest equipment dealers on all continents and has been selling mapping drones worldwide. In the summer of 2021, Wingtra released the second generation of its WingtraOne drone, the WingtraOne GEN II. The system is a leader in terms of reliability, versatility, efficiency, and user-friendliness.

Was macht Wingtra interessant?

The WingtraOne VTOL drone, the company's flagship product, has become an impressive solution for aerial data collection in the market. The VTOL design means that the WingtraOne can take off and land almost anywhere, even in tight spaces or rough terrain, enabling extensive data collection. It is used by hundreds of companies and organizations such as CEMEX, Rio Tinto, Army Corps of Engineers, and the Kenya Red Cross in 96 countries. The drones conduct over 100,000 flights annually, mapping 18 million hectares of land and sea (equivalent to 13.6 million soccer fields).

In 2021, the team successfully launched its second generation of drones, the WingtraOne Gen II drone, which delivers superior 2D and 3D maps in survey-grade quality, enabling users of the data to make better decisions. It integrates the highest quality sensors into cutting-edge RGB cameras to create 3D models and assists in creating digital twins on a scale such that a single flight can digitize over 100 hectares at 0.5 in/px.

 
Where is the journey heading?

Maximilian Boosfeld, CEO and Co-founder of Wingtra, commented: "Our vision at Wingtra is to create a world where drones help people manage large parts of our planet in a more sustainable and efficient way. We have lowered the cost of using drones and increased data quality. This will help the industry plan better and fundamentally improve safety for people and the environment."

Wingtra has now strengthened its leadership team with four new industry experts to grow the company:

"Each of these executives has the right experience to propel Wingtra forward," said Maximilian Boosfeld. "They have all successfully taken multiple companies to the next level. With this funding round, the right employees, and a market-leading product, we are well positioned to accelerate the company's growth."

Maximilian Boosfeld is the CEO and co-founder of Wingtra

Wingtra is working to revolutionize the mapping workflow for surveying and mapping professionals, so they can do their work better and faster. Significant new features, camera integrations, and product launches are expected in the coming years.

We look forward to support the strong team in their further growth.

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3. January 2023 Uncategorized by kmoeller 0 Comments

Review into the year 2022

Dear EquityPitcher friends, family and partners 

We look back "again", as it must be said, on an almost unimaginable year in terms of events. However, these have already been commented on extensively, so we will focus our annual review entirely on the events that EquityPitcher and our portfolio companies created themselves.

Portfolio Highlights

This year, too, we are pleased to report that the 22 companies with which we started the year were still active at the end of the year. Given the macroeconomic changes, this is anything but a matter of course. We are even more pleased that our portfolio companies continued to grow successfully for the most part.

Our startups were able to achieve 80% "year on year growth on average. 6 of our companies achieved 3-digit growth in 2022! 15 of our companies achieved 7-digit revenues in 2022, 8 of them more than 3 million CHF and 2 even 2-digit million revenues.

 

External circumstances have made us reluctant to make new investments. The plan was that we would invest in 5 to max. 7 new companies in 2022. In fact, with Sinpex, CNC24 and Calingo, only 3 new companies found their way into our portfolio.

This is mainly due to the fact that many startups decided to "only" realize interim financing instead of the planned financing round. On the one hand, this is against the background that valuations in 2022 have undergone a very significant downward correction and, on the other hand, because the willingness to invest in new portfolio companies was generally very restrained.

However, the aforementioned interim financing was very much in demand. Mostly via a "Convertible Loan" the companies, which are developing positively, were able to secure the necessary capital inflows from their existing investors to extend their "runway" to at least 12-18 months. Thus, the startups can continue to grow and thus create the conditions for a successful financing round with the desired valuation. For the existing investors, this has the advantage that they could usually buy in again at a lower price. We as EquityPitcher have also participated in such interim financing for 5 of our portfolio companies.

Furthermore, we have reinvested in vestr and Lumiform, which despite the external circumstances were able to successfully execute their planned financing rounds and raise 10 MCHF and 6.5 MCHF of fresh capital, respectively. Mika also successfully closed its financing round with 10 MCHF of fresh capital.

In this context, we are also very happy and grateful to welcome new friends and partners in our circle of co-investors with Capnamic, Elevator ventures, Coparion, Future Industry ventures, Seedcamp and Venpace.

In total, approximately 40 MCHF of fresh capital flowed into our portfolio companies in 2022. Over the entire lifecycle, 170 MCHF have now been invested in them!

Once again, it would be beyond the scope of this year's review to go into detail about each individual company. However, we would like to remain true to our tradition and pay our respects to the companies and entrepreneurs who were honored for their achievements:

🏅 Sinpex has won the second place in the Early Stage category at the #fintechgermanyaward2022. Congratulations to the team!

🏅 Opinary has won the European Publishing Award in the category "Business Model"!

🏅 OnlineDoctor has won the Health-i-Award 2022!

🏅 ANYbotics secures 2nd place in the AIRA Challenge at ACHEMA 2022 with #ANYmal!

🏅 GUURU was awarded as one of the #TOP25Scaleups 2022!

🏅 rready AG was selected as one of the #TOP100SwissStartups2022!

🏅 RightNow Group was ranked in the list of the 1000 fastest growing companies in Europe 2022 by Financial Times!

🏅 vestr was chosen as the best "Portfolio Management Solution - External Supplier"!

🏅 Futurae was included in the CyberTech100 for the third year in a row as one of the most innovative CyberTech companies.

🏅 Pia Frey, founder of Opinary made it to the list of the most important digital thinkers!

We are very happy about the many successes of our startups as well as their founders and congratulate you once again!

You are the core of everything we do and it makes us very proud to see how you develop and defy all challenges!

 

About EquityPitcher

There were also various events in our own organization that are definitely worth mentioning in a review of the year:

Already at the beginning of 2022, we were able to announce that Andrea Buhofer would complete the management team around Hermann and Sascha as a partner. In May, our path led us from the west of Zurich to Binz, where we were able to move into our new offices.

 

In June, our annual Come Together took place. Again, we are pleased to see that this event is becoming more and more popular every year. With 150 participants we will soon have to think about changing the location or limiting the number of participants.

Prof. Dr. Joseph Jung (Alfred Escher biographer) literally inspired the guests with the pioneering spirit of Switzerland with his keynote speech.

With Tobias Reichmuth, Sylvie Mutschler v. Specht and Roland Siegwart we had a really great panel, which was moderated by our VRP Prof. Thomas Schmitt in his usual grand manner.

 

Another highlight for us was our first "Portfolio Exchange Day", where all our portfolio companies came together to exchange ideas on the topic of sales and the associated challenges. Again, we had great guest speakers in Tobias Häckermann, Bernd Schopp and Christof Roduner, who shared their experiences with our founders.

 

Probably the most important event for us as equity pitchers was celebrated on September 30, 2022 - the closing of our second fund. With a total volume of 45 MCHF AuM, we are extremely happy - also considering that the macroeconomic and geopolitical issues did not necessarily make fundraising easy.
Many thanks again to all investors who have put their trust in us and made this possible!

What remains for us to say?

In any case, we are happy to announce a great new additions to our team, Jack Gasser- we welcome you to the EquityPitcher family!

We spare ourselves and you an outlook on 2023, as the future seems to be unpredictable anyway. Therefore, we have simply made it our resolution to remain true to our principles and to continue to work with full enthusiasm, conscientiously and professionally, as well as to relentlessly pursue our goals - regardless of the external circumstances:
To find the best startups and support them in their goal to make the world a little bit better, to the best of our abilities!

Since this is only possible with and through you, dear investors, partners, advisors & startups, all our thanks go to you!

We are very much looking forward to experiencing everything that may come in 2023 together with you!

With warm regards

The EquityPitcher Team

Andrea, Aurelio, Hermann, Jack, Sascha und Vanessa

 

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17. November 2022 Uncategorized by kmoeller 0 Comments

Fresh 45 million for tech startups

The venture capital firm EquityPitcher AG successfully closes its second fund. This fund invests specifically in startups from the DACH region and already counts 20 portfolio companies from 12 different industries. In all its investments, EquityPitcher focuses on personal support for the startups and gives them access to a broad-based industry, entrepreneur and investor network.

In recent decades, the landscape of startups in Europe has evolved enormously, becoming an agile driver of innovation in this country. In order to keep these innovations on a high level, the crucial success factors capital, know-how and network are needed. This is where EquityPitcher comes in, offering promising startups from the DACH region not only capital but also a network of renowned industry experts, investors and exit partners.

Network-driven venture capital closes second fund

EquityPitcher launched its first fund in 2018 and launched its second fund in 2020, which closed in September of this year. A third fund is already in planning. On board are well-known professional and institutional investors who trust the young but at the same time first VC fund from Liechtenstein. EquityPitcher, which as a VC firm has itself taken the path of a startup, wants to build on this success and relies on a network-driven investment process. This has been part of EquityPitcher's identity since its founding in 2016.
«We are very pleased that we were able to successfully close our second fund despite the current market economic events and that we have received the trust of the investors. We expect the trend of this alternative asset class to continue to grow and are convinced that our startups will play a decisive role in shaping the development of the economy," emphasizes Hermann Koch, founding partner of EquityPitcher.

Monetary incentives are no longer enough for startups

EquityPitcher believes that the capital invested in startups is one of many success factors. Equally important for startups are value drivers that sustainably support their operational growth over a long period of time. In addition to capital, EquityPitcher therefore connects startups with the broad network of founders, industry experts and co-investors as well as potential customers. This creates mutual trust and is the basis for the personal and professional relationship that EquityPitcher maintains with the startups.

"Startups of today are looking for investors who bring additional value besides capital. Through our network to diverse leaders in the DACH region, we are able to proactively support our portfolio companies in their scaling phase and the associated customer acquisition. This approach has helped us to enjoy a positive reputation among founders as well as co-investors as an investor who likes to be seen in the shareholder base," says Sascha Horrig, Founding Partner Partner at EquityPitcher.

The network-driven approach has caught on with the founders. Thus, Sandra Tobler, CEO of Futurae, is also convinced of it: "EquityPitcher is a great partner for us. They have opened doors to various potential customers and their decision makers, which is a real added value for us and has allowed Futurae to grow further."

Swiss VC innovate thanks to change in the ecosystem

EquityPitcher has shown that their model works. In the future, the network will be expanded further and the networking processes will be optimized with the aim that the portfolio startups can benefit from this. In addition, the VC is also working on other unconventional methods to offer startups even more added value. Among other things, a job platform was launched during the year, which consolidates the vacancies of the portfolio startups in one place and thus makes it easier to find suitable specialists. 

 "Our vision is to invest in the most promising startups that offer disruptive technologies and innovative solutions to solve real and relevant problems. Only if we provide real value to the startups, they can grow with us. We work hard and with full commitment to achieve this," adds Andrea Buhofer, Managing Partner of EquityPitcher.

Sascha Horrig

Sascha Horrig

Phone: +41 (0) 44 273 07 09
Mail: sh@equitypitcher.com

Andrea Buhofer

Andrea Buhofer

Phone: +41 (0) 44 273 07 07
Mail: ab@equitypitcher.com

Hermann Koch

Hermann Koch

Phone: +41 (0) 44 273 07 08
Mail: hk@equitypitcher.com

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20. October 2022 Uncategorized by kmoeller 0 Comments

Finanzierungsrunde: vestr

The Swiss investment management technology company vestr has raised 10 Million Swiss Francs under the lead of Elevator Ventures, the Venture Capital Department of Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) based in Vienna.

High-ranking family offices and all of vestr's existing institutional investors, including EquityPitcher Ventures, Zürcher Kantonalbank and SIX Fintech Ventures, participated in the round.

Founded in 2017, the vestr platform offers white-label investment management solutions for institutional clients. This includes functions such as portfolio rebalancing, investor reporting and audit trails.

The funding will enable the company to develop a more comprehensive platform with more third-party integrations and expand its presence in Asia.

"We value not only vestr's extensive knowledge of market needs, but also their forecasts of future demand for active investments."

Maximilian Schausberger, Managing Director Elevator Ventures

vestr supports the creation and life cycle management of actively managed certificates and offers a flexible and cost-effective alternative to investment funds. Asset managers can use vestr to quickly and easily launch and manage their own fund-like product.

"This new financing provides vestr with the necessary firepower to continue our triple-digit annual growth while ensuring manageable equity dilution for existing shareholders."

Dr.rico blaser, founder & ceo Vestr

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