What b.value AG does

b.value AG is a private venture capital firm (Aktiengesellschaft) headquartered in Dortmund, Germany, that specializes in early-stage DeepTech investments within the European D-A-CH region. The firm acquires minority stakes in Pre-Seed and Seed-phase startups developing proprietary, protected technologies in two core verticals: biotechnology (precision fermentation, sustainable chemicals, food/feed, life science methods, cell culture, regenerative medicine) and new materials (high-performance coated fibers, bio-based plastics and leather alternatives, advanced sensors, semiconductor interconnection materials). Its stated investment thesis rests on three pillars: talented founders, scalable business models, and disruptive protected technologies. b.value AG invests cooperatively alongside other co-investors to mitigate risk and pool resources, focusing on the D-A-CH region for deal sourcing.

The firm's competitive positioning is built on a team of PhD natural scientists with collectively over 25 years of entrepreneurial experience building and leading biotech and HighTech companies, enabling proprietary "under the hood" technology evaluation that goes beyond typical investment due diligence. The current portfolio of nine companies spans b.fab (CO2-based bioprocesses via artificial photosynthesis), Cellbricks (bioprinting of in-vitro models and implants), Cultimate Foods (cultivated fat ingredient), FibreCoat (high-performance coated fibers for composites), FluIDect (real-time microorganism analysis), Nano-Join (semiconductor sintering pasts), PL BioScience (human platelet lysate for cell culture), Revoltech (plant-based leather alternatives), and traceless (bio-based plastic alternatives). Several portfolio companies hold filed or granted patents underpinning their core technologies. The firm is led by a two-person Vorstand (Dr. Georg Lentzen and Peter Kallien), supported by senior investment managers and an Aufsichtsrat providing strategic oversight.

Revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed; as a private investment firm, b.value AG generates returns through equity appreciation, capital gains, and carried interest from portfolio exits rather than product sales or licensing. The firm operates from a single office at the Biomedizin Zentrum (BMZ) in Dortmund and maintains a small 1–10 employee headcount, consistent with a focused, thesis-driven early-stage investment operation rather than a scaled fund manager.

Name

b.value AG

Legal name

b.value AG

Website

https://bvalue-ag.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

b.value AG is a Dortmund-based DeepTech venture capital firm that acquires minority stakes in Pre-Seed and Seed-phase biotechnology and new materials startups across the D-A-CH region, combining PhD-level scientific due diligence with co-investor partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

DeepTech Venture Capital

NAICS

Other Financial Vehicles (52599), Other Financial Vehicles (525990)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Strategic Partnership & Ecosystem Investment Arms (FSANAHAF)

Keywords

• Venture capital investing
• Deep tech startups
• Biotechnology investments
• Seed stage funding
• New materials startups

Headquarters

HQ city

Dortmund

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Capital gains and equity returns: As a DeepTech investment firm, b.value AG generates returns through equity appreciation, capital gains, and carried interest from successful exits of portfolio companies. The firm takes minority stakes in Pre-Seed and Seed-phase startups and supports them financially and strategically until exit.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

b.value AG is a venture capital firm that acquires minority equity stakes in Pre-Seed and Seed-stage DeepTech startups within the European D-A-CH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). The firm invests cooperatively alongside other co-investors in biotechnology (precision fermentation, sustainable chemicals, Food/Feed, LifeScience methods) and new materials startups, providing both financial capital and strategic support including access to a network of industry experts, scientists, investors, and political decision-makers.

Product overview

b.value AG is a venture capital firm (not a product company) offering investment services in DeepTech startups. The company acquires minority stakes in early-stage biotechnology companies (including precision fermentation, sustainable chemicals, food/feed, and LifeScience methods) and new materials startups. The investment approach focuses on talented founders, scalable business models, and disruptive protected technologies. b.value AG provides strategic guidance, access to an extensive network of industry experts, scientists, investors, and policymakers, and co-invests alongside other investors in the D-A-CH region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• b.value AG Investment Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Portfolio companies have achieved significant milestones including Series A (€7.8M for PL BioScience), Series B (€20M for FibreCoat), EIC Accelerator funding (€2.5M for FluIDect), and international recognition including Prism Award 2025

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DewCell BiotherapeuticscoreTechnology or Integration · 8 May 2025PL BioScience (a b.value portfolio company) partnered with the Korean biotech company DewCell Biotherapeutics to develop the world's first artificial human platelet lysate (HPL). DewCell is the first company to produce artificial blood platelets from stem cells in a reactor. Under the collaboration, the product is manufactured in Germany using raw material from DewCell, offering a scalable, safe, and animal-free alternative to fetal bovine serum (FBS) and conventional HPL.
• Hatch Blue CREST AcceleratorminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2024b.fab GmbH (a b.value portfolio company) was selected by Hatch Blue for the CREST Accelerator program. Over 4 months, the b.fab team participates in an intensive program across some of the world's most dynamic aquaculture centers in Hawaii, Norway, and Singapore/Vietnam, learning about the industry's challenges and connecting with renowned aquaculture experts.
• MondicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2024traceless materials (a b.value portfolio company) entered a strategic partnership with Mondi, a globally leading packaging and paper manufacturer with 22,000 employees across more than 30 countries, to drive large-scale application of traceless® — a novel natural plastic alternative — across the paper industry. Mondi generated €7.3 billion in revenue in 2023. The partnership aims to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and decrease unnecessary plastic waste while ensuring recyclability in existing paper recycling cycles.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Capnamic Ventures: Early-stage German tech VC investing across D-A-CH in software and technology-enabled businesses. Already a co-investor alongside b.value AG in portfolio companies (e.g., SenseUP), making it a direct comparable in D-A-CH early-stage tech investing with similar deal sizes and structure.
• High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF): One of Germany's largest Seed-stage DeepTech investors, with a heavy focus on biotech, chemicals, and advanced materials. Directly comparable to b.value AG in stage focus (Pre-Seed/Seed), sector focus (industrial biotech, materials), and D-A-CH geography, but with substantially more capital under management.
• MIG Capital: Munich-based VC manager focused on German/Austrian life sciences and DeepTech early-stage investments. Closely comparable to b.value AG in life sciences specialization, minority-stake Seed/early-stage strategy, and D-A-CH regional focus.
• Rockstart: Dutch early-stage accelerator and VC with a focus on agritech, energy, and emerging technologies. Active co-investor in b.value portfolio companies (SenseUP) and operates with comparable early-stage, sustainability-focused investment thesis across Europe.
• Better Ventures: Munich-based early-stage VC focused on technology-driven impact investments, particularly in industrial tech and sustainability. Directly comparable as a D-A-CH early-stage investor with biotech/tech thesis, and has co-invested with b.value AG in PL BioScience.
• Bayern Kapital: German regional VC fund manager investing Seed-to-growth in technology and life sciences across Bavaria and D-A-CH. Comparable early-stage DeepTech/biotech focus and minority-stake approach, though with broader sector mandate and larger fund vehicles.

Broad incumbents

• Wellington Partners: European venture capital firm with deep-tech and life-sciences investment focus across Germany and broader Europe. Comparable in D-A-CH geographic orientation and technology focus, but historically invested at later stages than b.value's Pre-Seed/Seed specialty.
• Forbion: Major European life sciences VC firm with multi-stage investments in biotech/healthcare. Comparable in life-sciences focus and European orientation, but operates at much larger scale (growth and later stages) with broader sector mandate than b.value's early-stage focus.

Regional players

• NRW.BANK Venture Center: German state-backed bank providing venture capital financing in North Rhine-Westphalia, including Dortmund (where b.value is based). Comparable in providing early-stage capital to D-A-CH startups, particularly in NRW, but operates as a public-sector investor rather than independent DeepTech specialist.
• Investitions- und Förderbank Niedersachsen (NBank): German regional development bank providing venture capital to Lower Saxony startups, comparable in regional German public-sector VC mandate and early-stage ticket sizes, though with broader sector mandate than b.value's biotech/materials specialization.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/20078771

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments13 records

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

Frequently asked questions about b.value AG