DvH Ventures

What DvH Ventures does

DvH Ventures (Dieter von Holtzbrinck Ventures GmbH) is a Cologne-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in May 2014 as the venture arm of DvH Medien, the German media group that controls Handelsblatt, WirtschaftsWoche, DIE ZEIT, and Der Tagesspiegel. The firm invests up to €2 million per company, typically as lead investor and with follow-on capital support, in early-stage European technology and healthcare startups. It operates two dedicated funds: Fund III (Digital Tech Fund, investing since 2017 with a focus on deep tech and education) and Fund IV (Digital Health Fund, €70 million launched in 2020 with a pan-European healthcare mandate).

The firm's core products are its investment vehicles and a media-for-equity program that grants portfolio companies access to the readership and brand reach of DvH Medi's publishing portfolio in exchange for equity. This media-for-equity channel — unique among European early-stage VCs — is paired with hands-on operational support from a small partner-led team. The portfolio spans 40+ companies across FinTech (LIQID, NECT, COMPEON, wikifolio, Savedo, OptioPay, Tradico, cashpresso, SMACC, NDGIT, entrafin, Lendstar, moneymeets), EdTech (StudySmarter/Studydrive), and Digital Health (HelloBetter, Gardia, Virtonomy, Humanoo, LiveEO, ekko, mymoria, Dermanostic, OneTwenty, TukToro, Buynomics).

Revenue is generated through conventional VC mechanics — management fees on committed fund capital and carried interest on exits — with realizations to date including the sale of Sanubi shares to EQT-owned Schülke + Mayr GmbH (2021), COMPEON, Savedo (to Deposit Solutions), and FirmenABC (to Invest AG/ILAG). The firm is wholly owned via DvH Medien, with three Managing Partners (Oliver Finsterwalder, Peter Richarz, Fabian von Trotha) overseeing investment activity alongside a Partner, Principal, and Investment Associate.

Name

DvH Ventures

Legal name

Dieter von Holtzbrinck Ventures GmbH

Website

https://dvhventures.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DvH Ventures (Dieter von Holtzbrinck Ventures GmbH) is a Cologne-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2014 as the investment arm of DvH Medien, backing European digital tech and digital health startups with up to €2 million tickets and offering portfolio companies media-for-equity access to leading German business publications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital / Private Equity

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds / Multi-Manager Platforms (FSANAAAJ)

Keywords

• Venture capital investing
• Early-stage investments
• Media-for-equity
• Digital tech startups
• Digital health investing

Headquarters

HQ city

Köln

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

DvH Ventures is a European early-stage venture capital firm that invests up to €2 million (often as lead investor) in high-growth digital tech and digital health startups, with follow-on capital for subsequent rounds. It operates two independent funds—Fund III (Digital Tech Fund, active since 2017) and Fund IV (€70 million Digital Health Fund, launched in 2020)—and offers portfolio companies a media-for-equity program providing access to the readership and brands of Handelsblatt, WirtschaftsWoche, DIE ZEIT, and Der Tagesspiegel.

Product overview

DvH Ventures operates two independent early-stage investment funds: Fund III (Digital Tech Fund) investing in deep tech and education startups since 2017, and Fund IV (Digital Health Fund) launched in 2020 with €70 million for European healthcare technologies. The firm also offers a media-for-equity program providing portfolio companies access to major German media brands. DvH Ventures invests up to €2 million in early-stage, high-growth companies, often as lead investor, and provides capital for follow-on financing rounds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DvH Ventures Fund III (Digital Tech Fund) Early-stage investment fund primarily investing in deep tech and education startups, active since 2017. Provides initial equity tickets up to €2 million and follow-on capital, often as lead investor.
• DvH Ventures Fund IV (Digital Health Fund) €70 million Digital Health Fund launched in 2020 that invests across Europe in technologies solving future healthcare challenges. Targets early-stage HealthTech startups.
• Media-for-Equity Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 rounds led in portfolio companies
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• HandelsblattcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia brand partner within Dieter von Holtzbrinck Medien group, providing media-for-equity access for portfolio companies to reach business audiences across Germany.
• WirtschaftsWochecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia brand partner within Dieter von Holtzbrinck Medien group, offering portfolio companies access to prominent business journalism platform for marketing and brand building.
• DIE ZEITcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading German weekly newspaper partner providing portfolio companies with access to quality journalism audience through media-for-equity program.
• Der TagesspiegelcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBerlin-based quality newspaper partner offering portfolio companies exposure to influential business and policy readership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Earlybird Venture Capital: One of Europe's leading early-stage VCs with deep tech and healthtech focus areas; directly comparable to DvH Ventures as a Berlin-based multi-fund early-stage investor with similar sector mandates and ticket sizes.
• btov Partners: European early-stage VC with digital and industrial tech focus; directly comparable as a similarly-sized multi-fund early-stage investor, and explicitly referenced in DvH Ventures' portfolio investment history (co-invested in COMPEON Series A).
• Cherry Ventures: Berlin-based early-stage VC backing European tech founders; directly comparable as a peer-stage European seed investor, and explicitly referenced in DvH Ventures' portfolio history (co-invested in SMACC Series A).
• Speedinvest: Vienna-based early-stage VC with sector-focused funds (fintech, healthtech, deeptech); directly comparable multi-fund European early-stage investor, and referenced in DvH Ventures' portfolio history (co-invested in Tradico seed round).
• Point Nine Capital: Berlin-based seed-stage investor focused on B2B SaaS and marketplaces; directly comparable as European seed-stage peer, and referenced in DvH Ventures' portfolio history (co-invested in Savedo growth round).
• Creathor Ventures: Frankfurt-based early-stage VC investing in tech and healthtech across Europe; directly comparable as a German-rooted early-stage investor with similar healthtech/tech dual fund approach, and referenced in DvH Ventures' portfolio history (co-invested in HUMANOO Series A).
• Rheingau Founders: Berlin-based early-stage VC focused on digital health and B2B SaaS; directly comparable as a similarly-sized German early-stage investor with overlapping healthtech focus, and referenced in DvH Ventures' portfolio history (co-invested in HUMANOO Series A).

Regional players

• Capnamic Ventures: Cologne-based early-stage VC focused on B2B software and digital health; comparable as a regional DACH-rooted early-stage VC with similar ticket sizes and digital health overlap, though operating from the same city (Cologne) rather than competing on geography.

Broad incumbents

• HV Capital: Formerly Holtzbrinck Ventures — part of the same Holtzbrinck media family — and one of Germany's longest-standing venture capital firms with multi-stage funds across tech and digital health; a closely-related broader incumbent peer with deeper fund vintages and larger AUM than DvH Ventures.

Emerging players

• Ananda Impact Ventures: European early-stage VC with focus on healthtech and impact-driven digital health investments; comparable as an emerging peer with overlapping digital health focus, though operating with a smaller fund and impact mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dieter-von-holtzbrinck-ventures-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments69 records

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

Frequently asked questions about DvH Ventures