What Lakestar does

Lakestar Advisors GmbH is a privately held European venture capital firm founded in 2012 and headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, with additional offices in Berlin, London, and a planned Munich office. The firm invests across all stages from Seed to Growth in technology companies, organized around four thematic areas: Deep Tech (including space, AI, quantum, robotics, and defense), Healthcare (digital health and preventative care), Fintech (open finance and AI in financial services), and Digitalisation (workplace technology, APIs, open source, modern data platforms). Lakestar's stated mission is to be a long-term partner to founders, and the firm cites a track record that includes early positions in companies that subsequently reached $100B+ valuations, including Revolut and Spotify, alongside more recent investments such as Neko Health, Isar Aerospace, Dexory, Validio, and Auterion.

The firm's revenue model follows traditional venture capital mechanics: management fees on committed capital from institutional limited partners, supplemented by carried interest on successful exits. In 2025 Lakestar closed a USD 265 million continuation vehicle (Lakestar Continuation Fund I) to support existing portfolio companies and was on track to raise close to USD 500 million through its newest vintage of funds by year-end. The firm co-publishes the annual European Deep Tech Report with Dealroom and Walden Catalyst as its flagship thought-leadership product, positioning itself as a market intelligence authority on European deep tech.

In October 2025 Lakestar announced a strategic shift: it would cease raising new generalist venture funds and instead concentrate on maximizing value from its existing portfolio, deploying own capital for larger, more concentrated investments. The firm has significantly deepened its defense tech vertical, receiving capital from BAE Systems' Launchpad program (€25M into Lakestar's fund), co-leading the E2D €500M dual-use/defense fund with Earlybird and AVP, and participating in major defense rounds such as UFORCE ($50M seed at unicorn valuation), Onodrim Industries, TYTAN Technologies, Dominion Dynamics, and constellr. The firm employs approximately 28 people across investment, operations, legal, finance, investor relations, and engineering functions.

Name

Lakestar

Legal name

Lakestar Advisors GmbH

Website

https://lakestar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lakestar is a Zurich-based European venture capital firm founded in 2012 that invests from Seed to Growth across Deep Tech, Healthcare, Fintech, and Digitalisation, with a recent strategic focus on defense tech and a portfolio spanning 100+ companies including Revolut, Spotify, and Neko Health.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital Fund Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Other Financial Vehicles (52599), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Large-Cap / Mega-Fund Buyout (FSANABAA)

Keywords

• Venture capital investing
• Growth stage funding
• Deep tech investments
• Technology venture capital
• Startup equity financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Venture Capital Fund Management: Lakestar generates revenue through traditional venture capital mechanisms including management fees from limited partners (LPs) and carried interest (carry) on successful portfolio company exits. The firm raised close to $500 million by end of 2025 through their newest vintage of funds.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lakestar is a European venture capital firm that invests equity capital in technology companies from Seed through Growth stages, focusing on four thematic areas: Deep Tech (space, AI, quantum, robotics), Healthcare (digital health, personalized medicine), Fintech (open finance, AI in financial services), and Digitalisation (APIs, open source, data platforms). The firm manages multiple fund vehicles including a USD 265 million continuation fund and a newest fund vintage targeting close to USD 500 million by year-end 2025, providing partnership, capital, and ecosystem access to founders.

Product overview

Lakestar is a European venture capital firm that provides investment capital and partnership to technology entrepreneurs across all stages from Seed to Growth. The firm's investment strategy is organized around four thematic areas: Deep Tech (novel technological breakthroughs in areas such as space tech, AI, quantum, and robotics), Healthcare (digital healthcare transformation including remote healthcare platforms, personalized medicine, and patient empowerment), Fintech (open finance and AI advancements in financial services), and Digitalisation (digitalisation of the workplace including APIs, open source, and modern data platforms). Lakestar's portfolio includes companies across sectors such as robotics/AI, space technology, healthcare technology, and financial technology. The firm manages multiple fund vehicles including continuation funds and targets larger, more concentrated investments with its own capital. The firm has offices in Zurich, Berlin, and London and was founded by Klaus Hommels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lakestar Continuation Fund I: A continuation vehicle fund for supporting existing portfolio companies

Products and services

• European Tech Venture Capital Funds (Seed to Growth) Flagship venture capital fund program providing equity financing and long-term partnership to technology entrepreneurs across Europe from Seed through Growth stages, focused on four thematic theses (Deep Tech, Healthcare, Fintech, Digitalisation). Newest vintage of funds targeting close to USD 500 million by year-end 2025.
• Lakestar Continuation Fund I (LCF I) USD 265 million continuation vehicle fund that supports existing Lakestar portfolio companies, enabling larger, more concentrated follow-on investments using the firm's own capital.
• European Deep Tech Report (annual thought-leadership publication) Annual research publication co-authored with Dealroom and Walden Catalyst providing market intelligence on the European deep tech investment landscape. Functions as a thought-leadership product supporting Lakestar's brand and deal sourcing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Five entrepreneurial successes reaching valuations of more than $100 billion
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• DealroomcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026Annual co-publication of the European Deep Tech Report, establishing thought leadership and market intelligence on European deep tech investment landscape.
• Walden CatalystcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026Annual co-publication of the European Deep Tech Report, analyzing European deep tech ecosystem trends and opportunities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Balderton Capital: London-based European tech VC focused on early- and growth-stage software and deep-tech investments — directly comparable in European seed-to-Series B mandate.
• Atomico: London-headquartered European venture capital firm investing across tech stages from seed to growth — the closest direct peer to Lakestar in mandate, geography, and stage focus.
• Index Ventures: London/Geneva-headquartered global venture firm with strong European tech franchise at seed and growth stages — directly comparable on stage, sector mix, and geographic tilt.
• Earlybird Venture Capital: Berlin-based European venture capital firm; Lakestar's co-partner in the €500M E2D defense-tech fund, making it a closely comparable European deep-tech/defense VC.
• Speedinvest: Vienna-based pan-European venture capital firm focused on seed-stage technology — comparable on European focus and stage coverage despite smaller average check size.
• General Catalyst: Global venture firm with a strong European presence; has co-invested with Lakestar and shares comparable stage coverage and sector breadth (fintech, healthcare, deep tech).
• Northzone: Pan-European venture capital firm with offices in Stockholm, London, New York — comparable thesis in European tech across seed to growth stages.
• Accel Partners: Global venture firm with a long-standing London presence; comparable on stage coverage (seed-to-growth), tech focus, and European-anchored deal flow.
• EQT Ventures: Stockholm/London-based European venture firm under EQT Group; comparable in scale, stage range, and pan-European tech focus, including enterprise and deep tech.
• HV Capital: Munich-based European venture firm; a co-investor with Lakestar in Isar Aerospace, with comparable focus on European deep tech and growth-stage software.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/lakestarvc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lakestar-lp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments244 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lakestar