About IFB Innovationsstarter
IFB Innovationsstarter is a venture capital firm founded in 2011. It is primarily based out of Hamburg, Germany. As of May 2026, IFB Innovationsstarter is an active investor, having invested in 276 companies, with 3 new investments in the last 12 months. It primarily invests in Seed round in Germany based startups. Its investments are spread across a wide range of sectors from Enterprise Applications to High Tech and Consumer. Most recently it participated in the $***** Series A round of eleQtron Overall, IFB Innovationsstarter portfolio has seen 5 IPOs and 16 acquisitions including key companies like Familo, Protembis and Class 5 Photonics. A lot of funds co-invest with IFB Innovationsstarter, with names like HTGF sharing a substantial percentage of its portfolio. IFB Innovationsstarter has team of 26 people including 1 partners.Key Metrics
Team Members
Portfolio Count
Portfolio Sectors
Rounds of Entry
Seed, Series A & 2 more
Portfolio IPOs
Portfolio Acquisitions
Portfolio Soonicorns
Deals in last 12 months
IFB Innovationsstarter's List of Top Investments
IFB Innovationsstarter has a portfolio of 276 companies. Their most notable investments are in Mom Hunting and Cflox.Their portfolio spans across Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom and 2 more locations. They have invested in Enterprise Applications, High Tech, Consumer and 35 other sectors, across stages such as Seed, Series A and 2 more. Here is the list of top investments by IFB Innovationsstarter:
Network providing data collection and monetization for mapping and AI. It incentivizes users to map surroundings using cameras on smartphones or vehicles. The data collected powers physical artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, and advanced map creation. The technology enables cameras to become artificial intelligence-powered sensors. It employs anonymization technology to ensure data is free of personal information.
Key facts about NATIX Network
- Founded Year: 2019
- Location: Hamburg (Germany)
- Stage: Series A
- Total Funding till date: $8.1M
- Employee Count: 37 as on Jun 30, 2026
- Investors: Digital Currency Group, WAGMI Ventures and 25 Others
- Latest Funding Round: ICO, Jul 02, 2024, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
2. Nect
Nect provides solutions for identity verification. The product offered by the company includes card i dent and self i dent. The features offered by the product are ID scans, validation, user journey and digital remote identification. It also encrypts data traffic using SSL standard and provide protection from hackers.
Key facts about Nect
- Founded Year: 2017
- Location: Hamburg (Germany)
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $2.7M
- Employee Count: 103 as on Jun 30, 2026
- Investors: Round2 Capital Partners, Alstin Capital and 8 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Mar 25, 2025, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
3. eleQtron
Manufacturer of computers for quantum computing. It provides users with building computers that use quantum bits or qubits to perform various computations and to process information. Its features include computing calculations, system management, and operating quantum computing equipment.
Key facts about eleQtron
4. Kubermatic
Solution to deploy and manage multiple container clusters. The company offers a Kubernetes Platform to automate operations of Kubernetes clusters across multi cloud, on prem, and edge environments. It also enables users to automate deployment and full cluster lifecycle management.
Key facts about Kubermatic
- Founded Year: 2015
- Location: Hamburg (Germany)
- Stage: Seed
- Total Funding till date: $8.3M
- Employee Count: 59 as on Jun 30, 2026
- Investors: Nauta Capital, b2venture and 5 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Seed, Jan 18, 2022, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
5. Plancraft
Streamlining workflows for tradespeople via cloud-based software. The company offers a platform designed to manage all aspects of a trade business, from creating quotes and invoices to tracking time and managing projects. Features include a digital project folder, time tracking, communication tools, and automated work instructions. The platform aims to reduce administrative tasks, allowing tradespeople to focus on their core work. It provides tools for efficient project planning, cost tracking, and client communication, all accessible from various devices. The software also facilitates seamless collaboration between office and field teams.
Key facts about Plancraft
IFB Innovationsstarter's Year-on-Year Investment Trends
IFB Innovationsstarter has invested in 276 companies over the last 12 years, with an average of 4 new investments annually in the last 10 years. In 2025, it made 4 investments, while as of May 2026, it has made 2 investments in this year. Its most recent first time investment was in eleQtron and most recent follow-on round was in 3D Spark.Year | No. of Investments | ||
|---|---|---|---|
1st Round | Follow-on | Total | |
2026 (YTD) | 2 | 0 | 2 |
2025 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
2024 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
2023 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
2022 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
2021 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
2020 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
2019 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
2018 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
2017 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
IFB Innovationsstarter's Investments by Stage
IFB Innovationsstarter has made 30 investments in Seed stage with an average round size of $1.74M, 9 investments in Series A stage with an average round size of $20.7M, 4 investments in Grant (prize money) stage with an average round size of $84.7K and 1 investment in Series B stage with an average round size of $5.42M.Stage of entry | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Seed | 30 |
Series A | 9 |
Grant (prize money) | 4 |
Series B | 1 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
IFB Innovationsstarter's Investments by Sector
IFB Innovationsstarter has a diverse portfolio, with companies operating in the Enterprise Applications, High Tech, HealthTech, Sustainability Tech and Industrial Goods and Manufacturing. Notably, it has invested in 202 Tech companies, 159 Enterprise (B2B) companies, 126 Software companies and at least 88 companies focusing on Consumer (B2C).Sector | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Enterprise Applications | 13 |
High Tech | 10 |
HealthTech | 8 |
Sustainability Tech | 7 |
Industrial Goods and Manufacturing | 6 |
Others | 49 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
IFB Innovationsstarter's Investments by Geography
IFB Innovationsstarter has made most investments in Germany (44).IFB Innovationsstarter's recent investments
IFB Innovationsstarter has made 2 investments in 2026 so far - eleQtron and DealCircle.Here are the most recent investments by IFB Innovationsstarter:
Filter this listDate | Company | Location | Round Details | Round Amount | Co-Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
May 05, 2026 | Germany | Series A | 5999 | [+5] | |
Jan 14, 2026 | Germany | Series A | 6425 | [+2] | |
Sep 24, 2025 | Germany | Series A | 1634 | [+8] | |
May 05, 2025 | Germany | Seed | 6861 | [+1] | |
Mar 26, 2025 | Germany | Seed | 2642 | [+5] |
IPOs and Publicly Listed companies in IFB Innovationsstarter's Portfolio
5 of IFB Innovationsstarter's portfolio companies have become public.Here are IFB Innovationsstarter's portfolio companies that went public:
Company | IPO Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
- | - | - | 7320 | |
- | - | - | 5052 | |
- | Jul 28, 2015 | Seed | 3879 | |
- | - | - | 7488 | |
- | - | - | 2680 |
Acquired companies in IFB Innovationsstarter's Portfolio
16 companies from IFB Innovationsstarter's portfolio have been acquired. The most recent acquisition was Class 5 Photonics in May 2026 by Light Conversion for $*****.Here are IFB Innovationsstarter's portfolio companies that got acquired most recently:
Company | Acquisition Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
May 19, 2026 | - | - | 5951 | |
Jan 27, 2026 | - | - | 2803 | |
Jun 26, 2024 | Apr 07, 2021 | Series A | 5821 | |
Jun 18, 2024 | - | - | 2747 | |
Dec 13, 2023 | - | - | 9800 |
Team profile of IFB Innovationsstarter
IFB Innovationsstarter has a team of 26 members including 1 Partner and 13 Principals located in Germany. IFB Innovationsstarter's team does not sit on the board of any company as of now.Here is a list of top team members in IFB Innovationsstarter:
Name | Designation | Location | Board Memberships | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Partner | Hamburg | - | ||
Principal | Hamburg | - | ||
Principal | Hamburg | - | ||
Principal | Berlin | - | ||
Principal | Hamburg | - | - | |
Principal | - | - | ||
Principal | Hamburg | - | ||
Principal | Hamburg | - | ||
Principal | Hamburg | - | ||
Principal | Hamburg | - | ||
Principal | Hamburg | - |
Co-investors of IFB Innovationsstarter
Over the past 12 years, 104 investors have co-invested in IFB Innovationsstarter's portfolio companies. This includes funds and angels.
- Invested before IFB Innovationsstarter: HTGF, Earlybird and 18 others have invested in rounds before IFB Innovationsstarter. There are 2 companies where HTGF has invested before IFB Innovationsstarter and 1 company where Earlybird has invested before IFB Innovationsstarter.
- Top Co-investors of IFB Innovationsstarter: 59 investors entered a company along with IFB Innovationsstarter. These include investors like HTGF (16 companies).
- Invested after IFB Innovationsstarter: A total of 25 investors have invested in IFB Innovationsstarter's portfolio after their investments. Top Investors include Creandum (1 company), Headline (1 company) and ZEISS (1 company).
Recent News related to IFB Innovationsstarter
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Holy Technologies Receives 4.3 Million Euros in Funding RoundHamburg-Startups•Sep 24, 2025•Holy, EIT Manufacturing, IFB Innovationsstarter, Rockstart and 1 other
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3D Spark Secures €2M to Expand AI-Powered Manufacturing Platform3D Printing Industry•May 07, 2025•3D Spark, Triple Fair, FTTF, IFB Innovationsstarter
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2 million euros for 3D Spark in a new seed roundHamburg-Startups•May 05, 2025•3D Spark, Triple Fair, FTTF, IFB Innovationsstarter
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Hamburg-based mo:re Secures €2.3Million in Seed FundingStartup Rise EU•Mar 26, 2025•Mo:re, HTGF, IFB Innovationsstarter, Gilson and 3 others
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COLIPI lands $1.94M in seed funding for bio-based oilsBiofuels Digest•Feb 13, 2024•COLIPI, HTGF, IFB Innovationsstarter, Nidobirds Venture
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