Bayern Kapital is the venture and growth capital company of the Free State of Bavaria, headquartered in Landshut with a branch at WERK1 in Munich. Founded in 1995 as a wholly owned subsidiary of LfA Förderbank Bayern (Bavaria's development bank), it is one of Germany's most active, experienced, and financially strong venture capital investors. The firm manages approximately €700 million across 13+ equity funds and has invested over €675 million of its own equity capital in more than 320 innovative Bavarian high-tech companies — creating more than 8,000 permanent jobs.
Bayern Kapital invests from pre-seed through growth to scale-up with ticket sizes ranging from €250,000 to €50 million per company. The firm operates as a long-term anchor investor across multiple rounds, always co-investing alongside private investors and business angels. Bayern Kapital's investment focus spans deep tech, life sciences, AI, climate tech, SaaS, new space, quantum technology, software & IT, materials & new materials, nanotechnology, medical technology, and environmental technology — covering the full breadth of Bavaria's innovation economy.
The portfolio includes standout success stories such as commercetools, IQM (quantum computing unicorn), Quantum Systems (unicorn), EGYM (unicorn), OroraTech (space tech), ProGlove, MorphoSys, and many more — with 3 unicorns, 5 IPOs, and 38 acquisitions. Bayern Kapital plays a cornerstone role in Bavaria's startup ecosystem, working cooperatively with national and international VCs, business angels, and accelerators. The Wachstumsfonds Bayern 2 (€165M), co-funded by the European Investment Bank, provides critical growth-stage financing for Bavarian innovators.
Landshut & Munich, Bavaria, Germany
"We hope to create big Bavarian companies that might even become big German or European companies with lots of jobs and impact on the GDP of Europe — like the great American technology companies, but made in Bavaria."
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