German Startups Group
The German Startups Group (SGT German Private Equity GmbH & Co. KGaA) is a Frankfurt-based venture capital firm investing in growth and early-stage German and European startups. Returns come from capital gains on portfolio exits spanning e-commerce, fintech, mobility, and digital media.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What German Startups Group does
German Startups Group is the venture capital operating brand of SGT German Private Equity GmbH & Co. KGaA, a Frankfurt am Main-headquartered investment firm focused on growth and early-stage German and European technology startups. The firm invests directly in companies with proven traction and also acquires secondary shares from founders, business angels, and early-stage investors in more mature startups. It is managed by Christoph Gerlinger as Managing Director of German Startups Group Management GmbH, with investment activities conducted through German Startups Group VC GmbH in partnership with SGT German Private Equity Management GmbH.
The active portfolio spans e-commerce (Mister Spex, Armedangels, reBuy, Amorelie), food delivery (Delivery Hero), fintech and insurance (Scalable Capital, Friendsurance, Simplesurance, Thinksurance, CRX Markets), mobility (Wunder Mobility, eWings), digital media (SoundCloud, OneFootball, Fyber), online education (Lingoda), luxury marketplaces (Chrono24), and other tech-enabled businesses (Remerge, AuctionTech, Exozet, Fiagon, Customer Alliance, Pyreg, realbest). Revenue is generated through capital gains on portfolio exits — trade sales (Delivery Hero, Fyber, Chrono24, OneFootball, Lingoda, Amorelie, CRX Markets, Friendsurance, reBuy, Scalable Capital, Pyreg, realbest, eWings) and an IPO exit (Mister Spex) — making realized returns highly episodic and tied to portfolio realization events rather than recurring fees.
Corporate structure places SGT German Private Equity GmbH & Co. KGaA as the publicly-registered legal parent (formerly listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under ticker fra:PGH and now delisted), with German Startups Group VC GmbH as the core investment operating subsidiary and German Startups Group Management GmbH as the wholly-owned management entity. The firm operates from Bockenheimer Landstraße 47, Frankfurt am Main, with a staff count of 11-50, and pursues outreach through its corporate website, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
German Startups Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- German Startups Group
- Legal name
- SGT German Private Equity GmbH & Co. KGaA
- Website
- https://german-startups.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The German Startups Group (SGT German Private Equity GmbH & Co. KGaA) is a Frankfurt-based venture capital firm investing in growth and early-stage German and European startups. Returns come from capital gains on portfolio exits spanning e-commerce, fintech, mobility, and digital media.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
German Startups Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Other Financial Vehicles (52599)
- SIC
- Investors, Nec (6799)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA), Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)
Keywords
Where German Startups Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
German Startups Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Investment Returns and Capital Gains: As a venture capital and private equity investor, German Startups Group generates returns through capital gains from successful portfolio company exits, including IPOs (Mister Spex) and trade sales (Delivery Hero, Fyber, Chrono24, OneFootball, Amorelie, Lingoda, CRX Markets, Friendsurance, reBuy, Scalable Capital, Pyreg, realbest, eWings). They invest in startups and generate returns upon exit.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Marketing channels4 records
German Startups Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
German Startups Group is a private venture capital and private equity firm that invests in German startups across growth and early stages. The firm provides growth capital through primary investments and acquires secondary shares from founders, business angels, and early-stage investors, targeting companies with disruptive products, scalable business models, and proven traction in digital sectors including e-commerce, fintech, mobility technology, media, and enterprise software.
Product overview
German Startups Group is a German venture capital and private equity firm that invests in startups at various growth stages (early stage and growth stage). The company does not offer a unified technology product or platform; rather, it operates as an investment vehicle managing a portfolio of holdings in digital startups across diverse sectors including e-commerce, fintech, mobility technology, media, and enterprise software. Its portfolio companies include Armedangels, AuctionTech, Chrono24, Delivery Hero, Exozet, Fiagon, Friendsurance, Fyber, Lingoda, Mister Spex, OneFootball, reBuy, Remerge, Scalable Capital, Simplesurance, SoundCloud, Wunder Mobility, Amorelie, CRX Markets, Customer Alliance, eWings, Pyreg, realbest, and Thinksurance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use German Startups Group
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
German Startups Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
German Startups Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
German Startups Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Target Global: Berlin-based early- and growth-stage VC investing across European tech, frequently co-investing in German startups. Comparable venture mandate and stage focus to German Startups Group.
- HV Capital (formerly Holtzbrinck Ventures): Frankfurt-based lead VC investing across early and growth stages in German/European tech. Overlapping investor in several portfolio companies (e.g., Scalable Capital) with German Startups Group, making it a directly comparable peer.
- Speedinvest: Vienna-based European early-stage VC with a strong DACH investment footprint and dedicated Germany-focused funds. Directly comparable in stage, geography, and sector focus.
- Cherry Ventures: Berlin-based pre-seed and seed VC investing in European tech, with a strong German deal pipeline. Comparable as a DACH-focused venture investor, although smaller and earlier-stage than German Startups Group.
- Rocket Internet: Berlin-headquartered venture builder and investor focused on internet/tech startups globally with strong German roots. Comparable as a German-headquartered, venture-focused investor with a public-market history (Frankfurt-listed).
- Earlybird Venture Capital: One of Germany's longest-standing early- and growth-stage VCs, headquartered in Berlin and investing across German and European tech - directly comparable to German Startups Group's German-focused mandate and stage focus.
- Acton Capital Partners: Munich-based growth-equity investor in digital economy businesses, often investing in German-speaking Europe. Comparable as a German-rooted investor with a venture/growth-stage mandate.
Broad incumbents
- Index Ventures: London/San Francisco- and Geneva-based global VC with a long track record in European tech (including German investments). Comparable as a broad incumbent, pan-European venture investor.
- Atomico: London-based global VC investing across European tech, including Germany. Comparable as a broad incumbent European VC, though typically at later stages and larger checks.
- Partech Partners: Paris-based global venture and growth firm with a DACH investment presence (Partech Germany). Comparable as a European VC with multi-stage investment capability, broader geographic reach than German Startups Group.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
German Startups Group social profiles
Digital presenceGerman Startups Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
German Startups Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
German Startups Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
German Startups Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
German Startups Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments55 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about German Startups Group
What does German Startups Group do?
German Startups Group is a private venture capital and private equity firm that invests in German startups across growth and early stages. The firm provides growth capital through primary investments and acquires secondary shares from founders, business angels, and early-stage investors, targeting companies with disruptive products, scalable business models, and proven traction in digital sectors including e-commerce, fintech, mobility technology, media, and enterprise software.
Is German Startups Group a public or private company?
German Startups Group is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was German Startups Group founded?
German Startups Group was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is German Startups Group based?
German Startups Group is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does German Startups Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: investment Returns and Capital Gains.
Who are German Startups Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Target Global, HV Capital (formerly Holtzbrinck Ventures), Speedinvest, Cherry Ventures, Rocket Internet, Earlybird Venture Capital and Acton Capital Partners. Broad incumbents are Index Ventures, Atomico and Partech Partners.
Does German Startups Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for German Startups Group.
What industry is German Startups Group in?
German Startups Group's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B), with a secondary code of FSANAAAA, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed). Its NAICS code is 52599 and its SIC code is 6799.