A New $108 Million Fund Takes Aim at Europe's DeepTech Funding Gap

Jan de Vries · 2026-09-02

Let's talk about a problem that's been simmering in European tech for a while now. You have brilliant founders with groundbreaking ideas—real, hardcore DeepTech solving industrial-scale problems. But when they get past the initial seed stage and need serious fuel to scale? The funding well often runs dry. That's the gap Uplift Ventures is aiming to fill. The Hamburg- and Berlin-based venture platform just launched its inaugural fund. We're talking about a $108 million war chest, backed by its founding partner, the German intralogistics giant Jungheinrich. ### The Patient Capital Playbook DeepTech isn't your average SaaS startup. You can't just flip a switch and watch user numbers climb. These companies are building physical AI robots, next-gen energy systems, and complex enterprise software. It takes time. It takes what Dr. Lars Brzoska, CEO of Jungheinrich, calls "patient capital." He put it perfectly: "DeepTech requires patient capital and partners who understand both industrial challenges and entrepreneurial ambition." That's the core thesis here. Jungheinrich isn't just looking for a financial return (though they certainly expect one). They see Uplift Ventures as a strategic partner for their own long-term vision, their "2030+ strategy." ### Where is the Money Going? The plan is to deploy that $108 million across a curated portfolio of up to 20 startups and selected DeepTech funds. The focus will be primarily in Europe and the US, building what they describe as a global support network for founders. The idea is to stick around long after the check clears. They're targeting a very specific pinch point: the late Seed and Series A stages. That's where ambitious hardware and complex software companies often stumble, caught between proving the concept and proving they can dominate a market. The fund has four key sectors in its sights: - Physical AI (think robots, drones, smart hardware) - Energy (the transition tech we all need) - Enterprise AI - Logistics (no surprise, given the Jungheinrich connection) Their approach is flexible. They'll act as a lead investor, a co-lead, or just a participating partner—whatever best serves the founders and gets the round done. ### The Team Behind the Check To lead this new charge, Uplift Ventures brought on Christian Noske as Founding General Partner. He's got over a decade of Deep Tech investing under his belt, with stints leading European investments at NGP Capital and as a founding partner at BMW i Ventures and Alliance Ventures. His track record speaks for itself: The Exploration Company, ANYbotics, Tekion. He also hosts the "DeepTech Unleashed" podcast, so he lives and breathes this space. Noske's perspective is shaped by seeing what works and what doesn't. "We've spent years investing in Deep Tech," he says, "and have seen both the many ways these companies can fail and what it takes to build exceptional outcomes." His excitement is palpable. "Europe needs dedicated Deep Tech investors who are in it for the long run. Founders build great companies—we're here to have their backs." He's not alone. The investment team includes Katharina Schild, Lukas Böttcher, Susan Suzart, and Helge Jelinski. Together, they've worked at places like Cathay Innovation and Speedinvest, and they've collectively backed more than 30 startups. It's a team built on operational and investment experience. ### Building on a Legacy Here's a fascinating angle. Europe has a deep bench of legacy industrial champions—names like ABB, Siemens, Schneider Electric, and Rolls-Royce. Uplift Ventures sees that not as a relic of the past, but as a foundation. It's a bedrock of engineering talent, supply chains, and market knowledge that the next generation of globally relevant tech companies can build upon. They've already started this work internally. Since being founded in 2025, they've built the compliance-automation startup turnus.ai in-house and made several investments into European DeepTech funds. This new $108 million fund is their biggest step yet. The team plans to grow over the coming months, with the first investments from the new fund expected in 2026. For founders in Europe and the US wrestling with complex, capital-intensive technology, a new source of patient, experienced capital just entered the scene. And it's one that seems to understand the long, challenging, and ultimately rewarding road ahead.