How This Berlin VC Is Building a More Inclusive European Startup Future

Jan de Vries · 2026-09-01

Let's talk about a shift happening in European venture capital. It's not just about the money, though there's a lot of that. It's about who gets to build the future. Berlin-based Auxxo just closed its second Female Catalyst Fund, and the numbers tell a powerful story. They've secured a final close of $36.5 million for the fund. That's more than a 75% jump from their first fund. But honestly, the dollar figure isn't the headline here. It's the fact that over half of the fund's investors are women. In an industry often criticized for its homogeneity, that's a meaningful change. ### The Fund's Backers and Vision The European Investment Fund (EIF) led the charge as the anchor investor. They were joined by a mix of new supporters like Aurum Impact, EnBW New Ventures, Cherry Ventures, and Speedinvest, plus a host of family offices and angels from across the continent. Bettine Schmitz, co-founder and General Partner, put it perfectly: "We are incredibly proud of the trust placed in us... investors who understand that diversity drives returns. The fact that more than half of our LPs are women shows that the industry is moving towards the future we have always envisioned." This isn't just feel-good talk. It's a direct challenge to a stark statistic: in 2025, female-founded companies received just 16.5% of European venture capital deal activity. Auxxo's fund, which co-invests at pre-Seed and Seed stages in companies with at least one female founder holding 20% of shares, is a tangible effort to rewrite that script. ### The Portfolio: Where the Money Is Going So, what kind of companies are they backing? The fund has already invested in 11 startups, and the range is fascinating. It's not one niche. They're funding the builders of tomorrow across critical sectors: - **Emidat**: A climate data infrastructure provider for the construction industry. - **Resolutiion**: An AI platform designed to identify and reduce losses from commercial disputes. - **Stanhope.ai**: Creating more adaptable autonomous systems for robots and drones using neuroscience. - **Marble Imaging**: Developing Earth observation satellites and AI tools for defense and infrastructure. - **Delta Labs**: An AI platform that helps companies build market intelligence through synthetic customer simulations. - **Radiogenesis**: Using AI to design new radiopharmaceuticals for cancer treatment. This portfolio shows a clear thesis—betting on diverse founding teams solving complex, high-impact problems from climate tech to healthcare. ### Beyond Capital: Closing the Co-Founder Gap Here's where it gets even more interesting. Alongside the fund close, Auxxo launched something new: a pan-European Founder Matchmaking Platform. Think of it as a dedicated network to help ambitious women find their missing piece. The platform targets three groups: - Solo founders looking for a technical or operational co-founder. - Experienced operators ready to jump into entrepreneurship. - Teams actively seeking capital and expertise. Dr. Gesa Miczaika, co-founder and General Partner, explained the vision: "We have always seen ourselves as a bridge. With this platform, we are building the foundation of that bridge. We want to ensure that more women found startups – not someday, but now." It's a recognition that funding is only part of the equation. The "co-founder gap" is a real barrier. By leveraging their network—which includes successful entrepreneurs, angel networks, and that LP base where over 50% are women—they're trying to solve for team formation from the ground up. Marjut Falkstedt, Chief Executive of the EIF, summed up the partnership's goal: "We are glad to be continuing the drive for greater gender diversity... Diversity and financial return can go hand in hand." That's the core idea. This isn't philanthropy; it's a conviction that inclusive investing is smart investing. By providing capital *and* actively working to build stronger, more diverse founding teams, Auxxo is tackling the ecosystem challenge from multiple angles. For U.S. professionals watching the European startup scene, it's a model worth paying attention to—one that proves building for inclusion can also mean building for outsized returns.