What Hi Inov - Dentressangle does

Hi Inov - Dentressangle is a Franco-German venture capital firm headquartered in Lyon, with offices in Paris and Munich, that invests early-stage capital into European B2B technology companies. Founded in 2012 under the legal entity Hi inov S.A.S. (AMF approval GP-13000007), the firm has raised three consecutive fund generations and manages approximately €350 million in assets under management, with Hi Inov 3 completing its first close at €75 million in September 2023. Ticket sizes range from €1 million to €15 million per deal, deployed across France, DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), and Benelux at seed through Series A stages.

The firm's investment thesis is organized around "mission-critical technology for the AI era," with five explicit pillars: Infrastructure Intelligence (software for asset-heavy industries — energy, real estate, logistics, agriculture), Agentic AI, Vertical AI, AI Governance, and AI Infrastructure. The current portfolio of 42 companies spans collaborative learning (360Learning), ESG data (Deepki), social media management (Agorapulse), AI document processing (Acodis), data governance for Microsoft 365/Copilot (Rencore), supply-chain traceability (Trace For Good, Covalo), maritime AI (Kaiko Systems, exited), and deep-tech data-center acceleration (Xelera), among others.

Hi Inov earns revenue through standard VC fund economics — annual management fees on committed/invested capital (industry standard ~2% under AIFM) and carried interest on realized returns above the preferred-return hurdle. The firm supplements capital with hands-on operational support through four dedicated operating-partner pillars: sales efficiency, marketing and business development, product management, and international expansion. To date, Hi Inov reports 19 portfolio exits including category leaders Platform.sh, Deepki, and 360Learning, with recent realizations in Kaiko Systems (sold to UniSea, 2026), Zelros (sold to Earnix, 2025), and Deepomatic (sold to IQGeo, 2025).

Name

Hi Inov - Dentressangle

Legal name

Hi inov S.A.S.

Website

https://hiinov.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hi Inov - Dentressangle is a Franco-German venture capital firm managing ~€350M across three fund vintages, investing €1M–€15M in seed-to-Series A B2B technology companies across France, DACH, and Benelux, with a thesis focused on AI-era infrastructure, governance, and vertical software.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital Fund Management

akta.pro primary industry

Private Sector & Blended Finance Arms (IFC-type) (BPADACAJ)

Keywords

• Venture capital funding
• Early-stage B2B investments
• Seed to series A
• Fund management services
• Portfolio company support

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

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. Management Fees: Hi Inov earns an annual management fee on assets under management across its three fund generations. The firm is an AMF-approved management company (approval date February 21, 2012, under number GP-13000007) regulated under AIFM Directive requirements.
2. Carried Interest (Carry): The firm participates in carried interest on investment returns, with eligibility to subscribe to carried interest structures as part of its employee remuneration policy. Carry is tied to fund performance and realized exits from portfolio companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hi Inov - Dentressangle is a Franco-German B2B venture capital firm that invests €1 million to €15 million per deal into early-stage (seed to Series A) B2B software and AI technology companies across France, DACH, and Benelux. The firm manages approximately €350 million across three fund generations and provides hands-on portfolio support through dedicated operating partners covering sales efficiency, marketing and business development, product management, and international expansion. Hi Inov generates revenue through management fees on assets under management and carried interest on investment returns.

Product overview

Hi Inov is a Franco-German B2B venture capital fund (S.A.S.) managing multiple fund generations. It is not a technology product company but rather an investment firm that provides capital and operational support to early-stage B2B software companies in France, DACH region, and Benelux. The firm's offerings consist of investment management services, portfolio company support (including sales efficiency, marketing, product management, and international expansion advisory), and ESG governance frameworks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hi Inov 3 Fund The third and currently active generation of Hi Inov's venture capital fund, deploying €1M–€15M per deal into early-stage (seed to Series A) B2B technology companies across France, DACH, and Benelux.
• Hi Inov 1 and 2 Funds Prior generations of Hi Inov's venture capital funds, contributing to the firm's approximately €350 million in total assets under management and the 42 backed companies and 19 exits achieved across the franchise.
• Portfolio Support Platform Hands-on operational support offering to portfolio companies, delivered through four pillars: Sales Efficiency, Marketing & Business Development, Product Management, and International Expansion, supported by dedicated operating partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 19 exits across three fund generations, including category leaders such as Platform.sh, Deepki, and 360Learning
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Flagship FoundersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2025Maritime company builder that backed Kaiko Systems at its founding, alongside a group of angel investors with operating experience across maritime, logistics, and technology.
• IntertekminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2024Strategic partnership between Trace For Good and Intertek (global quality assurance and certification leader) to support Trace For Good's expansion in the consumer goods sector.
• Clearwater InternationalminorOthers · 12 March 2024Investment bank that led the ANOZR WAY €6M funding round.
• Ankaa VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 February 2024Hi Inov partnered with Ankaa Ventures to support European start-ups at the seed phase through its Hi Inov 3 fund. The partnership aims to identify and support around ten start-ups in France, Benelux, and the DACH region. Ankaa's investment sectors (climate tech, human capital, data, and AI) are aligned with Hi Inov's investment objectives. The partnership is based on a shared vision of B2B tech investment and a 20-year working relationship between Valérie Gombart and Jonathan Cohen-Sabban.
• SistaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Hi Inov supports Sista, an organization dedicated to gender equity in venture funding, addressing the gender funding gap in the European startup ecosystem.
• PRI (Principles for Responsible Investment)coreOthers · 1 January 2022Hi Inov is a signatory to the UN PRI since 2022, committed to the six Principles for Responsible Investment covering ESG integration in investment analysis, active ownership, disclosure, and industry engagement.
• France DigitalecoreOthers · 1 January 2015Member since 2015, France Digitale is the leading European startup association in which Hi Inov participates in industry dialogue and policy engagement.
• France InvestcoreOthers · 1 January 2013Member since 2013 and ESG Commission member since 2019, France Invest is the French private equity association. Hi Inov participates in its ESG Commission activities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Speedinvest: Vienna-based European early-stage venture capital firm with multi-sector B2B tech focus. Comparable in stage focus (seed to Series A), ticket size, and European cross-border execution model, though typically with larger fund sizes than Hi Inov.
• Earlybird Venture Capital: Berlin-based European early-stage VC with strong DACH focus, comparable ticket sizes, and B2B tech orientation. Directly comparable in target geographies (DACH), stage (seed to Series A), and LP base, though with larger AUM than Hi Inov.
• HV Capital: Cologne-based German venture capital firm with multi-fund generational track record across seed to growth stages. Directly comparable in geographic DACH focus, B2B tech orientation, and multi-generational fund approach, though typically with larger AUM and broader stage coverage.
• Creandum: Stockholm-based European early-stage VC with Nordic and broader European coverage. Comparable in early-stage focus, B2B tech thesis, and active operational support model, though with primary Nordic rather than Franco-German geographic concentration.
• Notion Capital: London-based European VC focused on B2B SaaS companies, with similar early-to-growth stage orientation and active operational support model. Comparable in B2B thesis and stage focus, though with UK-centric geographic concentration.
• Point Nine Capital: Berlin-based European VC specialized in B2B SaaS early-stage investments. Directly comparable in B2B SaaS focus, early-stage ticket sizes, and European operational support model, with overlapping DACH geographic coverage.
• Capnamic Ventures: Bonn/Cologne-based German early-stage VC with B2B tech focus and active co-investor relationship with Hi Inov (including joint Rencore and Covalo rounds). Comparable in DACH focus, early-stage ticket sizes, and B2B orientation.
• Elaia: Paris-based French early-stage VC focused on deep tech and digital transformation, and a recurring co-investor with Hi Inov (MyC, ANOZR WAY historical). Directly comparable in French B2B tech focus, early-stage positioning, and operational support model.

Broad incumbents

• Index Ventures: London/San Francisco-based global venture capital firm with significant European tech portfolio and broader stage coverage. Comparable in B2B SaaS thesis and European tech focus, but operates at significantly larger scale with broader geographic reach and later-stage participation.
• Atomico: London-based European venture capital firm founded by Skype's Niklas Zennström with global tech investment focus. Comparable in European B2B tech thesis and cross-border operational model, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader stage coverage than Hi Inov.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hi-inov
• Xx.com/hiinov

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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

M&A

Investments53 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Hi Inov - Dentressangle