G+J Digital Ventures

G+J Digital Ventures is a corporate venture fund established at the end of 2015 by German media groups Gruner + Jahr and the Bertelsmann Group, based in Berlin. The fund encompassed a volume of EUR 50 million composed of a combination of cash and media investment, and was led by Managing Directors Nicolas J. Kirschner and Beate Koch. The firm focused on scalable early-stage digital companies in e-commerce, healthtech, and software that had already demonstrated an initial proof of market, making six investments at the seed and Series A stages. G+J Digital Ventures invested between $1 million and $3 million per company, providing portfolio companies not only with capital but also access to Gruner + Jahr's considerable digital and print media reach and the global network of the Bertelsmann Group. Portfolio companies included InstaMotion (automotive e-commerce), Bring! Labs (a shopping app), Pamono (a design marketplace), Makerist (DIY and crafting platform), and Temedica (healthtech). The fund achieved three portfolio exits, including InstaMotion, which exited in July 2024. The fund operated across Europe with investments individually adapted to each venture's needs, reflecting the media group's preference for companies at the intersection of digital consumer behavior and scalable technology. Following the merger of Gruner + Jahr into RTL Deutschland in 2021, Beate Koch moved to RTL Ventures. The fund made its last recorded investment in March 2021 and effectively ceased new investment activity as a result of the broader Gruner + Jahr and RTL Deutschland reorganization.