Quarterly News by DTCF – Jan-Mar 2025

New investments, our first life science VC dinner, and the „biggest development in fusion since the tokamak breakthrough“

The world remains complex, but one thing is clear: progress comes from action. In Germany, the elections are behind us, a historic financing package is in place, yet technology, startups and innovation remain as essential as ever. The best conditions may not be ahead of us, but that only reinforces the need to build, to invest and to execute. 

At DTCF, that’s exactly what we’re doing. With strong European partnerships and co-investors, we’re focused on what lies ahead, backing transformative companies and driving innovation. The latest European Deep Tech Report confirms that deep tech remains one of the most resilient investment areas, making up nearly one-third of all VC funding in Europe. With Germany among the top three deep-tech hubs, momentum is growing in quantum computing, fusion energy and advanced materials among others—areas where our portfolio companies are pushing the boundaries.

🚀 New Investments in Q1

🥩 In January, we welcomed our first food-tech investment into the DTCF portfolio! Berlin based Project Eaden raised a €15M Series A to launch its ultra-realistic plant-based meats, developed using proprietary fiber-spinning technology. Starting mid-2025, its products will debut in thousands of REWE supermarkets across Germany. The round was co-led by Planet A and REWE Group, with participation from DTCF, Happiness Capital, AgriFoodTech Venture Alliance, Creandum and FoodLabs, fueling the future of sustainable food.

DTCF Managing Director Dr. Elisabeth Schrey commented: “Germany has long been a global leader in innovation and engineering. We are proud to back Project Eaden, whose proprietary high-tech production technology for alternative meats positions them as a shaper of the next generation of German engineering companies.” (Read more)

     ⭐ Highlights from the Portfolio

⚡ Proxima Fusion unveiled Stellaris, the world’s first integrated stellarator fusion power plant concept—a major milestone on the path to commercial fusion energy. The Wall Street Journal called it „the biggest development in fusion since the tokamak breakthrough.“ Proxima also opened Proxima Lab Munich, reinforcing Europe’s leadership in clean energy innovation. From its Max Planck roots to rapid advancements, Proxima is setting the pace for the future of fusion power. (Press Release, The Wall Street Journal, Handelsblatt)  

⚛️ Kipu Quantum took a major step in quantum optimization as its Iskay Quantum Optimizer became available on IBM’s Qiskit Functions Catalog, giving Fortune 500 companies, research labs and universities access to cutting-edge quantum algorithms. Built on Kipu’s proprietary BF-DCQO algorithm, Iskay tackles large-scale optimization problems more efficiently than classical solvers—potentially transforming industries like logistics, finance and AI. (Press Release, IBM Docs)

🚛 FERNRIDE advances its driverless trucking technology with comprehensive trials, a critical step toward industrializing its autonomous trucking solution. These trials ensure compliance with the Machinery Directive and CE certification, paving the way for safe and scalable deployment. (Press Release)

🚀 The Exploration Company secures DLR as an anchor customer for its microgravity research service aboard the reusable Nyx space capsule. The German aerospace agency has booked 160 kg of scientific payloads for Nyx Earth’s first flight in 2028 and will also send experiments on Nyx’s Mission Possible in June 2025. (DLR Press Release, European Spaceflight)

🌊 Membion is making waves in wastewater treatment! The German startup’s next-gen filtration technology removes microplastics and bacteria more efficiently than conventional methods—while using significantly less energy. Membion is currently scaling up, doubling its workforce, and expanding its production to meet rising demand as stricter EU regulations drive innovation in water treatment. (Aachener Zeitung)

     🔥 Explore Insights from Our Experts

🛡️Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue, it’s a boardroom priority. With Germany’s digital landscape evolving, the demand for robust security frameworks has surged. By 2025, cybersecurity spending in Germany is expected to exceed €10 billion, reflecting its critical role in digital transformation and the country’s response to escalating security incidents and regulatory pressures. We wrote a deep dive to explore Germany’s growing cybersecurity market, the challenges it faces, and the startups shaping its future. (Read more)

📌 What Else Happened at DTCF?

We kicked off 2025 as busy and motivated as ever—screening exciting companies, diving into new topics, and preparing for what’s ahead. Here’s a glimpse into what the first three months have looked like for our team:

📍 Bringing the Life Science VC ecosystem together
Our Life Science expert Dr. Christopher Jahn and Managing Directors Dr. Elisabeth Schrey and Tobias Faupel hosted an exclusive dinner in Berlin, bringing together key players from the ecosystem. The evening featured insightful discussions on biotech and health, great food and a keynote from Alexander Schuth, Co-Founder of Denali Therapeutics, who joined us from Silicon Valley. (Read more)

🎉 Celebrating well-deserved promotions & a new team member
We’re thrilled to announce two well-earned promotions: Jonas Sommer is now Principal and Lena Stache has been promoted to Associate. In January, we also welcomed Fabian Kistner as Junior Analyst in our Munich investment team.
We’re actively growing: take a look at our open positions in Berlin, Bonn, and Munich here.

🎤 On stage & on site
As the first big wave of tech events approaches, our calendars are filling up! You’ll see us at DeepTech Momentum, GitEx Europe, FusionXInnovation, TechTour Growth Deeptech and more. So far this year, we’ve already attended the Munich Security Conference, Hello Tomorrow in Paris and SET Festival in Berlin.

📰 Sharing our insights
From deep tech investments to climate tech and quantum computing, our team has been actively contributing to key industry discussions:

• Dr. Torsten Löffler shared insights on the state of deep tech investments (VC Magazin).
• Dr. Anne Hinze contributed to „60 Energy Technologies Ripe for Investment“ (Climate Hack).
• Dr. Elisabeth Schrey shared her perspective on quantum computing (Berliner Zeitung).

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