Motu Ventures

What is Motu Ventures?

Motu Ventures is a venture capital firm headquartered at Kurfürstendamm 54/55, 10707 Berlin, Germany. They specialize in seed investment and early-stage financing, focusing primarily on digital technology startups based in Europe, especially those evolving in the Deep Tech sector. With investment amounts ranging from €50,000 to €300,000, Motu Ventures positions itself as a vital early supporter for innovative companies.

Their investment thesis underscores their dedication to nurturing lean startups, aiding entrepreneurs through first-round financing, and helping navigate the critical early phases of business growth. They maintain a commitment to active partnership with portfolio companies at all times.

This is demonstrated through entrepreneurial guidance, networking, and coaching by leveraging the team’s technical expertise, operational experience, and deal-making skills.

Their investment focus includes seed-stage deep tech software companies, establishing a robust portfolio that spans online polls, digital learning for employees, receivables management, infrastructure analysis via satellite data, AI-based cancer diagnostics, and more. Founders Philipp Semmer and Michael Schmitt, with their respective backgrounds in business administration and technical expertise (including prior experience at Google), are at the helm of the fund.

In October 2021, Motu Ventures broadened its horizon by establishing Earlybird-X, a seed fund in collaboration with Earlybird VC, aiming to further their impact in the deep tech investment space.

What they say:

We invest in European Deep Tech startups in several B2B verticals. We get in early.