Loonshot
Loonshot Ventures is an Innsbruck-based micro-VC founded in 2023 that acts as lead investor in early-stage DACH startups in FMCG, AgroTech, FoodTech, and Digital Business Models, bundling €20k–€70k angel tickets behind its own position in rounds up to €500k.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersInnsbruck, Austria
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Loonshot does
Loonshot Ventures GmbH is an Austria-based micro-venture capital firm founded in 2023 and headquartered in Innsbruck, with a secondary office in Vienna. The firm was established by three founding partners — Bernhard-Stefan Müller (Managing Director/CEO), Hermann Schmidt, and Sebastian Scholda — to address a specific market friction in the DACH region: the absence of a credible lead investor in early-stage rounds up to €500,000, which causes fragmented cap tables when multiple small angels invest independently. Loonshot positions itself as that lead investor, typically targeting startups with valuations up to €5 million and bundling smaller co-investor tickets of €20,000–€70,000 behind its own position to deliver cleaner governance and risk diversification for participating angels.
The firm invests across four explicitly named verticals — FMCG, AgroTech, FoodTech, and Digital Business Models — in the DACH region. Its publicly disclosed portfolio comprises two investments to date: Rost, a Graz-based sparkling rosé wine cocktail startup (July 2023), and MUNAKRA, a Viennese urban gin distillery (December 2023). Both deals originated from or were amplified by appearances on the Puls4 TV show "2 Minutes 2 Million" and featured co-investors drawn from the show's investor panel. A mid-2023 strategic partnership with the Clever Clover FMCG accelerator extends deal origination into curated accelerator cohorts and adds sector expertise from accelerator leads Heinrich Prokop and Marie-Louise Vormanns. Loonshot's operating model is reinforced by integration with Tantum GmbH, the in-house company builder affiliated with two of the three founders, providing operational company-building support alongside capital.
Economically, Loonshot operates as a classic VC: revenue, when generated, would derive from management fees on a future fund vehicle and carried interest on successful portfolio exits. No fund size, AUM, or revenue figure is publicly disclosed. Distribution and talent differentiation come from the founders' prior affiliations (Tantum company builder, SII Ventures, Weilburg Family Office) and from privileged access to DACH retail (e.g., Billa) and premium hospitality (Park Hyatt, Rosewood Hotel) channels that portfolio companies can leverage for go-to-market. As of latest disclosed data, the firm had targeted 5–6 investments in 2023 and was actively negotiating additional deals, indicating early-stage portfolio build-out within a niche, high-conviction thesis.
Loonshot firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Loonshot
- Legal name
- Loonshot Ventures GmbH
- Website
- https://loonshot.vc
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Loonshot Ventures is an Innsbruck-based micro-VC founded in 2023 that acts as lead investor in early-stage DACH startups in FMCG, AgroTech, FoodTech, and Digital Business Models, bundling €20k–€70k angel tickets behind its own position in rounds up to €500k.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Loonshot industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital and Private Equity
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)
Keywords
Where Loonshot is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Innsbruck
- HQ country
- Austria
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Loonshot business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Investment Management: Loonshot Ventures generates revenue through management of bundled angel investments. They take the lead on investments and charge management fees for investment management services including lead management and investment development. Co-investors pay to participate in deals structured by Loonshot.
- Carried Interest/Success Fees: As a VC firm, Loonshot earns carried interest on successful portfolio company exits. They actively manage and boost investments expecting returns from equity appreciation and exit events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Co-investment ticket for angel investors |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Loonshot product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Loonshot Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests as lead investor in early-stage startups in the DACH region, focused on FMCG, AgroTech, FoodTech, and Digital Business Models with valuations up to €5 million and rounds up to €500,000. The firm bundles smaller angel co-investment tickets (€20,000–€70,000) behind its lead investment to create proper cap tables, and provides active portfolio company building support through its affiliated company builder Tantum and accelerator partner Clever Clover.
Product overview
Loonshot Ventures is a venture capital firm offering investment management services rather than a software product company. The core offering consists of startup scouting and due diligence services, investment management with co-investment opportunities (€20k-70k tickets), and cap table management through lead investment structures. The portfolio includes direct investments in FMCG startups like Rost (wine cocktail spritzers). The firm operates a strategic partnership with Clever Clover accelerator for startup development in the DACH region, focusing investments on AgroTech, FoodTech, FMCG, and Digital Business Models with valuations up to €5 million and funding rounds up to €500,000.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Investment Management Services Venture capital investment management services enabling co-investment opportunities with ticket sizes from €20,000 to €70,000, providing lead investment management and active portfolio company building support for early-stage startups.
- Startup Scouting and Due Diligence Active scouting, identification, and due diligence evaluation of promising early-stage startups in AgroTech, FoodTech, FMCG, and Digital Business Models sectors in the DACH region for potential investment.
- Cap Table Management via Lead Investment Lead investor service that bundles smaller angel tickets behind Loonshot Ventures to create cleaner cap tables for portfolio startups, enabling effective management of investment rounds up to €500,000.
Quantifiable outcome
- Risk diversification through smaller ticket sizes (20k-70k euros)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Loonshot
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Loonshot technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Loonshot partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Clever ClovercoreFMCG accelerator Clever Clover, led by Heinrich Prokop and Marie-Louise Vormanns, has partnered with Loonshot Ventures to improve the situation for startups in FMCG and AG sectors. The partnership enables joint development and financing of new ideas. Clever Clover brings over a decade of Austrian startup market shaping through network, experts, and investments. Together they create a win-win situation to develop and finance more startups with Clever Clover startups gaining a partner for future financing rounds.
- Tantum GmbHcoreCompany builder associated with Loonshot founding partners Bernhard-Stefan Müller and Hermann Schmidt. Provides company building capabilities and network support for portfolio companies. Loonshot can bring in boost via the in-house company builder Tantum for Clever Clover startups and other investments.
- Weilburg Family Office / Weilburg VenturescoreAssociated with founding partner Sebastian Scholda who is managing partner at Weilburg Family Office. Brings wealth management expertise and experience in management of large assets to Loonshot Ventures.
- SII VenturesminorAssociated with founding partner Hermann Schmidt who is a partner of SII Ventures alongside Tantum GmbH.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Loonshot competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Possible Ventures: Munich-based early-stage European VC investing in technology-enabled businesses. Comparable as a DACH-based lead investor at similar ticket sizes.
- b2venture: St. Gallen-based early-stage DACH VC focused on technology-enabled businesses. Comparable on geography, stage, and active lead-investor model.
- SquareOne Ventures: Berlin-based early-stage DACH VC focused on technology and digital business models. Comparable on geography and early-stage thesis overlap (digital business models is a Loonshot vertical).
- Speedinvest: Vienna-based early-stage DACH VC investing across consumer, fintech, and digital verticals. Directly comparable as a lead investor in the same geography and stage with overlapping thesis.
- HV Capital: Cologne-based early- and growth-stage DACH VC with broad sector coverage. Comparable on geography, stage, and the lead-investor role, though with significantly larger fund sizes.
- 42CAP: Munich-based early-stage VC investing in European B2B software and tech-enabled businesses. Comparable as a DACH early-stage lead investor.
- Cavalry Ventures: Berlin-based early-stage VC focused on European tech-enabled startups. Directly comparable on stage and lead-investor model, with similar ticket-size profiles.
Regional players
- aws Gründerfonds: Austrian state-backed early-stage VC operating only in Austria. Comparable as a regional lead investor with similar ticket sizes, though backed by public funds rather than private capital.
Emerging players
- Five Seasons Ventures: Paris-based early-stage VC focused exclusively on food-tech and FMCG. Directly comparable on the FMCG/FoodTech vertical specialization that Loonshot pursues in DACH.
- PeakBridge: FoodTech-focused early-stage VC with global reach. Comparable on FoodTech vertical focus and stage, providing a vertical-specialist counterpoint to Loonshot's DACH focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Loonshot social profiles
Digital presenceLoonshot financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Loonshot leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Loonshot funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Loonshot M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Loonshot
What does Loonshot do?
Loonshot Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests as lead investor in early-stage startups in the DACH region, focused on FMCG, AgroTech, FoodTech, and Digital Business Models with valuations up to €5 million and rounds up to €500,000. The firm bundles smaller angel co-investment tickets (€20,000–€70,000) behind its lead investment to create proper cap tables, and provides active portfolio company building support through its affiliated company builder Tantum and accelerator partner Clever Clover.
Is Loonshot a public or private company?
Loonshot is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Loonshot founded?
Loonshot was founded in -1.
Where is Loonshot based?
Loonshot is headquartered in Innsbruck, Austria, in the Europe region.
How does Loonshot make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Investment Management is the primary driver. The others are carried Interest/Success Fees.
Who are Loonshot's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Possible Ventures, b2venture, SquareOne Ventures, Speedinvest, HV Capital, 42CAP and Cavalry Ventures. aws Gründerfonds is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Five Seasons Ventures and PeakBridge.
Does Loonshot have an API?
No public API is recorded for Loonshot.
What industry is Loonshot in?
Loonshot's product category is Venture Capital and Private Equity. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B). Its NAICS code is 52394 and its SIC code is 6282.