b2venture Newsletter | February 2025
Dear Readers,
The European manufacturing industry is primed for change. Rising energy costs, high input prices, and inefficiencies in traditional processes have challenged manufacturers, despite the push for digital transformation through initiatives like Germany’s "Industrie 4.0." Today, manufacturers are under pressure to improve efficiency and reduce costs amidst fragmentation and the complexity of sourcing reliable suppliers. On-demand platforms have helped with rapid prototyping, but they struggle with complex, multi-part products and high-volume production.
This is where our latest portfolio addition, industrial tech startup assemblean, plays a pivotal role. Based in Paderborn and founded by Alexander and Xiaojun, the company provides a digital platform that automates supply chain management and production processes. From the procurement of components to the assembly of complex products, assemblean delivers comprehensive production services that reduce costs, shorten lead times, and simplify manufacturing workflows.
With its novel approach, the company is redefining the manufacturing landscape with its innovative "Production-as-a-Service" platform. Customers can upload specifications, and assemblean utilizes its supplier network to handle the entire production and assembly process. This approach delivers significant cost savings, faster delivery times, and high-quality production without operational complexity, freeing up resources for companies to focus on their core business.
In my blog post "why we invested in assemblean" you may learn more about our reasoning why we invested in the company and how assemblean is pioneering a new era of "smart factories," where advanced automation, decentralized infrastructure, IoT, and AI seamlessly integrate to optimize production, improve efficiency, and reduce waste.
The vision and commitment of founders like Alexander and Xiaojun inspire us and reaffirm our mission to foster innovation that enhances productivity and promotes sustainability. As we embrace the latest AI advancements and digital solutions, we are confident that the future of manufacturing holds immense promise.
Thank you for being a part of our journey as we continue to support and champion transformative ideas.
On behalf of the b2venture team,
Anna Bosch
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We are thrilled to announce our latest investment in assemblean - a game-changer in manufacturing!
As highlighted above, the manufacturing industry is under growing pressure to improve efficiency and streamline supply chains. Rising costs and operational complexities make it harder than ever for companies to stay competitive. This is precisely where assemblean comes in. By leveraging automation and an extensive supplier network, assemblean enables seamless, cost-effective, and scalable manufacturing – a much-needed solution in the $345 billion contract manufacturing market.
We’re proud to lead their €1.8m seed round and support their mission to transform manufacturing!
To read more about the news, check out EU-Startups or read Anna's blogpost here.
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Our portfolio company 1KOMMA5° has announced preliminary results: the company has set a new sales record of €520m compared to €450m in 2023.
Organic sales, which exclude acquisitions, grew particularly strongly by 36 percent, from €360m in 2023 to €490m in 2024, a record in the company's history. The company remains debt-free and operationally profitable. "Even in the midst of a crisis year and in a shrinking market environment, we are growing by 36 percent. This is a great success for the entire team", said Philipp Schröder, CEO and co-founder of 1KOMMA5.
Read more about it on EU-Startups and in the 1KOMMA5° press release.
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Our portfolio company eGenesis is revolutionizing medicine with its latest breakthrough: a 66-year-old man in Boston has successfully received a genetically modified pig kidney and returned home healthy. This milestone, detailed in a recent report, marks a significant step in xenotransplantation—transplanting animal organs into humans. The U.S. FDA has now greenlit clinical trials, with eGenesis and United Therapeutics leading the charge, genetically engineering mini-pig breeds to combat organ rejection.
"This is a scientific milestone opening a new frontier in medicine," said eGenesis CEO Michael Curtis.
With the global organ shortage in sharp focus, this success hints at a future where pig organs could save countless lives. Learn more about it: Frankfurter Rundschau, eGenesis LinkedIn.
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Two of our AI portfolio companies are weighing in on the growing adoption of DeepSeek's affordable AI models. TextCortex is considering integrating it as the default for their platform due to its cost-effectiveness, while LatticeFlow, a Swiss software firm specializing in AI compliance, has raised concerns about its security risks. Their analysis found that two versions of DeepSeek’s R1 model rank among the lowest in cybersecurity compared to other leading systems. It appears that modifications made by DeepSeek to improve efficiency may have compromised key safety features of the original open-source models from Meta and Alibaba.
Read more about what our portfolio companies say about DeepSeek on Sifted and Bloomberg.
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The German aerospace agency DLR has signed on to be an anchor customer for The Exploration Company’s microgravity research service aboard its Nyx spacecraft. Announced during DLR’s TecDays in Bonn on February 20, 2025, the deal secures 160 kilograms of payload space for scientific experiments on the debut flight of the Nyx Earth capsule, slated for 2028. DLR will also join early tests with the Mission Possible demonstrator launching on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in June 2025. "We’re thrilled to support a startup paving the way for post-ISS research," said Dr. Walther Pelzer, head of the German Space Agency at DLR.
Read more about it here.
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Switzerland is wealthy and globally recognized for innovation, yet its startups struggle to access capital. The issue isn’t a lack of resources but rather a lack of collective commitment from entrepreneurs, investors, asset managers, and policymakers. Instead of incremental progress, bold action is needed.
Read more from Florian Schweitzer in his article about the Swiss startup ecosystem here.
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We are proud to be part of Center for Digital Technology and Management (CDTM)'s Managing Product Development (MPD) journey! 🚀
It was a pleasure contributing as a VC partner alongside HV Capital, Cherry Ventures, and Picus Capital. It has been inspiring to see the next generation of innovators tackle real-world challenges presented by E.ON, ecoplanet, and the Personio Foundation.
At b2venture, we're committed to fostering innovation and supporting young talent. The MPD course exemplifies the hands-on learning experiences that drive technological advancement and entrepreneurship.
Looking forward to continued collaboration in nurturing tomorrow's innovators!
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Last week we hosted an inspiring event on the Future of Space together with b2venture angel investor Nicole Herzog in Zurich.
The evening featured an insightful panel discussion between Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, Professor and Director of ETH Zürich Space Program and Nicole Herzog on the role of startups and investors in the rapidly growing new space economy, alongside two startup pitches.
A huge thank you to Nicole for organizing such a fantastic evening and bringing the space community together! Exciting times ahead for the industry in Switzerland and beyond.
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Holger Hengstler from our b2venture angel community recently visited Seven Senders’ headquarters in Berlin and shared the stage with Seven Senders founder Johannes Plehn. Together, they discussed the company’s journey and discussed future plans. In recognition of his support, a meeting room has been dedicated in his name—"The Holger (Stay Curious)."
Read more about it on LinkedIn.
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We’re very much looking forward to this year’s START summit, a unique event that brings together thought leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs to explore the latest trends in technology, business, and startup ecosystems.
We will be present with the team on-site, on stage, and hosting workshops and our START FORUM event. We can’t wait to connect with like-minded investors and entrepreneurs, share insights and be inspired by the content and conversations on- and off- stage.
We’re also happy to share an exclusive discount code "b2venture20" for your ticket. Check out the START Summit website to learn more - and see you in St. Gallen!
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b2venture has several open positions:
Please spread the word or apply!
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For an overview of our partnerships and benefits for our portfolio companies, please have a look at our partnerships page.
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