seed + speed Ventures

seed + speed Ventures is a Berlin-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2016 by Dr. Carsten Maschmeyer — one of Germany's most prominent technology investors and a longtime fixture on the ARD television program Die Hohle der Lowen — and co-led by fellow Managing Director Alexander Kolpin, previously a Partner at WestTech Ventures and a co-founder and board member of German Startups Group Berlin AG. The 16-person firm focuses exclusively on pre-seed and seed B2B software investments. In January 2026 the firm closed Fund III at 90 million euros, triple its original 30 million euro target, with a dedicated thesis on the secure and productive rollout of AI in everyday business operations spanning security, data protection, governance, quality control, cost management, and measurable productivity gains. Fund III also marks the firm's first geographic expansion beyond the German-speaking DACH region into the broader European market. Since fundraising began in summer 2024 the team deployed into 13 companies, including Orq.ai (Amsterdam, GenAI and LLMOps), RIIICO (Dusseldorf), Optimuse (Vienna), and Eleven Dynamics (Switzerland). The firm leads rounds and has backed more than 50 startups across all three funds. Named portfolio companies include Prewave, pliant, Finanzguru, Kertos, Enginsight, and Orderlion. The most recent disclosed investments are Agaton (February 2026), Orq.ai (a 5 million euro seed in December 2025), and RIIICO (a $5 million seed in June 2025). An exit was realised at Prezise.ai. The firm's approach combines early financial conviction with sustained support for portfolio companies on follow-on fundraising and sales-led growth. Maschmeyer's high media profile and Kolpin's ecosystem relationships give portfolio companies access to a network that spans German corporate decision-makers, media channels, and institutional co-investors at scale.