As European companies grapple with how to adopt artificial intelligence responsibly at scale, Berlin based seed+speed Ventures has closed a significantly upsized third fund aimed at backing founders building secure, compliant, and productivity driven AI for everyday business use. The firm has finalised its fundraising at €90 million, triple its original target, signalling strong investor confidence in Europe’s enterprise AI opportunity.
The early stage investor is led by Carsten Maschmeyer and Alexander Kölpin, who have positioned the fund as a specialist vehicle for B2B and enterprise software startups operating at the intersection of artificial intelligence, security, and real world business impact.
A Fund That Rapidly Outgrew Its Original Target
seed+speed III was initially planned at €30 million. Due to strong demand from investors, the fund’s hard cap was increased twice, ultimately closing at €90 million following investor approval. Fundraising began in summer 2024 and marks the first time the firm has formally opened its investment scope to startups beyond the DACH region.
The investor base includes a broad mix of institutional investors such as banks and foundations, alongside media groups, family offices, industrial holdings, legal and tax professionals, real estate entrepreneurs, and high net worth individuals. Several successful founders from seed+speed’s earlier funds have also joined as investors following their exits, reinforcing the firm’s founder driven ecosystem.
Backing Secure and Practical AI for Business
seed+speed III will invest in European B2B and enterprise software companies at the pre seed and seed stages. Initial investments range from €500,000 to €1.5 million, with the ability to provide several million euros in follow on capital as companies scale.
The fund’s strategic focus is on the secure rollout and use of AI in everyday business operations. This includes technologies addressing security, data protection, governance, quality assurance, cost control, and measurable productivity gains. Rather than speculative AI applications, seed+speed is targeting solutions that can be deployed reliably inside real organisations.
Carsten Maschmeyer said Europe must act decisively if it wants to compete globally in AI. He emphasised the strength of European founders and technology, noting that what is often missing is the support required to build globally significant companies. seed+speed aims to close that gap through early involvement and operational backing.
From Early Investment to Global Scaling
According to Alexander Kölpin, the central question for companies is no longer whether they will use AI, but how they will use it to remain competitive. He explained that seed+speed invests both in teams building AI as a core technology and in companies enabling AI to be used safely and effectively within enterprises.
Beyond capital, the firm supports founders with follow on fundraising, go to market execution, and sales led scaling. The goal is to help European technology companies grow into international solutions that set global standards.
Early Portfolio Highlights
Since launching seed+speed III, the team has already invested in 13 startups. These include Amsterdam based Orq.ai, a generative AI collaboration and LLMOps platform for building and monitoring AI agents in production. Düsseldorf based RIIICO is using AI to create digital 3D models of existing factories, helping industrial customers plan expansions and new production lines more efficiently.
Vienna based Optimuse applies AI to building engineering and retrofit projects, enabling planners to identify cost and emission reductions early. Swiss company Eleven Dynamics focuses on automated inline metrology and quality assurance for manufacturing, working with customers such as BMW, Audi, and Sauber Motorsport.
Building Europe’s Enterprise AI Backbone
With €90 million now secured, seed+speed Ventures has established one of Europe’s largest early stage funds dedicated to enterprise AI. By investing early and supporting founders beyond the first cheque, the firm aims to help ensure that Europe does not just invent AI technologies, but successfully turns them into globally competitive businesses.