Motu Ventures

Motu Ventures is a Berlin-based seed-stage venture capital fund founded in 2013 and led by General Partners Philipp Semmer and Michael Schmitt, the latter a former Engineering Director at Google. The firm invests in seed-stage deep-tech software companies across Europe, positioning itself as an active operator-partner that provides entrepreneurial guidance, a broad network, and hands-on coaching through the critical early phases. The fund name references the reef islets in Polynesia — formed by broken coral surrounding an atoll — as a metaphor for how Motu nourishes startup ideas and returns capital to investors. Typical deals fall in the $1 million to $5 million range. The fund has invested in approximately ten companies with a focus on AI, digital marketing, travel, and healthcare software. Active portfolio companies include Sharpist (a digital learning platform for employees), Bilendo (accounts receivable management), LiveEO (infrastructure analysis with satellite data, most recent investment June 2024), Mindpeak (AI-based cancer diagnostics), Vivira (remote physical therapy), and Ecoworks (climate-neutral buildings). The firm recorded a notable exit in Opinary — a mobile polling platform with clients including Toyota, Yahoo, Ford, MasterCard, and HuffPost — in July 2023. In October 2021 the Motu team partnered with Earlybird to launch Earlybird-X, a seed fund focused on deep tech, while continuing to actively support the existing Motu Ventures portfolio. The combination of Schmitt's engineering depth and Semmer's legal and operational expertise gives the firm a grounded, practitioner perspective that resonates with technically sophisticated founders building in Europe.