coparion
coparion is a Cologne-based venture capital fund providing growth financing of EUR 0.5–8 million per round (up to EUR 15 million per company) to young German technology companies, anchored by ERP-Sondervermögen, KfW Capital, and the European Investment Bank across a EUR 275 million fund.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersCologne, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What coparion does
coparion is a Cologne-based venture capital fund, structured as coparion GmbH & Co. KG with a general partner coparion Komplementär GmbH, providing growth financing to young German technology companies. The firm invests up to EUR 15 million per company across multiple financing rounds of EUR 0.5–8 million each, focusing exclusively on companies headquartered in Germany and only participating alongside private co-investors on pari passu terms. Founded in 2016 with a EUR 275 million fund, coparion is anchored by three institutional shareholders — ERP-Sondervermögen (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy), KfW Capital, and the European Investment Bank (EIB) — and operates with a team of 20+ professionals combining investment and life science expertise.
The fund is sector-agnostic within technology (excluding EIB-defined excluded activities) and employs a non-interventionist model that emphasizes long-term partnership, operational support through network access, team-building guidance, and exit preparation without interfering in day-to-day operations. Its 49+ named portfolio companies span biotechnology, FinTech, AI/computer vision, eCommerce, PropTech, mobility, cleantech, construction tech, and legal tech, with particular depth in biotech (Tubulis, CatalYm, Cardior, HepaRegeniX, Abalos, Tacalyx, Ther-mosome, FundaMental Pharma). Revenue is generated through management fees on the EUR 275M fund, with future upside from carried interest on successful exits.
The firm is jointly led by Managing Directors David Zimmer (Kellogg/WHU MBA; prior roles at T-Mobile International, Waterland, Altira, Quadriga Capital) and Christian Schulte (WHU Diplom-Kaufmann; prior founder of econia AG and Blue Lion mobile; roles at Sapient, DEXIA, T-Mobile), supported by CFO Sven Hentschel, a Chair of the Advisory Board (Jens Rassloff, ex-KPMG), and an investment team with dedicated life science specialists. Go-to-market is anchored on direct deal sourcing via European conference presence (Slush, Bits & Pretzels, VivaTech, RuhrSummit), proprietary content (the 'Coffee with coparion' podcast launched March 2024), and a curated co-investor network vetted on track record, financial strength, and sector expertise.
coparion firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- coparion
- Legal name
- coparion GmbH & Co. KG
- Website
- https://coparion.vc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- coparion is a Cologne-based venture capital fund providing growth financing of EUR 0.5–8 million per round (up to EUR 15 million per company) to young German technology companies, anchored by ERP-Sondervermögen, KfW Capital, and the European Investment Bank across a EUR 275 million fund.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
coparion industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Business Services (B2B) Growth Equity (FSANACAD)
Keywords
Where coparion is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cologne
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
coparion business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Fund Management: coparion operates as a venture capital fund generating returns through carried interest and management fees from the EUR 275 million fund.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
coparion product offering
Product offeringCore offering
coparion is a EUR 275 million German venture capital fund that invests growth capital of EUR 0.5-8 million per round (up to EUR 15 million per company across multiple rounds) into young, growth-phase German technology companies with early commercial traction such as revenues, key accounts, or successful product launches. Investments are made exclusively alongside private co-investors on pari passu terms, and the fund supplements capital with networking, team-building guidance, and exit preparation support without intervening in day-to-day operations.
Product overview
Coparion is a German venture capital fund focused on young technology companies. As a VC firm, its core offering is investment capital and partnership services rather than a traditional software product. The firm deploys up to €15 million per company across multiple financing rounds (€0.5-8 million per round) and provides portfolio companies with networking, strategic guidance, and operational support. Coparion is sector-agnostic (investing across all technology sectors except EIB-excluded activities) and co-invests exclusively with private investors at pari passu terms. The firm is backed by ERP-Sondervermögen, KfW Capital, and EIB with a fund size of €275 million and 30+ years of combined team experience.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Growth Equity Financing (coparion VC Fund) Growth-stage equity capital of EUR 0.5-8 million per round and up to EUR 15 million per company across multiple rounds, exclusively into young German-headquartered technology companies that already show commercial traction such as revenues, key accounts or a successful product launch, invested pari passu alongside private co-investors.
- Non-Operational Portfolio Support Services Non-operational value-add support to portfolio companies covering introductions to investors (national and international), introductions to potential partners and customers, support on personnel structure and hiring, expert matchmaking for specific challenges, and guidance on preparing the company for an eventual exit.
- Co-Investor Partnership Program Pari passu co-investment partnership with private investors (national and international) in every coparion financing round, with co-investors assessed on track record, financial resources, sector expertise, hands-on capability and reputation.
Quantifiable outcome
- EUR 15 million maximum investment per company
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use coparion
Customer profileNamed customers51 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
coparion technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
coparion partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
coparion competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- HV Capital: Cologne-based German growth-stage investor (formerly Holtzbrinck Ventures) with a similar investment size and focus on German/European tech companies. Closest geographic and stage peer to coparion.
- Earlybird Venture Capital: One of the largest and longest-established German/European early- and growth-stage VC firms. Directly comparable to coparion in terms of stage focus, pan-European orientation from a German base, and backing of deep-tech and digital startups.
- Project A Ventures: Berlin-based early-stage German VC with comparable fund size and operational support model, focusing on German tech startups with strong founder teams. Directly comparable in stage, geography, and ticket size.
- Acton Capital Partners: Munich-based growth-stage investor focusing on European tech-enabled companies. Comparable in stage, German domicile, and growth-equity approach to coparion's portfolio.
- High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF): Germany's leading seed-stage public-private VC fund backed by the German government. Comparable as a publicly-backed German tech investor, though earlier in stage than coparion.
- Speedinvest: European early-stage VC with sector-focused funds across fintech, deeptech, and industrial tech. Comparable in stage and tech focus, though pan-European rather than Germany-only.
- Target Global: Berlin-based early- and growth-stage investor with deep German tech ecosystem presence. Comparable in stage, geography, and tech focus to coparion.
- Creandum: Leading European early-stage VC with strong German/Nordic tech portfolio. Comparable in stage and European tech focus, though with broader geographic mandate.
- btov Partners: European VC firm with operations in Germany and Switzerland, focusing on digital and deep-tech startups. Comparable in stage, tech focus, and DACH orientation.
Regional players
- NRW.BANK Venture Fund: State-backed German VC fund focused on North Rhine-Westphalia-based companies. Comparable as a German public-sector-backed tech investor, though with a regional rather than national mandate.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
coparion social profiles
Digital presencecoparion financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
coparion leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles20 records
coparion funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
coparion M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments99 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about coparion
What does coparion do?
coparion is a EUR 275 million German venture capital fund that invests growth capital of EUR 0.5-8 million per round (up to EUR 15 million per company across multiple rounds) into young, growth-phase German technology companies with early commercial traction such as revenues, key accounts, or successful product launches. Investments are made exclusively alongside private co-investors on pari passu terms, and the fund supplements capital with networking, team-building guidance, and exit preparation support without intervening in day-to-day operations.
Is coparion a public or private company?
coparion is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was coparion founded?
coparion was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is coparion based?
coparion is headquartered in Cologne, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does coparion make money?
One revenue line is on record: fund Management.
Who are coparion's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are HV Capital, Earlybird Venture Capital, Project A Ventures, Acton Capital Partners, High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), Speedinvest, Target Global, Creandum and btov Partners. NRW.BANK Venture Fund is listed as a regional player.
Does coparion have an API?
No public API is recorded for coparion.
What industry is coparion in?
coparion's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANACAD, Business Services (B2B) Growth Equity. Its NAICS code is 523.