Europe has taken a significant step towards enhancing its ability to translate scientific research into commercial success with the launch of the €60 million Fund I by U2V, or University2Ventures. This Berlin-based firm aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry by investing in pre-seed and seed-stage deeptech spin-offs, focusing on sectors such as artificial intelligence, novel computing, industrial technology, and cleantech.
U2V plans to make up to 25 investments, targeting innovations that have potential but often remain confined to laboratories. With a mission to foster Europe’s technological sovereignty, U2V seeks to provide capital, establish corporate partnerships, and accelerate the path to market for these groundbreaking technologies.
Building on Proven Success
The founding team of U2V, comprising Philipp Semmer, Michael Schmitt, and Johannes Triebs, brings over 30 years of combined venture capital experience. They previously led Earlybird-X, a pioneering fund in Europe focused on deep tech spin-offs. Motivated by the challenges faced in commercialising research, the team launched U2V in 2025, aiming to empower scientists to become entrepreneurs and create a robust ecosystem for deeptech innovation.
“Europe is world-class at creating scientific breakthroughs, but still struggles to turn them into global companies,” stated Dr. Philipp Semmer, Founding Partner at U2V. He added, “With U2V, we’re fostering a substantial change here: we help scientists become entrepreneurs, linking research, capital, and corporate partners to build Europe’s next generation of category-defining deeptech startups.”
U2V’s strategy leverages access to Europe’s leading technology universities, including TU Munich, ETH Zurich, Oxford, and Cambridge. The firm also collaborates with over 500 corporate partners to facilitate structured pilots and validation for the startups they support. This early industry connection is crucial, as it provides the customer traction that many early-stage deeptech companies often lack.
“Our industrial network gives founders what most early deep tech startups lack: direct access to customers and real-world validation,” explained Dr. Johannes Triebs, another Founding Partner at U2V. “Whether it’s an AI application or a carbon-capture process – we connect technology to traction.”
Examining Diversity and Future Plans
While U2V positions itself as a leader in deeptech investment, questions arise about its diversity strategy. When inquired, the firm responded, “The U2V team unites scientific, technical, and commercial expertise built over more than 30 years in venture investing, plus young talent. This diverse background enables us to back a wide spectrum of entrepreneurs and channel capital into diverse, deeptech startups. As we continue to bring new investment talent on board, we remain committed to further strengthening the diversity of our team.”
Looking ahead, U2V aims to establish itself as Europe’s premier platform for deeptech spin-offs. The firm has garnered support from limited partners, including Jungheinrich’s Uplift Ventures, family offices, and serial founders. U2V intends to identify and nurture the next wave of deeptech successes, building on its previous portfolio, which includes companies like Quantum Diamonds, Greenlyte, and Twaice.
The partners at U2V have a proven track record, having backed over 50 startups and achieving more than 10 successful exits through their earlier funds, including Earlybird-X and Motu Ventures. As U2V embarks on this new chapter, the firm is poised to play a pivotal role in reshaping Europe’s deeptech landscape.
