About HHLA Next
HHLA Next is a venture capital firm founded in 2021. It is primarily based out of Hamburg, Germany. As of Sep 2023, HHLA Next has invested in 4 companies. It primarily invests in Series A round in Germany based startups. Its investments are spread across a wide range of sectors from High Tech to Auto Tech and Enterprise Applications. Most recently it participated in the $***** Series A round of Fernride Overall, HHLA Next portfolio has seen 1 acquisition, namely Fernride. A lot of funds co-invest with HHLA Next, with names like 10x Founders sharing a substantial percentage of its portfolio. HHLA Next has team of 17 people including 3 partners.HHLA Next's List of All Investments
HHLA Next has a portfolio of 4 companies. Their most notable investmentis in FernrideTheir portfolio spans across and Germany. They have invested in High Tech, Auto Tech, Enterprise Applications and 3 other sectors, across stages such as Series A stage. Here is the list of all investments by HHLA Next:
1. Fernride
Developer of autonomous driving platform for container terminals and yard operations. The platform automates cargo movement in container terminals, manufacturing facilities, and distribution centers. It enhances container movement efficiency and safety in mixed-traffic operations. The platform reduces risks and frees up personnel with unmanned vehicles. It optimizes yard operations, reducing idle time, eliminating inefficiencies, and boosting productivity. The autonomous trucks automate cargo movements between ports, facilities, and logistics hubs.
Key facts about Fernride
- Founded Year: 2019
- Location: Munich (Germany)
- Stage: Acquired
- Total Funding till date: $87.4M
- Employee Count: 11 as on Dec 31, 2020
- Investors: 10x Group, 10X Capital and 20 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series A, Sep 04, 2025, $*****
- Highlight: Acquired
2. HHLA Sky
Provider of drone fleet management systems. It offers an industrial drone fleet including models for surveillance, heavy payload delivery, and long-distance operations. It provides automated drone charging infrastructure for autonomous operations across ports and urban environments.
Key facts about HHLA Sky
3. Spherie
Key facts about Spherie
- Founded Year: 2016
- Location: Hamburg (Germany)
- Stage: Funding Raised
- Investors: Drone Fund, Swiss ICT Investor Club and 1 Other
4. Modility
Offers booking & brokerage platform for intermodal transportation. The platform enables users to book road & rail, transport operators. To book the service users have to register in the platform by informing destination address and plan the requirements based on freight weight, units, dates, etc.
Key facts about Modility
HHLA Next's Year-on-Year Investment Trends
HHLA Next has invested in 4 companies over the last 3 years, with an average of 0 new investment annually in the last 3 years. Its most recent first time investment was in Fernride and most recent follow-on round was in Fernride.HHLA Next's Investments by Stage
HHLA Next has made 1 investment in Series A stage with an average round size of $31M.HHLA Next's Investments by Sector
HHLA Next has a diverse portfolio, with companies operating in the Auto Tech, Consumer, Enterprise Applications, High Tech and Transportation and Logistics Tech. Notably, it has invested in 4 Enterprise (B2B) companies, 4 Software companies, 4 Tech companies and at least 2 companies focusing on Tech hardware.Sector | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Auto Tech | 1 |
Consumer | 1 |
Enterprise Applications | 1 |
High Tech | 1 |
Transportation and Logistics Tech | 1 |
Others | 1 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
HHLA Next's Investments by Geography
HHLA Next has made most investments in Germany (1).HHLA Next's recent investments
HHLA Next has not made any investment in 2026 so far.Here are the most recent investments by HHLA Next:
Filter this listDate | Company | Location | Round Details | Round Amount | Co-Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sep 20, 2023 | Germany | Series A | 8885 | [+10] | |
Jun 13, 2023 | Germany | Series A | 9747 | [+7] |
Acquired companies in HHLA Next's Portfolio
1 company from HHLA Next's portfolio has been acquired. The most recent acquisition were Fernride in Dec 2025 by Quantum Systems.Here are HHLA Next's portfolio companies that got acquired most recently:
Company | Acquisition Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dec 17, 2025 | Jun 13, 2023 | Series A | 7380 |
Team profile of HHLA Next
HHLA Next has a team of 17 members including 3 Partners, 6 Venture Partners and 5 Principals located in Germany. HHLA Next's team does not sit on the board of any company as of now.Here is a list of top team members in HHLA Next:
Name | Designation | Location | Board Memberships | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Partner | Hamburg | - | - | |
Partner | Hamburg | - | - | |
Partner | Hamburg | - | - | |
Venture Partner | Hamburg | - | - | |
Venture Partner | Hamburg | - | - | |
Venture Partner | Hamburg | - | - | |
Venture Partner | Hamburg | - | - | |
Venture Partner | Hamburg | - | - | |
Venture Partner | Hamburg | - | ||
Principal | Hamburg | - | - | |
Principal | Germany | - |
Co-investors of HHLA Next
Over the past 3 years, 18 investors have co-invested in HHLA Next's portfolio companies. This includes funds and angels.
- Invested before HHLA Next: Schenker Ventures, Promus Ventures and 6 others have invested in rounds before HHLA Next. There is 1 company where Schenker Ventures has invested before HHLA Next and 1 company where Promus Ventures has invested before HHLA Next.
- Top Co-investors of HHLA Next: 4 investors entered a company along with HHLA Next. These include investors like 10x Founders (1 company).
- Invested after HHLA Next: A total of 6 investors have invested in HHLA Next's portfolio after their investments. Top Investors include DeepTech & Climate Fonds (1 company), Munich Re (1 company) and Bayern Kapital (1 company).
Recent News related to HHLA Next
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Fernride Raises $50M in Series A FundingFinSMEs•Sep 21, 2023•Fernride, DeepTech & Climate Fonds, Munich Re, Bayern Kapital and 9 others
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Autonomous electric truck startup Fernride raises $31 million in Series A fundingRobotics and Automation News•Aug 06, 2023•Fernride, 10x Founders, Promus Ventures, Fly Ventures and 4 others
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HHLA launches new app in bid for more digitalisationFIGHT HOUSE Management Gülzow•Jul 20, 2023•HHLA Next
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FERNRIDE raises $31 million to scale operations and advance its teleoperated trucking platformTech.eu•Jun 13, 2023•Fernride, 10x Founders, Promus Ventures, Fly Ventures and 6 others
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Developing autonomous logistics technologies, FERNRIDE received an investment of 29 million eurosegirisim•Jun 13, 2023•Fernride, 10x Founders, Promus Ventures, Fly Ventures and 7 others
