Auxxo just raised €33.3 million for female-led startups. But Auxxo funding female founders and a new founder-matching platform finally help close the gender gap in venture capital? 

Auxxo funding female founders has reached a new level after Berlin-based venture capital firm Auxxo raised €33.3 million ($38.2 million) for its second Female Catalyst Fund. The money will go to early-stage startups across Europe that have at least one female founder.

This fund is bigger in comparison with the first fund by Auxxo, which managed to collect €19 million in 2021. Auxxo was founded in 2019 and works with pre-seed and seed companies. The requirement for investing into the firm is that the startup should have at least one female founder with 20% share.

Women are still a small part of the startup world

It occurs in an era where women continue to suffer from the problem of the gender gap within the startup sector. In Germany, just 19 percent of startups are owned by women. Worldwide, firms founded exclusively by women get only about 2 percent of venture capital funding. Auxxo wants to help close that gap by giving female founders more access to money and strong business networks.

“The numbers are clear: we still lack our fair share of female founders,” said Auxxo Principal Alena Redeker. “We want to change this by helping ambitious entrepreneurial talent form diverse teams.”

Where is the new fund going?

Auxxo has already invested in 11 startups through its second fund. These companies work in areas such as AI, climate technology, robotics, healthcare, space and deep tech. The portfolio includes Marble Imaging, which is building a satellite network for Earth observation, BioOrbit, which is developing medicines in space, and Delta Labs, which uses its Elaiia platform to study customer behaviour.

Auxxo usually invests around €500,000 in a startup and takes a 3% to 8% stake. The firm plans to invest in around 25 to 30 companies through the fund.

Can a new platform help founders find the right partners?

Along with the fund, Auxxo has launched a Europe-wide Founder Matchmaking Platform. It connects solo founders with people who could become technical or business co-founders. The platform also helps existing startup teams find new co-founders and gives professionals a chance to explore joining a startup at an early stage.

The European Investment Fund remains the main investor in Fund II. Other backers include EnBW New Ventures, Aurum Impact, Cherry Ventures and Speedinvest, along with family offices and angel investors. More than half of Auxxo’s investors are women.

“Diversity and financial return can go hand in hand,” said Marjut Falkstedt, chief executive of the European Investment Fund.

A bigger push for the future

Auxxo’s second fund shows that investors are becoming more interested in supporting female founders, even though the funding gap is still large.

With more money, better founder networks and its new matchmaking platform, Auxxo hopes to help more women turn ideas into successful companies. As Business Fortune observes, the coming years could show whether this approach can lead to more female-led startups and a more balanced European venture capital market.

 

FAQs

What is Auxxo’s Female Catalyst Fund II?

It is a €33.3 million venture fund focused on pre-seed and seed-stage European startups with at least one female founder.

How much did Auxxo raise for its first fund?

Auxxo raised €19 million for its first Female Catalyst Fund in 2021.

How much does Auxxo typically invest?

The firm typically invests around €500,000 for a 3% to 8% stake.

What is the Auxxo Founder Matchmaking Platform?

It connects founders, potential co-founders and operators to help create stronger startup teams across Europe.

Why is Auxxo focusing on female founders?

Women remain significantly underrepresented among startup founders and receive a small share of global venture capital funding.